Have you done a bottle buddy project? What bottle buddy personality have you or will you create? Let me know in comments!

"Are we there yet?"

“Why can’t we just be THERE?”

“Why does Grandma live so far away?”

"How much further to Grandma’s?"

"How long is an hour?" (It’s two Phineas and Ferb episodes—FYI.)

Sound familiar? Yea. Fun times.

When you are seven years old, sitting in the car for long drives is, in a word, B O R I N G. It is also frustrating to us, as parents to answer the same questions over and over. We love our kiddo, but when she is bored, we are responsible to bring on the entertainment, or suffer the incessant questions. I remember how it felt on long drives. When I was a kid, we drove to Texas from California many times. My dad was not the "Pull-over! I got to pee" sort of accommodator. If you went to the restroom in New Mexico, you were holding it until the Texas State line. I remember it being a pretty boring drive, in some parts and I am assured that I drove my parents crazy with the incessant questions, just as my daughter does on long drives now.

 

Mr. Bear and I make a lot of long drives to our parents’ houses. My parents live 2 1/2 hours away and Mr. Bear’s parents live about an hour away, depending on traffic. We make these drives several times a year, usually with our animals in tow. The last couple times we went to visit our parents, we had the Samsung Galaxy 7 inch tablet. To say it is a life-changer, it is an understatement. We put Allie in the backseat with the tablet fully loaded with educational (and not-so-educational) games to help pass the time when we were on the long drive. It sure beat the “Counting Call Boxes” game we tried to get her to play the last drive (she wasn’t falling for it!). We hardly heard a peep from her, in the back seat. Happy kid, happy parents! The drive went by so quickly for all of us.

It really is amazing to think we ever travelled without one of these!

Not only does the tablet keep her busy in the car, she really enjoyed using it for homework. It’s so simple to use, she was able to figure out how to find the information she needed for her most recent project on Grover Cleveland. We are very careful with appropriate viewing on the internet and monitor what we can, whenever we can. Of course, as parents, we need to monitor what websites and information kids have access to. We were able to find some helpful tips on setting up the Parental Controls, which helped us manage and create a positive digital experience for Allie. There are so many amazing applications out there that help to assist with homework. I was pleasantly surprised by what I found. It made homework just a little more fun!

The great part, is that the Samsung Galaxy Tablet is so portable and lightweight.  It fits nicely in the back pocket of Mr Bear’s pants and tucks nicely into my purse.  It is easy for Allie’s little hands to hold.  I was a bit concerned at first that the screen would not be large enough to view videos (Like our Netflix!), however, the screen is just the right size.  We have the 10 inch Samsung Galaxy Tablet and we love it—I didn’t think it was going to be possible to love the smaller screen, nonetheless, it’s perfect!

The latest trip we took, Mr. Bear and I were able to have a pleasant conversation.  Allie was entertained and time passed by so quickly.  I don’t think we can ever travel without one of these again.  Please, don’t make us!

Disclaimer: I am a Verizon Wireless Ambassador, and I was sent the Samsung Galaxy 2, 7-inch Tablet to review on behalf of Verizon Wireless, for my honest review. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I honestly love the Samsung Galaxy 2, 7-inch Tablet and enjoyed using it.