Survival Kit Created To Keep Kids Calm In The Car

With the holiday season upon us and more and more Brits choosing the UK rather than Europe and the expensive Euro, one major headache will be the roads.

Help is at hand – ACF Car Finance Limited has developed a 'Contented Car Survival Kit' to help parents with younger children maintain a calm car (for as long as humanly possible!).

The kit incorporates nutritional advice from food specialist, Ceri Pimblett, to ensure fractious family fights are kept to a minimum and includes ideas on free games to keep kids entertained.

During bank holidays and school holidays, traffic increases by over 150%^† and pretty much no one is spared the plight of the traffic jam. So if you're not overcome with joy at the thought of a long car journey, then follow these easy steps developed by ACF Car Finance and you could start your holiday as you mean to go on.

The 'ACF Car Finance Contented Car Survival Kit'

1.  Don't rely on expensive service station junk, plan ahead and pack meals, nibbles and drinks specifically intended to enhance a calming mood. Suggestions include:
                     

• Carbohydrates, which are very calming because they produce neurotransmitter serotonin – responsible for a relaxed, calm feeling. Best 'in-car' calming carbs include wholewheat pasta salads, unsweetened popcorn, bagels, tortillas and rice cakes;
• Celery and lettuce have also been found to be calming, so make sure all sandwiches are made with wholewheat bread and include plenty of crunchy lettuce. Celery sticks and cheese dips will also give the kids a great 'happy hit';
• Vitamin B6 is needed to help manufacture serotonin. Nibbles high in B6 and carbohydrates are bananas, raisins and sweet potato crisps; and
• Calcium has been found to reduce irritability and nervousness if taken in small amounts throughout the day. Obvious sources of calcium include milkshakes, cheese and yoghurt.

2. For parents, prepare a chamomile and honey drink in a flask - chamomile was used during the 1800s to calm hysteria. By adding some honey to chamomile tea you can benefit from the calming effects of carbohydrates as well. Add extra honey and create a kids drink free from frenzy inducing fructose (found in fruit drinks) and the sweeteners found in the majority of soft drinks.
3. In-car entertainment doesn't have to mean expensive DVD's. ACF Car Finance carried out a poll of favourite family car games and the top three include 'I spy', the 'I went to the shop and bought' memory game and the traditional 'sing-a-long'. In fact, in a study from The Journal of the Royal Society for the Promotion of Health, 89 percent of singers reported intense happiness while singing and 79 percent felt less stressed.
4. Keep the windows open, fresh air will ease any travel sickness and help make the kids tired for a nap!

Jane Whittle, spokesperson for ACF Car Finance said: "We always listen to our customers and understand that many will be holidaying in the UK this year. Unfortunately heavy traffic is now a reality for Britons hoping to get away from it all, with the average motorist spending 6 months of their life stuck in a traffic jam!^‡

"Apart from the obvious planning, such as ensuring your radio reports local traffic updates and checking with AA/RAC for any traffic 'hot spots', we wanted to help our customers and UK families travel as stress-free as possible. This is why we've commissioned a poll to identify some easy and free games to play in the car and worked with a food specialist to create an easy guide to keep the kids happy on the roads this summer."

^† Statistic from RAC.

^‡ Statistic from ‘Briton from above’ – book written by Ian Harrison. Published in 2008.