DVD Players for the Kids: What Kind of Rules Do You Set?
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photoman
Explorer
Aaron, we've got to get these boys together this fall.
He has two weeks off in October for his fall break. I was going to take a week and split it between a trip with him and some time in Colorado.
Lets discuss options for a 3-4 day trip.
Page AZ
Death Valley
Mohave Rd
or others
DrMoab
Explorer
Wow, I was going to post but you pretty much stole my thunder. Other than ages I could have said exactly the same thing.This thread seems to have a couple of threads with more generalizations and stereotypes than we usually see this soon into a topic.
* My kids aren't lazy.
* I sometimes do want to plant them in front of a TV/DVD screen.
* My 10 y.o. often chooses books over TV or games and will contentedly spend hours in the yard whittling, building earthen ramps for his bike or relocating various dirt piles, logs and branches to build and rebuild a fort.
I think there are big differences on the road with 2 parents and 1 child versus 1 or 2 parents and multiple children. With 2 on 1, they are the center of your world while in that vehicle and have both of you as a captive audience. Not so much when there are 3 of them competing to be heard.
Just my .02
I have TVs and a DVD player in my rig and my kids can watch it whenever they want. Most of the time they don't. My son would much rather look out for trains and wild life. I haven't pushed him in this or any direction, it's just what he likes. My daughter is ten going on thirteen and with her it's a little harder to keep her entertained. Even with that, she usually is looking for something to take a picture of or reading. Still they are kids and everything gets boring after awhile.
T.Low
Expedition Leader
Do you have a DVD player of any kind for your kids to watch movies while you're road bound? Yes over head mounted DVD player
If so, what kinds of rules do you set? Or do you set no rules at all and just let that thing play movies from driveway to campsite? Traveling, bed time and inclimate weather otherwise go find fun!
How well do your kids do without DVD players in the car? Installed it to reward my daughter because she IS such a great kid but more for me than the kids,lol. I like it for solo trips and to watch back pictures taken during trip.
Maybe you have alternatives that your kids get into?
My daughter prefers the NEVER stop asking questions entertainment..Dad, dad, dad ,dad..LOL
I'm know you know how fortunate you are that your daughter prefers that method of entertainment.:ylsmoke:
That looks like the Skookemchuck wave.
We like to rent books on tape that somehow tie into our destination or the general region. Sometimes we can't pull it off, but its rewarding when we can.
vanderpooch
Authentic Adventurer
Indeed I do...
However, I'm loosing her to climbing this summer all on her own. I don't climb she has seeked it out all on her own...
I wish we could try that but books on tape kicks my ADD's @$$. I can't make it two minutes before i'm off thinking about something else. I can't turn it off.
We usually let our three go movieless until they're at the bitter edge of boredom, until they're about to fashion improvised weapons and attack the parents. Then we put on a movie to buy a couple of more hours. Usually they're good for 4-6 hours before we put it on.
Kids are little, and they're nearly always in the back seat, so they can't see out the front of the car or out the side windows very well. That can make a road trip like a jail cell.
I don't see the point of generalizing about movies or the parents who let their kids watch them- it seems like people without kids are suddenly the foremost expert on raising kids. I say: go with what works. If you're out on a roadie that involves nature, off road driving, animals and camping, and hopefully some kind of historical or cultural significance, you're ahead of the curve. A movie isn't going to hurt anything.
Jacket
2008 Expedition Trophy Champion
Nice to see this new sub-forum for Family adventures - good stuff.
I have to admit that even though I've listened to Cars no less than 20 times piping in from the back seat, I still enjoy the story and dialog as a way to break up a long trip. Unfortunately, I cannot say the same thing about...say....Snow White.
Headphones! Headphones! Kids with headphones also provide a good opportunity for the adults to pop in an audio book that may not be appropriate for an 8 year old.
I have to admit that even though I've listened to Cars no less than 20 times piping in from the back seat, I still enjoy the story and dialog as a way to break up a long trip. Unfortunately, I cannot say the same thing about...say....Snow White.
Headphones! Headphones! Kids with headphones also provide a good opportunity for the adults to pop in an audio book that may not be appropriate for an 8 year old.
The Adam Blaster
Expedition Leader
Well, my son is now 2, and last summer when he was only 1, we drove 12,000 km's and we needed something more than his mom and my pleasant voices to keep him entertained. He actually travelled VERY well, on the 2nd half of the trip we generally got about 4 hours out of him before he started rebellig and we'd need to find a place for him to hop out and run around.
We had my netbook with us and he would watch 30-45 minutes of some pseudo-educational videos in a 4 hour period.
We just did a short overnight trip this past weekend with him, about a 4 hour drive each way to our touristy destination. (Drumheller) We didn't bring the netbook, just a couple of his music CD's. He was totally fine, didn't cry or get upset once while in the truck, nor put up a fuss when we had stopped and then had to get back in. He mostly kept himself busy with a stuffed animal and a couple of books. He can't read yet, but he sure stares at those words! lol
I feel we've been lucky having a boy that travels as well as he does, and doesn't seem to need constant entertaining from us. I'm sure it has a lot to do with us taking many trips to relatives an hour away, and that long trip last year sure help "break him in" and get used to long periods in a car.
When we take those longer trips, we'll have the netbook or portable DVD player for him but also try to engage with him as much as possible. But, videos will be a good break for him when we're driving between Alberta and Windsor, Ontario - 32+ hours of driving over 4 days.
He actually travelled VERY well, on the 2nd half of the trip we generally got about 4 hours out of him before he started rebellig and we'd need to find a place for him to hop out and run around.We had my netbook with us and he would watch 30-45 minutes of some pseudo-educational videos in a 4 hour period.
We just did a short overnight trip this past weekend with him, about a 4 hour drive each way to our touristy destination. (Drumheller) We didn't bring the netbook, just a couple of his music CD's. He was totally fine, didn't cry or get upset once while in the truck, nor put up a fuss when we had stopped and then had to get back in. He mostly kept himself busy with a stuffed animal and a couple of books. He can't read yet, but he sure stares at those words! lol
I feel we've been lucky having a boy that travels as well as he does, and doesn't seem to need constant entertaining from us. I'm sure it has a lot to do with us taking many trips to relatives an hour away, and that long trip last year sure help "break him in" and get used to long periods in a car.
When we take those longer trips, we'll have the netbook or portable DVD player for him but also try to engage with him as much as possible. But, videos will be a good break for him when we're driving between Alberta and Windsor, Ontario - 32+ hours of driving over 4 days.