3 Tips For Keeping Your Road Rage In Check When Your Kids Are In The Car
Whether you’re a naturally aggressive person or not, everyone’s bound to feel upset or angry while behind the wheel at one point or another. But if this tends to be the rule rather than the exception, you might be suffering from road rage.
While this can cause you issues when you’re on the road, like making you more likely to get into a car accident, it’s also likely not something that you want your kids to witness in you on a regular basis. So if this is something that you’ve been trying to overcome, here are three tips for keeping your road rage in check, especially when your kids are in the car.
Give Yourself More Time
Part of the reason why many people feel that they have such a short fuse when in the car is because they feel rushed for time. Especially when you have kids, it can be a challenge to get everyone ready to go and into the car so you can get to your destination on time.
To help with this, Edmunds.com recommends that you try to give yourself more time to get around during the day. If this means having to wake up earlier or get your kids into the car sooner than you normally would have, try to take these measures so that when you’re in the car, you can feel relaxed about time.
Keep Things Calm In Your Car
With kids around, finding calm moments likely isn’t something that’s going to come easy. However, when you’re behind the wheel, it’s important to stress to your kids how vital it is that the inside of the car is calm.
According to Allie Volpe, a contributor to Men’s Health, some things you can try in the car to keep things calmer is to play relaxing music, listen to an audiobook, and getting your kids settled with what they need before you get behind the wheel. Also, try teaching your kids that when you’re driving, that’s the most important thing and that anything they need will just have to wait.
Think Before You Speak
Everyone has experienced one time or another when someone on the road does something stupid or dangerous and you just can’t help but verbally react. And while these things might sometimes seem outside of your control, you can and should think about what you’re saying when your children are in the car with you.
To make this easier for you, Beverly D. Flaxington, a contributor to Psychology Today, recommends that you try to be more thoughtful about what you’re about to say before you say it. Even if it’s just something that slips out, try to put a little more time between the event and your reaction.
If you have a problem with losing your cool when driving, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you learn how to deal with this the next time your kids join you in the car.