With summer coming fast, families are already planning out their vacations and usually tucked within one or two weeks there is the dreaded car trip. Although most start-up with an enthusiastic spin, we all know that after 5 hours in the car with kids the trip changes from fun to asking God “why did I do this?”
In order to make the excitement last a little longer, here are a few tips to preparing for your big adventure:
- Snack Attacks – Have your kids help you prepare the snacks in advance. Get little plastic containers and fill each of them with different items, i.e. goldfish, pretzels, almonds with craisins…anything that is easy to handle and find so your kids can manage their own snack attacks without you having to do the arm wrap-around to find a bag of pretzels.
- Timing is everything – If you schedule your departure around your kids sleeping times, you have a better chance of getting a little peace and quiet during your drive time. Leave a little before lunch and have them eat in the car. Then, if you are lucky, they will fall asleep and you can log some serious miles. One tip…don’t stop unless you have to. Stopping ALWAYS wakes them up. If your kids are older (or can handle it) try leaving early in the morning, like around 5a.m. and stopping around 2p.m. to enjoy the hotel pool and local attractions. Bonus: the kids usually sleep past sun up!
- Get up & out – It is important during any long trip to get out of the car every couple of hours to stretch your legs. Road trips can be a blast if you plan it right. Pack a swimsuit and jump in a nearby lake or river; or a Frisbee or Nerf football and stop at a state park or a historical landmark. It gives you a chance to walk around and take in a whole new experience. Remember that road trips aren’t as fun if it’s all about getting there. Enjoy yourself!
- Drive-Thru Chaos – If you are like many Americans who can’t resist the drive-thrus on road trips, here is a simple tip that can help to save you money. Before you leave, print up a small pamphlet that has all the dollar menu items from different fast food restaurants. This is a great task for the older kids…mine even threw some clear contact paper over it to ensure it lasted the whole trip. Place it in the pouch behind your seat and have your kids look over them and have their order ready before you pull into the parking lot. It makes traveling so much easier and reduces the time they argue and struggle to see the menus.
- Time Fillers – Games are always great on a long trip, however nothing is more frustrating than losing the pieces just out of reach under the car seat. I don’t suggest leaving games behind because they serve their purpose. But take some time out once in a while to play some interactive games in the car. It gets everyone laughing and creating new family memories. Easy games….AtoZ (find & call out the letters anywhere outside of the car from A to Z); Scavenger Hunt (print out a list of things like a cow, a yield sign, railroad tracks, a church…and have them mark them off as they find them). If you don’t feel like playing, then try the Quiet Game? You talk; you’re out! It should buy you at least a few minutes of peace and quiet.
- Be Aware – You know your family. You can tell when someone is on the verge of getting cranky or angry. Try to stop the breakdown before it starts. Before it begins, pull over and change it up. It may be as simple as changing seats or grabbing a snack for everyone to share.
- Slush Fund – If you are really worried about how it is all going to go down, give each kid a small empty plastic bag with their name on it. Tell them they have the opportunity to earn some spending money for the trip. Let them know that every two hours or at each meal you will be rewarding them for good behavior. Although I don’t like using bribery, I think road trips are the exception. I have no problem rewarding someone for good behavior. It may be the best $20 you spend the entire trip!
- Get TECH ready – Aside from getting the car in tip-top shape, there are a few more things that will help to keep the trip rolling. Best tip…get a splitter for charging electronic devices to eliminate arguing. Chances are that devices will die around the same time and in a tech family that can open a whole can of unhappiness. Be sure to check the trunk because often there is an additional outlet that you can run an extension cord off of. Another great investment is a small DVD player, because honestly adults like getting lost in a movie just as much as the kids. I personally like the ones that strap to the back of the headrest so no one ends up dropping them. Last gadget…GPS. If your phone doesn’t have the device, you may want to look into getting one. Not only do they help you to avoid the “we are lost” stress, but they can pull up restrooms and restaurants along your path. So worth it!
Whether you are traveling long distances or just a few hours, family memories will be made on your road trip. Be sure to bring along a camera and hopefully a few of these tips will help you and your family to laugh, smile and sing away the miles!