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Funny Ways I’ve Kept Baby From Crying in the Car

There’s nothing more stressful and distracting than trying to drive with baby screaming in the backseat. You’d do almost anything to get baby to quiet down so you can focus on the road, right? Moms shared with us their funniest (and most successful) techniques. Hint: It’s as much about the art of distraction as it is about being downright silly.
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By Meredith Franco Meyers, Contributing Writer
Updated March 2, 2017
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“Embarrassment works at any age! I still pop n’ lock in the car, and I’m not referring to the power windows.” _— Dana

“I keep finger puppets in the car and put them on my hands sometimes while driving. They make my baby coo and giggle.” — Jane

“I admit — I make fart noises. Over and over, until she calms down.” — Shannon

“I play Noir Désir and car-dance for her. Works like a charm (provided, of course, that she has already been changed, fed, watered and equipped with her lovey, pacifier and crinkly dragonfly).” — Whitney

“If anyone saw me doing this, I would be so embarrassed, but I sing ‘Old MacDonald Had a Farm’ and do all the animal voices really loudly. My pig is the best!” — Mary

“Singing ‘Hail to the Victors’ (University of Michigan fight song) always get my son to stop crying in the car. Like father, like son.” — Andy

“I open and close the windows. My baby thinks it’s hilarious,” — Christina B.

“Fruit squeeze pouches! Lots of pouches!” — Maureen

“This may out me as a bad mom, but hip hop artist Flo-Rida always calms my little ones down!” — Allison

“For our first Thanksgiving road trip, I sang ‘God Save the Queen’ loudly and repetitively all the way to Pennsylvania.” _— Kate _

“I turn the interior lights on and off. It distracts him and makes him giggle.” — Danielle

“I fake cry and it distracts her and makes her laugh.” — Amy

“I tucked the feet of the stuffed animal on her Wubbanub pacifier into the car seat straps, so it wouldn’t fall out of her mouth.”_ — Tal _

“I usually sit in the backseat while my husband drives. My daughter goes through my purse and even likes to put lipstick on me.” — Camilla

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