A Snack Pack in the car.
Car rides can be high stress times because it is a time of transition. You cannot be in a car and not have a transition. Our children may wonder where they are going, who are they going to see, it might even trigger memories of when they were removed from the home. Riding a car simply has a variety of reasons that a child has a higher need for sensory input, with this in mind please keep a snack pack ready and always waiting.
In your snack pack keep many different snacks and drinks. Think about what will travel well (and what you don’t mind cleaning up). If your snacks need to be refrigerated then I suggest to choose something different. Choose things that have a long life and won’t be affected by weather.
Add drinks in their favourite flavours, with drinking spouts to suck from. If it is a bottle of water or drink with a twist cap keep a reusable straw to suck through.
When it comes to food, think about all the different textures and flavours. Think sweet, sour, salty, crunchy, and chewy. We use a bag of crisps and gummy sweets followed by a fruit shoot (even older children enjoy little bottles of juice).
Last of all, when you use your items make sure you refill them so that they are available for you on your next ride in the car. Short or long trip, a snack and a drink will help your child to regulate their emotions.
For further help look at our PACE course.