Having kids changes practically everything about your life. It changes the way you set up your home, how you spend your free time and what you spend your money on. Another overlooked area that it changes is how and what you drive. When you have kids, you need to take other things into consideration in regards to your vehicle. You need to ensure that you’re not only driving a safe vehicle for your kids but that you’re prepared for any situation while you’re on the road. Below, we’ll outline 4 upgrades you should consider making to your vehicle if you have kids.
Rubber Floor Mats
One of the first things you should look at getting if you don’t have them already is rubber floor mats. Rubber floor mats are mats you can place over your existing carpeted floors. They’re a great addition to any car, as they can protect your carpet against all the grime that comes from shoes and any accidental spills. However, they become much more valuable when you regularly have kids in the car. Kids aren’t known for being particularly neat.
At some point, they’re going to get crumbs all over the floor or spill what they’re drinking. When an accident happens inside the car, you’ll want cleanup to be as easy as possible. With some rubber floor mats, you can simply pull them out of the car and rinse them off with some water. This is much easier than trying to get stains out of the carpet, which may or may not work. If you want to make clean-up easier, while also preserving the condition of your vehicle, definitely invest in some fitted rubber floor mats.
Media Center
One of the most difficult parts of having kids in the car with you is keeping them entertained. If your drive is more than a few minutes, and your kids aren’t tired, you’re going to need ways to keep them occupied. One way to do this is by playing their favorite music.
If you have a newer vehicle, this is often as easy as plugging your phone into your vehicle’s media center. But if you have an older car, you may not have this capability. An upgrade you can make in this case is adding in a new media center. It’s fairly easy and affordable to purchase a center console that can connect to your phone and play media through your car’s speakers.
For example, if you have an Apple device, you’ll want to search for an Apple Carplay aftermarket media center. You then just need to find a local installation service to put it in for you. This makes it incredibly easy to play your kids’ favorite songs, even if they change on a daily basis.
Video Player
The other way to keep your kids entertained is through a video player. Some modern cool mom cars come with video players built into the headrests of the front seats so that kids in the back can easily watch their favorite content. If you don’t have one of these vehicles, however, there are other options.
For example, you can get a tablet or DVD player that straps onto the headrest. You can then remove this player when you’re not in the car and easily slip it in when it’s time to go for a drive. Having video options is a great way to keep kids entertained on longer drives. So, if you have a long road trip coming up, you’ll definitely want to consider this upgrade before you go.
Emergency Kit
Finally, no parent’s car is complete without an emergency kit. A car emergency kit contains not only items in the event of an injury but for any situation you might face while on the road. For example, a good emergency kit might contain:
- Spare diapers
- Wet wipes
- Stain remover
- Extra batteries
- Band-Aids
- Pain relievers
Putting a little kit together and storing it in your backseat or the trunk is a great way to prepare yourself for an eventuality. Just think about anything you might need while you’re on the road, then store it in your kit. If the time ever comes where you need this kit, you’ll be glad you planned ahead.
Changing Your Car for Your Kids
Your kids have already changed every other aspect of your life, so it only makes sense that they’re going to change your car too. With the upgrades and changes mentioned above, you can make driving around with your kids safer and more enjoyable for everyone involved.
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