I can’t believe it took me until my son was a year old to figure out this road trip trick.

You see, he was fussing in the car and normally I’d sing a song if we got THAT exasperated.  (My singing voice sucks.)

But finally one day I began reciting his favorite book.  It’s from the Babyfaces series of books and it’s called “Splash”.

I began reciting it from memory, as we’d read it so many dozens of times.

“Splash!  Let’s take a bath!  And blow a bubble or two.  Rub-A-Dub-Dub!  It’s fun in the tub!  I love playing with water, don’t you?”

The difference is that I wasn’t merely reciting, but SINGING the lyrics, as I did with almost every book of his until he was 18 months old.  That’s because singing your child’s book makes it more engaging for them.  And what does a mom want more than for her baby to be eagerly engaged in books?

From the time he was 9 months old, I used to recite his Splash! book and “Found You!  Magic Fish” from our bath time books at home any time we needed to use a foreign tub.

Introducing the child to a new environment is scary, but when you take the time to bring familiar items with you on travels, it gives your child a sense of security.  Because I travel light, memorizing his favorite books was a way for me to bring home with us anywhere we went.

I tried reciting a book outside of the bath time routine again next time he really broke down on the road.  He was 18 months old and I began reciting “Where The While Things Are”, his favorite book at that time.  He was delighted and concentrated so hard and happily that he dozed off (after fussing for over three hours on said road trip, despite it being naptime.

I’d uncovered a miracle!

Now I recite books to him wherever we go.  He loves when I recite his “Potty Time” book as much as anything in the world.  He makes the motions along with my words just like as if we were at home on his play mat.

What’s more, it’s not sticking your kid in front of an iPad or phone – this is an interactive experience that you can share.

The only problem is that it screws up my ability to listen to my own audiobooks on our trips – but I think you’ll agree it’s a worthy sacrifice.

Please try this and let me know what you think!