Google “baby” and “road trip,” and you’ll get the same advice over and over: Be prepared. Of course bags of new toys and Teletubbies DVDs will distract most infants. But for exhausted and cash-strapped parents, just packing a few extra diapers is a stretch. That's the most I could manage for my son’s inaugural road trip, and about 45 minutes into our ride I was ready to stuff those diapers into my ears. Half out of my mind with his shrieks, I pulled out my cell phone and scrolled through the ring options, hoping that one of those jingles might bust my baby's car-seat blues. And one did work - the most obnoxious ring of the bunch, but who cared?

Chances are, at some point in your baby’s first few months, you’ll find yourself in a similar fix. So file away these tips – and for heaven’s sake, don’t forget to charge your cell. One more thing: Be ready to give up your shotgun status. Many of these tricks work better with a grown-up in the backseat.

Hand over that purse At home, the contents of your bag are off-limits. In the car, these forbidden objects - from house keys to a compact mirror or reading glasses - could buy you many minutes of curious silence and break a crying jag. Just use common sense – the Bic lighter should stay hidden, as should your lipstick. Older sibling tip: Here’s one time when it’s okay to share your candy stash.

Make your own chewables Some car- seat attachments on the market come complete with dangling, chewable toys. If you were too cheap to buy one, rummage through your overnight bag or glove compartment for something stringlike – a piece of dental floss, say – and tie a tantalizing item to one end (yes, your notepad is fair game, and a teething ring is perfect, but nothing that Baby can choke on). Then tie the other end to the car seat and let baby play. If you have don't have anything safe on hand for baby to gnaw on, try finding small, visually stimulating objects to tie on your strings and sway them just out of your infant's reach, as you would with a kitten.

Clown around After trying and failing to calm your cranky baby, you’re probably in no mood to play games. But a simple round of patty-cake or peekaboo will usually do the trick for a while, and basic clowning, even from the front seat, can work wonders - I know one baby who cracked up endlessly when spoken to in a bad imitation of an Italian accent. If a bigger sib is in the car, get him or her involved.

Stop strategically You planned on grabbing lunch at a rest stop at 2 P.M., but Baby is happily asleep when the time comes? Drive on! Save stops and detours for times when little ones are losing it. And every hour or so, keep boredom at bay with a scheduled diversion, like exploring a roadside gift shop.

Let it rip We know you packed a couple of gossip rags to read on the road. Guess what? Babies love nothing more than ripping up magazines. Just make sure that no shreds of glossy paper end up in anybody’s mouth.

Play DJ: Babies are supposed to dig Mozart, so you’ve had the radio tuned to the classical station for the past 30 miles. But for all you know, a Black Sabbath fan lurks inside that onesie. Experiment with every kind of music on the airwaves, no matter how baby-unfriendly it may seem (he won’t understand what the lyrics to “Love in This Club” mean anyway).

Bon voyage!