Are you a parent dreading taking your child on long drives? Do you anticipate backseat tantrums every time you go out on a trip? Whether it’s a drive to the grocery store or a long trip to grandparents, here’s what recent research tells us about preventing the dreaded case of backseat tantrums borne out of boredom (mostly).

The Formula

A statistician has broken the code to calculate when a child may start to throw a tantrum during relatively long car rides (in a child’s mind).
The Guardian reports ”Dr James Hind of Nottingham Trent University came up with the formula T = 70 + 0.5E + 15F – 10S

• T means time and the factors that contribute to backseat tantrums have been identified as
• E for child’s entertainment
• F for food or snacks to keep child occupied
• S for sibling

The constant 70 is for the number of minutes an average car ride takes for a child.

This means for a 70-minute ride, keeping a child entertained while feeding on snacks can keep tantrums at bay for about 15 and a half minutes; however, the presence of siblings can increase backseat tantrums by 10 minutes.

“Are we nearly there yet?”

Meanwhile, this ageless question pops out of young children 32 minutes into the car ride and can be asked about 4 times during the journey.

Time Perception

While these backseat tantrums and “are we there yet?” questions can be a source of major stressor for parents and caregivers taking young children on a trip. However, adults should understand that children may have a different perception of the passing of time.

As adults, we gradually change our perception of time due to the proportion it occupies against the length of lives. For a 3- or 5 year old, an average 70-minute car ride seems an awfully long period of time compared to a 40-year old who only sees it as an infinitesimal amount of time relative to the time they’ve spent their entire lives.

Distance & Geography

Children simply don’t have enough information about how close or far places are. They simply haven’t roamed around enough yet to get an idea of the places that can become markers to let them know where they are along the way.

Boredom & Uncertainty

Another factor that adds to a child’s constant questioning and wondering is the fact that they have no control over the situation and may lack other activities to occupy their while. This makes the child focus more on the time they are spending in the car ride, and this further lengthens their perception of their time spent during the car ride.

The Solution

While backseat tantrums and sibling squabbles are hard to keep at bay during long car rides, the formula put forth by statistician Dr. Hind can be tested by parents and caregivers. By providing engaging entertainment that’s not limited to screen time like playing games like “I spy”, sing-alongs to children’s songs, or storytelling; and making sure they’re well stocked with enjoyable snacks, there’s a chance you may have a tantrum-less car ride.

Another key here is informing children about the trip beforehand, making a navigational exercise out of it the old school way. While they may not be able to read maps yet, having them create their own child-friendly map and putting landmarks and other things or structures they can watch out for to give them more certainty about the progress of their trip. This also helps children build their wayfinding skills especially if it’s a route they should familiarize themselves with.

Car trips need not be stressful, painful journeys parents or caregivers need to endure. With the right activities and an open mind to test Dr. Hind’s formula, you may finally be able to find the sweet spot that gives you peace of mind and your child an enjoyable car ride!