Ride car home
The drive home lands in a fragile gap between the last bit of the day and the calm of evening. Tiredness comes in waves, hunger creeps in and the seatbelt rubs. The steps below show what actually happens.
♂Ride car home
A person drives a blue car towards a house icon with a green arrow pointing towards the house.
About this visual support
Coming home from somewhere is rarely just a trip. The body has been moving all day and is suddenly still, the stomach starts complaining and the seatbelt sits at an awkward angle. That combination alone can make ten minutes in the car feel much longer than they really are.
A picture sequence, from zipping the jacket to clicking the belt and looking out the window, gives the child something to hold on to. The visual schedule turns empty waiting into a chain of visible steps. Children who struggle to gauge time get a starting point, a middle stop and an end to count toward.
One specific tip: keep a small ring of cards in the back seat, one card per landmark you pass on the way home, and let the child tap each one as you reach it. In the Routined app you can also attach a timer to the final card so your child sees when the driveway is close.