Ahhh….road trips. An integral part of my life from the get go. I remember road-tripping it all the way from Pennsylvania to Florida on family vacations. Not to mention the frequent 3-hour trips to my grandma’s house and the other multitude of vacation trips we took by vehicle since flying wasn’t in our budget for a family of four in the 80’s. Of course, this was back when a kid could sleep on the floor of the car, stand between the front seats, climb all over the back, or even sit in the hatch! Those days are over, my friends…kids are strapped in with limited movement and I can’t blame them when they get cranky. They can’t even shift in their seats!? Imagine that…how would you feel?! That’s why I’ve composed this blog to share some of our road trip tips. (The picture below is not my family!)
Full Bellies, Quiet Ride!
Here’s the mantra you want to repeat over and over again when the going gets tough…this, too, shall pass 😉 Seriously, though, the first tip I have is the lifeline of ALL of our trips– car or airplane. It’s the breath in our daily outings, the serenity during church, it’s every calm moment during every. single. day. I’m talking about the almighty SNACK. And man do I LOAD UP for road trips. So, this is a no-brainer and I know you’re thinking “I did not log onto this blog to be told to bring snacks in the car–everyone knows this!?” True. Very true. My main tip here is really in organizing the snacks. So you can go about this a few different ways…if you have the ideology that you will portion control and distribute the snacks on intervals, then you need to have the ENTIRE snack bag in the front seat with you at your feet. I used to put the bag-o-snacks behind my seat. After twisting and turning and getting carsick for the last time while blindly digging through the snacks looking for that one specific item my toddler saw me pack and is ten seconds from blowing a gasket unless I can produce it NOW….I decided to move the snacks to the center in the back. But then my two-year-old turned three. And he could SEE and REACH the snack bag. No bueno! Now the snack bag lives with me in the front seat. Annoying for leg room? Absolutely. Buy totally worth it when I can just reach down, pull out what I need, and pass it back to the gremlins.
More tips on this very important subject…in the same bag as the actual snacks, bring bowls, napkins, spoons, plates, straws, a knife for cutting, ziplocs for leftovers, a plastic bag for garbage, and anything else you might need for your particular snacks. Learned that one the hard way! “Oh I have this lovely box of crackers…and nothing to serve them to my messy, uncoordinated toddlers in 
” Let me tell you, turning around every 3 minutes to refill a sticky little hand with 4 more crackers was no less obnoxious than digging blindly behind the seat for the whole trip! And the first time I brought bananas for a snack and didn’t have anywhere to put the peels? Let’s just say the car did not smell nice when we finally remembered that I had shoved them in the side of my door
So what if you are not the snack nazi and you just can’t be bothered and it’s a total free-for-all because hey–the kids are happy and quiet (and I am SURE I will totally be this person when the kids get a little older..in fact, I’m actually planning on it!). Here’s a very cool tip: use an organizing bin to prepare snacks the night before and just give each child one and let them have at it! (Still bring back-up and refill snacks, of course!)
To Screen or Not to Screen
Ok, you’ve got the snacks covered. Another no-brainer these days is the screen. Whether you have TVs in the car or each child has an iPhone or iPad, this can also save you. We have an iPad that we put in the middle for all three kids to watch as we roll along. My tip here is that Netflix has an amazing variety and it’s a monthly subscription so you don’t have to pay for each show or movie. You do need to have streaming capabilities with your data plan, though, so be sure to check on that! One other tip here is to ask each child to list three things they’d like to watch on the way and then bring that list with you so that once you get rolling you’re not looking down scrolling through tons of items and causing fights in the back seat “I want Daniel Tiger…NOOOO, we ALWAYS watch that. I want Paw Patrol!!! It’s not faaaaiiirrrrr!!!!!” Ugh, spare me! Much easier to go by the list and you can remind them that they DID pick these shows…remember??? If you have a no-screen policy, then just skip this one.
Be Prepared
If you have toddlers I recommend having a change of clothes separate from your giant suitcase (I know you all have one!) so that if there is a spill or accident, you aren’t unloading the ENTIRE car digging through everything to find a pair of underwear (I know I packed it somewhere…!!!?!??). If you have a baby, I recommend having two changes of clothes separate from your giant suitcase…probably in the diaper bag with the diapers and wipes and what-not. Don’t bury the diaper bag when packing the car!
It Takes a Village
Here’s one new to me, as previously all my children were too young to be helpers…if you have a baby and an older sibling, make sure they are next to each other in the back–No space between them (in my car, it’s not a problem because the kids are three seats across in the back!). Here’s why: big sibling is now your helper. What I’ve found is that big sibling will relish the responsibility you are giving him and you will have a deep sigh of relief when baby actually stops crying and takes the puffers from his big brother or sister. I always bring puffers (you know, those strange baby “snacks” that disappear in the baby’s mouth before they get a chance to swallow them), a bottle of milk, a sippy cup of water, some baby toys, and plenty of wipes–and of course you know I’ve got it all in the front seat with me for easy access 😉 Here’s my big boy giving his baby brother a bottle on the way to Grammy’s house!
Look Out for Number One 😉
Next up is actually prep for mommy and daddy, for you might need snacks too! Pack a snack for yourselves, some bottled water, and tea or coffee if that’s your thing. We all know that if the baby falls asleep or the older kids aren’t complaining…you’re not stopping! So don’t neglect yourselves.
Planning ahead
Map out places to stop for meals and/or coffee BEFORE you’re on the road. Nothing is more annoying than trying to get the Maps app to work on your phone when you’re in the middle of nowhere and all you want is a meal that’s not made from leftover animal parts. We are very fussy eaters and admitted food snobs so we always map out the healthier options and the coffee spots so that when it’s time to stop, we know what’s around within a 20 minute radius. It may seem tedious but, trust me, this will save you so much frustration and may even prevent meltdowns (since kids decide they are STARVING and absolutely CANNOT WAIT FOR FOOD in a matter of 3 minutes). And if you go the same routes a lot (ie Grandma’s house, the annual trip to the beach, etc), you will only have to do it once but you’ll use the info many, many times.
Don’t Get Weighed Down
So do any of you feel like your car looks like this (lefthand picture) when you’re finally ready to head out when you intended for it to look like this (righthand pic)?
LOL. Pack your car in layers. I always put the stuff we absolutely will not need until we’ve arrived at our destination into the trunk first. Then I work backwards. If there’s anything I think we might need to access–even on an off-chance–I put it in last.
The Old Standby
Of course, do pack some good ‘ol toys and books. My kiddos do love to look at books and play with some of their favorite toys in the car. As they get older, we will be able to do more creative things like I spy, count the blue cars, license plate bingo and all that fun stuff. And if your kiddos are young, they probably still want their stuffed animal friends and their pillows. Although I’m sure older kids still want their pillows. Heck who am I kidding, even I like to have my pillow in the car on long trips! The only recommendation I have here is to make sure there are a few blankets handy. Because at least one child always drifts off to sleep and then wakes up freezing.
A New Trick
You all know me…my “new trick” for you is to have your essential oils on hand right in the front seat with you! 🙂 Some oils I love to bring on vacations include Stress Away, Bergamot, Lemon, Peace & Calming, Lavender, Peppermint, Thieves, and Purification (oh you know I bring WAAAAAYYYY more than that! But those are a good starting point if you’re more of a beginning oiler). Tips here: bring a few cotton balls. When the car gets stuffy (peppermint) or smelly (purification), or when the kids are cranky (peace & calming) or hubs is on your nerves (lavender), or you get stuck in traffic (stress away)…put a couple drops of that oil on a cotton ball and stick it in your A/C vents! You can also apply these to your wrists and temples, of course, and add some lemon to your water (in a glass bottle, not a plastic one), to make your drink a little more refreshing. Need more info on essential oils? Email me! amo4piano@yahoo.com or check out this link.
I hope these tips have been useful for you! When you’re about to pull your hair out and you can’t even hear your husband over the screaming and crying, you may not be able to communicate with him but at least you will have a plan! 😉 Happy road-tripping!
Five Little Duckies 