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GRANDS SETTING A GOOD EXAMPLE
Don’t Text and Drive
By: Cathy Droz
Using one’s communication and socialization skills with grandchildren can be a challenge for Grands at any time, no less in a moving vehicle. With today’s technology our grandchildren know how to text and tweet before they can write and speak. It may be a challenge to stop your teens and tweens from using modern technology in the passenger seats while driving to the playground or the soccer field, but the best thing you can do as their grandparents is not do the same while driving.
The University of Utah studies show that 70% of accidents involving teens are caused by sending and receiving text messages. That is equivalent to drinking and driving with two times the legal limit of alcohol. Many states have outlawed both cell phone (other than hands free) and texting while driving. In some instances there is also a ban for teens to use hands-free devices for their phones.
Granted, I don’t text well standing up, no less driving, but I do use my cell phone hands-free in the car. I have a Bluetooth ear piece while many newer model cars have this feature included. Even with these precautions, pulling over to take a call or a text message is the safest bet.
If our grandchildren, even as young as two years old, see us fumble for the cell phone, take one hand off the wheel and start talking or texting while driving they will think its okay. Operating these devices in this fashion can be deadly; just ask those people who have lost their loved ones to someone who was texting or talking on their cell phone.
Three letter acronyms can be used to shorten a word or sentence, but texting while driving can shorten the life of another driver, pedestrian or your loved ones. Be conscious of your actions, be a role model for your grandkids while driving.
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PEACE OF MIND IN A KIT
By:
Cathy Droz
December Issue – Grand Magazine
Over the river and through the woods to Grandmother’s house we go...
But what if we ‘Grands’ take our grandchildren over the river and through the woods instead, and encounter car trouble?
Have you thought about what you would do if your car broke down, especially with the grandchildren in tow? Depending on the part of the country you live in, even a five minute ride from Grandma’s kitchen could leave you with an auto safety dilemma.
Consider a membership with an organization like AAA. Carry their card in your purse, but keep a copy of the card in the glove compartment, just to be secure.
Now let’s add on some necessities:
Jumper cables, four l5-minute roadside flares, First Aid Kit including bandages, gauze, adhesive tapes, antiseptic cream etc. If you have a grandchild with allergies or specific medical conditions, make sure you have their medication on board. Add to that a flashlight with extra batteries (keep batteries separate so they don’t drain) duct tape, paper towels, pocketknife, pen and paper, granola or energy bars, help sign, bottled water, insect repellent, small mirror, several waterproof matches, coloring book and markers (crayons melt), disposable camera, moist wipes, 2 emergency survival blankets, whistle, bungee cords, cell phone and charger, reflective triangles for night time emergencies, first aid manual, complete with CPR instructions and breath mints.
You can organize these items any way you want. If your vehicle is small, separate the kit into large waterproof bags and place them under your front seat, in your glove compartment, or in your spare tire well. If you have a trunk, you can store the items in a large canvas bag, old diaper bag, gym bag, fishing tackle box, caboodle or soft crate.
You can make your own safety kit, or purchase one in retail auto stores or on-line; they range from $15.00 to over $200.00. They are equipped with the basics and depending on where you reside, you should include either a snow shovel or sun block. For the safety of our grandchildren, this is the perfect holiday gift for any ‘Grand’.
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CHILD CAR SEAT SAFETY FOR GRANDPARENTS
By:
Cathy Droz
December Issue – Grand Magazine
I don’t know about your family, but my son and daughter-in-law give me their SUV to drive when I’m babysitting, and I give them my car. The car seats are already properly installed, so I just place my four and one-year-old grandchildren in the appropriate car seats and off we go.
Now, when the car seats and the grandchildren are both dropped off but the SUV isn’t with them, what do you do? It has been over 20 years since I installed children’s car seats, and I remember with horror having bungee corded all three seats together once I finally secured the clumsy contraptions and the children. The instructions that were provided were grossly inadequate.
Times have changed; manufacturers’ vehicles are all about anchor, tether and LATCH safety. The choices for car seats alone keep Ralph Nader up all night. According to the experts at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) the following are basic recommendations for your grandchild’s safety:
• An infant should be in a rear-facing car seat until the baby reaches age one and weighs 20 pounds. Never place a child’s seat in the passenger seat.
• Toddlers need forward-facing car seats until the harnesses no longer fit properly.
• Young children should use booster seats with lap and shoulder safety belts until they are tall enough to use just safety belts.
• Older children should always wear seatbelts.
Using a car seat for your grandchild in not only required by law, it is also crucial in protecting your grandchild in the event of a car accident. Choosing the right car seat and having it installed properly makes all the difference. Check with your local Fire and Police departments to schedule an appointment with a certified car seat technician. Learn car seat safety from a certified professional, not a sales clerk at your local retail store.
Motor Vehicle crashes kill more children ages 14 and under than any other age group, claiming nearly 1,800 lives and more than 274,000 injuries each year. The majority of those crashes occur within 25 miles of their homes, and often Grands are behind the wheel.
Keep our grandchildren safe; they are our most precious cargo.
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What Happens in the Cadillac, Stays in the Cadillac
By:
Larry Edsall
www.izoom.com
I'm a grandfather, so I guess I should really like Cadillac's new 2010 SRX, because my grandchildren certainly do.
They find it easy to climb into the roomy rear seat and up into their booster seats. They like the roominess of the back seat, and I like the fact the seat is roomy enough that they can sit without having their feet up against the back of the front seats.
And that power-opening and closing rear hatch makes it really easy for them to deposit their backpacks on the drive to and from school.
My grandson really loves the beneath-the-cargo-floor storage area, which I find an ideal place to put the groceries so they don't slide around when I drive with some enthusiasm on the way home. But my grandson likes that area because what he wants to do is to fill the plastic liner with water, rocks, twigs and such and then use it as a live tank to keep the turtles, frogs, bugs and the other critters that seem to come home with him from everyplace he visits.
But I'm sure the grandchildren's favorite feature is the SRX's optional rear seat entertainment system, with screens mounted on the back of the driver's and front passenger's seats so they can watch movies as they ride.
Pity that grandpa finds the "intuitive infotainment" technology not nearly as intuitive as Cadillac says it is and thus can only figure out which buttons to push to play that movie about half the time. Why can't there be a nice, clear "DVD" or "Play" buttons somewhere on the center console?
My daughter finally informs me that I should push the button with an arrow on it. To me, "intuitive" means not having to hunt through an owner's manual, plow down through screen displays, navigate a series of switchgear, or ask my daughter how to make something work. To me, "intuitive" means obvious, able to be done without much if any thought.
I know, I'm being really picky. But a vehicle such as the SRX, especially in the "AWD Performance Collection" setup with its $47,115 as-tested sticker that I'm driving, seems to have been designed with grandparents in mind.
It's most definitely a luxury vehicle, even with that $1,195 entertainment system with its dual screens and wireless headphones and remote control -- ah, that's where I made my mistake: I should have just given my grandson the remote control and let him intuit with a 7-year-old's perspective.
(One more note to grandparents before we close this conversation: I mentioned above that sometimes I like to drive with what I call “enthusiasm.” If you share that spirit, you might want to have a talk with your grandchildren before you get back to their parents’ house. I was recently in Illinois visiting my other daughter and her family and just happened to be driving a 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS, which has a Corvette-based, 426-horsepower V8 engine. I volunteered to take my 4-year-old grandson to T-ball practice and, well, he really wanted to see what the car could do and we had some fun on the way home. Nothing dangerous, but there was some engine noise and perhaps a little tire squeal as well. My grandson loved it as much as I did, but when we got home, the first thing he did was run into the house and gleefully told his mom how “fast” gompa was driving. Of course, he didn’t bother to mention how much fun he thought it was. Immediately, in a reversal of the father/daughter relationship, I was being scolded for setting a bad example.)
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GRANDMA ATTENDS PHOENIX CITIZENS POLICE ACADEMY
I sit on the board of directors for Silent Witness, a non- profit organization that raises funds to financially reward those responsible citizens who report crimes leading to arrests. The monies come from private donations and fund raising, not from the city government’s budget. While rewards for information are offered, many are never collected. This is due to the civic responsibility of the citizens who are just looking to help and make a difference.
CAN YOU TELL THE CHILDREN FROM THE ADULTS?
Just when you thought you were running out of parks and Chucky Cheese restaurants to entertain and educate your grandchildren a jewel in the desert pops up. You could spend the day at the Children’s Museum of Phoenix and never run out of things to do.
No GAP for Grandpa
Channel 3 TV in Phoenix Arizona asked Two for the Road USA to represent them at a Belo Booth for the 2008 Woman’s Expo. Most of the Two for the Road staff was there over the three days including Rev up your RV with Cathy B. Suburbdaddy, Julia’s Garage, Michael from AZ3Sixty, Cathy, Bill and Grandma’s Hot Wheels Little granddaughter, Jayden.
2008 Women's Expo
Channel 3 TV in Phoenix Arizona asked Two for the Road USA to represent them at a Belo Booth for the 2008 Woman’s Expo. Most of the Two for the Road staff was there over the three days including Rev up your RV with Cathy B. Suburbdaddy, Julia’s Garage, Michael from AZ3Sixty, Cathy, Bill and Grandma’s Hot Wheels Little granddaughter, Jayden.
2008 Ford Escape Hybrid
The other day, when my three-year-old granddaughter was exiting my car, she held up two fingers and said “Peace out.” I wondered where she had heard that expression. I hadn’t uttered that phrase in over 30 years and surely her Gen X father (my son) wouldn’t be caught saying that, as he laughs when I say “cool” or “far-out” in conversation. That’s okay; I snicker at his use of “whatever” or “as if.”
Grandparents “GETAWAY” Car
If someone mentions a town car to me I think of a chauffeured trip to the airport or a neighbor’s car that always has room for two or more additional passengers. It’s hard to find the look and feel of a limousine made by one of the big three auto manufacturers for under $40,000. However, Chrysler has a 300C Hemi engine designer sedan called the Walter P. Chrysler Executive series.
Hip-Hop Meets Pop-Pop
The Cadillac names that have spanned our generation include: The El Dorado, Seville, Coupe de Ville, De Ville DTS, Allante, and Cimarron, to name a few. I remember my family’s first Cadillac, a Sedan de Ville. Our neighbors clamored to look inside and wondered out loud as to what my dad did for a living to be able to afford such a status automobile. There was elegance associated with the brand, there was heritage, and eventually, its own subculture, with over 1,000 songs written about the Cadillac car to date.
"Green" Grandparents are Cool
Did Ozzie and Harriet have a garage? I think so, but how many cars did they have? You might find most of today’s grandparents with two cars in the garage, one a sporty ride and the other luxury, with perhaps a classic car in a third garage as well.
Was that a Hot Flash or a Hot Car?
Grandparents are not only young at heart, but in a lot of instances, we are chronologically young as well. Though we may be thinking about the coolest vehicle we can own and travel in, we may also be thinking about what vehicle is the safest to transport our grandchildren.
Read about Cathy Droz featured on GrowingBolder.com
Cathy Droz's articles are included in 55+ Alive!
About Love Inspired Photography - Weddings, Portraits, Family and Sports Photography
Grandma, Cathy Droz has 20 years of automotive marketing experience. She writes a weekly column with her daughter called Boomer and X and has a successful radio show in Phoenix, Arizona. She is the proud grandmother of Jayden Droz, who will accompany her on her test drives for fun and research. For more reviews go to www.twofortheroadusa.com or contact Cathy at drozadgal@aol.com
