I have a question for parents that have/had kids between 2 and 4

armoredfist316

Hi. I am new to the boards on here but im hoping to get some help. I am trying to get into an industrial design program and i am working on the entrance exam. One part of the exam requires us to do some background research and its been a while so my parents didnt remember very much.

This is the assignment:


Thanks in advance for any help and if you would like i can post my final results

dame

There are mirrors you can buy that you stick onto the windscreen under the rearview mirror. They are angled so you can see the backseat at a glance.

The reaching back part is extremely difficult alright. My right shoulder nearly feels dislocated at times trying to reach back with a toy or drink. If there was more room between the drivers seat and front passenger seat it would make reaching a bit easier, as often you find yourelf unbuckling your seatbelt, waiting until there are no corners and then kneeling on the seat to reach back to kids. If the front passenger seat could swivel (even slightly) towards centre it would help. Also maybe some method of leaving your seatbelt fastened but that it would allow you to stretch without beheading you.

The only way to clean spills or when a child has been sick is to stop the car and open the back door or to kneel on front seat as above.

Best things to keep young kids entertained in car? Allow them to choose two toys and a couple of books themselves to bring on the journey. Don't give them all at once (loose objects in car can cause injuries flying around during a crash).
My daughter (3) has a Vtech Bob the Builder phone toy that teaches numbers. She loves bringing it in the car. It has buttons to press and it makes noises. Also, it's small enough for her to comfortably hold it on her lap.
I know some parents swear by a mini dvd player to play movies or cartoons. You can get some that go over the headrest of the front seat.

Comfort and safety sitting and lying? A good, decent child safety seat that has various reclining positions. The higher the seat, the better the view the child has.

Do not underestimate how wonderful air conditioning is on summer days, even in Ireland!

armoredfist316

Thank you sooooo much for the time it took to write that. That is exactly what i am looking for.

Any more suggestions are greatly appreciated also:)

TheBlock

I don't travel for excessivly long distances but the daily commute can be up to an hour and a half at some times. I know my lad of 2.5 loves to bring a couple of toys with him but can drop them or loose interest fairly quickly with them. I tend not to allow too much food in the car as I find he will eat just for the sake of it which can lead to heim being travel sick. A bottle of Water or juice is a must however. We also find that when toys are dropped or food spilled reaching back to retrieve can be difficult so I would agree that an adjustable front passenger seat with a swivel action would be ideal.

I find that talking with them is a great way of keeping in them interested in the trip. Simple things like what will you do in creche today? Who will you play with? What will you learn? Piont out things outside the car and talk about them (Boys usually love any form of construction vehicle). The car is a great place for teaching numbers/colours I find... how many red cars can you see? How may buses are there?

Would love a wipe borad for the back of the front passenger seat to allow hime to draw of write.

I also keep a couple of CD's with kids nursery rhymes in the car to sing along with.

He also got a present of a Sterring wheel with a siren that sound like a fire engine from Santa so now he believes he is actaully driving a fire truck can be a little noisy but he seems to be amussed even refering to himself as Sam and me as Elvis (Fireman Sam).

DaDa

We do a few 5 hr trips each year...

Twin screen DVD player are a blessing.
I-Spy.
Other observation games: finding cars of a certain colour (pick a colour each).
If they're old enough... finding makes/models of cars.
List as many animals as you all can, taking turns (none can be repeated).
Who will be first to spot an animal.
Kids music CDs.
Take turns singing songs.
Take turns making up silly knock knock jokes.
Small portions of drinks, fruit & jellies dished out periodically.
Few toys each.
Few Books each.
You can buy some pretty good tidy-away things that hang on back of seats.
Plan you stops in advance... pack a picnic for the ½ way mark.
Even stopping the car and playing a game of swap seats.

Victor

Its easy, put George in the back to entertain the kids and let Laura drive.

Provide a rearward facing front passenger seat.

Give the children some of George's [strike]coke and[/strike]* booze.

Take the train / fly.

Or have an example that doesn't follow the dominant discourse so tightly.


* The booze is better for sedating them, skip the coke.

TempestSabre

While there are real world things like talking and singing that work. This is for product design and there for they are really looking for some cool new product idea, that will sell basically. Something like the iPod for Kids car entertainment, or car seats etc.

DVD Karaoke machine for kids so everyone can sing the words. Because a lot of parents don't know the words and the kids do because they've just learnt them in creche! Also many seats don't suit toddler who fall asleep as their heads aren't supported properly. So a seat that can recline a bit, even for bigger toddlers would be great. Liquid dispenser that can't spill, extending straw and that you can regulate how much you get per hour! The a DVD system is great for kids they love watching movies etc. Maybe have a system that can choose a programme that the same length as your journey, and that can be detached to bring it into the hotel etc.

Also look at the trendy colours and fashion trends as parents always like funky trendy things and product obsolescence is a good thing to sell products. I actually did product design, so if you want any other tips let me know. Check out http://www.coroflot.com/ for portfolios and idea how to present your concepts. Pseudo technical drawings, even sketched go down well.