If somebody had told me 15 years ago that I would spend 3 hours a day commuting back and forth to my job, I would have laughed at him.

I started commuting long-distance to work about 7 years ago. Since that time I have lived anywhere from 3/8 of a mile to 62 miles from my job. I currently travel approximately 100 miles a day between my home and my job, with my 2½-year-old son, Hunter. On a really, really, really good day, we spend approximately two and a half-hours on the road.

Keeping a 2½-year-old entertained when the rain-soaked, under construction freeway’s looking like a parking lot isn’t easy, but I’ve learned a lot of little tricks to keep me rational and him happy. In that order.

First of all, I don’t mind the commute. I never have. When I first started commuting, I did it alone and the time between work and home was mine all glorious mine. No husband, no kids, no phones… just me and the open road. I could sing at the top of my voice, listen to my favorite radio station or, I found later, listen to books on tape. I could also talk to myself, and answer myself if I felt like it, and not worry that someone would come and carry me away.

Hunter started travelling with me about a year ago and at first it was a little frantic. I tried to give him breakfast before we left the house but that became a battle because I had to get him out of bed extra early so his pokiness didn’t slow us down. Then he became disinterested in eating so I let him sleep in. Now we grab whatever is handy to eat in the car. Finding nutritious breakfast finger-type-food had been slightly challenging. Then I got smart and started choosing my battles wisely. Because he eats breakfast at a state-licensed daycare, feeding him conventional type breakfast food became less important. The big hits for him are Pop-Tarts, granola bars, dry cereal, crackers with cheese or peanut butter, gummy-type fruit snacks and a big sports bottle with either juice or milk to wash it all down with.

We leave our house at 6:45 a.m., I drop Hunter at his daycare around 7:30 a.m. and continue on another 20 minutes to my job. I leave my job at 5 p.m., pick Hunter up by 5:30 p.m. and we arrive home between 6:30 p.m. and 6:45 p.m. By the time we get home and I fix dinner, it’s time for Hunter to have his bath and go to bed. I’ve turned a long commute with my son into quality time. Although he’s not quite 3, he has a very large vocabulary and can carry on a pretty animated conversation with me.

For diversion we like to listen to Winnie the Pooh, books on tape and music. (If you’ve never heard Garth Brook’s "It’s Midnight Cinderella", I highly recommend it because he’ll "show you what it’s like to bip, bip, bip, bip boppity boo"!) He also has an assortment of small toys, electronic learning games and cardboard books. When those fall short, we work on counting, the alphabet and singing nursery rhymes. When those flounder and he’s screeching at the top of HIS voice, I turn the radio up loud, clutch the steering wheel tight and smile! After all, we’re only 10 minutes into this ride.

About three months ago, Hunter showed pretty serious signs of wanting to toilet-learn, although I was apprehensive at first because of the commute, he mastered it in less than a month. He has yet to have an accident in the car because he’s gotten pretty good (bless his heart!) at "holding it" when we’re stuck between exits in bumper to bumper traffic.

Some suggestion for commuting with a child include:

• Whatever can go wrong, will. Expect it. Live with it.
• Be flexible. Remain calm. Choose your battles wisely.
• Keep a supply of:
• Baby Wipes
• Humor
• Snacks
• Change of clothes (for you and the kid)
• Prayers
• Toys, toys, toys!
• Cassette tapes (funny sing-along stuff is the best)
• Frequent-Customer book for the local car wash
• When all else fails, SMILE!

About the Author: Carrie Wandrie is a divorced mother of four boys, Matthew, 10, Connor 6 and Hunter 2½. Their guardian angel is Alexander who was born and died in 1995. Carrie works for a "Big 5" consulting firm in Detroit, Michigan and between family and work is developing her own on-line business slated to open in January 2000.