Driving with kids can drive you out of your mind.
Worse than that, it can drive you into a ditch or a tree or head-on into another car.

The trick is to do something about it before you leave. Later may be too late.
Here are 8 possibitities:

1. Before you start out on a trip, go to the dime store and buy some soft toys, coloring books, magic slates, games or puzzles. Wrap them individuaIJy and give them out along the way.

2. Make the oldest kid the Navigator. Go over the map with him, mark the route, and let him watch for road signs, towns, rivers and places' of interest. (This is an especially good idea if you're not too good at it yourself.)

3. Have the kids keep a Scrap Book of the trip. When you stop, let them collect postcards, match covers, menus and other souvenirs. When they get back in the car, they can paste them in the Scrap Book.

4.Play a game called Count Bumps. The kids cover their eyes and count the bumps the car goes over. (Make a rule that they nave to count to themselves, not out loud.)

5. When they get tired of counting bumps, get them to count something else. Anything else. Red cars. Blue cars. Police cars. Stars. Women drivers. Anything. Anything.

6. Take along a Junk: Box. It can be a shoe box full of spools, string, a magnifying glass, pipe cleaners, any old things. The kids will make up their own games to play with the junk.

7. Make a bed in the back for naps. You can do this easily by putting suitcases on the floor to level with the seat. (Whatever you do, don't forget favorite blankets and pillows.)

8. Suggest a game of Keep Quiet. Whoever keeps quiet longest wins.
If you have some pet ways of your own (leaving the kids at home doesn't count), let us in on them. Send them to Mobil, 150 East 42nd Street, New York, N. Y. 10017 and maybe we'll pass them along in another ad.
Love Is In The Air!
Wednesday, June 11, 200811:22 PM