Many will agree that we are living too fast today. And having a lot of work to do on a daily basis, we don’t always manage to find a lot of time to spend with our families. This is when going on a family trip together takes on a new special value.
What can be better than going abroad or travelling around your home country with your partner and children?
Almost nothing, right?
Except for driving very long hours in a car with bored children. While adults can manage long journeys, apart from possible slight discomfort, this task is much more difficult for kids. So, how to survive or make the whole experience easier? The main secret of a successful road trip with your children lies in preparation.
Here are a few useful tips and tricks that may help you make your trip more pleasant.
1. Take Snacks
If it seems you have enough snacks, take more. It is well-known how much children like sweets and eating snacks can help to relieve boredom.
We highly recommend packing fruit, snacks, sandwiches and things to break up the journey is always a good idea. You can give your kids one snack at a time and even if they are well behaved give them more as a treat. Such a tactic helps youngsters develop patience and hopefully this will help them.
Even if your kids have outgrown sippy cups, they might still make a huge mess when drinking water or juice, especially during car rides. To prevent these, invest in travel cups that are specially designed to be easy to hold and keep spills at bay.
2. Entertainment is a Must
It is definitely a good idea to take an Ipad, games, possibly cards, puzzles, quizes etc. This is a great way to keep your kids distracted instead of them sitting and looking through the window at the road and cars passing by getting more and more bored.
Many parents around the world agree that tablets do a good job of keeping children amused. These devices are particularly helpful when you’re stuck in traffic or plan to be on the road for several hours. With a tablet, your children can watch child-friendly movies, play educational games, or listen to their favourite nursery rhymes.
If you do plan on taking a tablet you need to invest in a strong, sturdy case that will help keep the gadget safe even when it’s dropped. If you’re going on a road trip, consider buying a case that can be attached to the car’s headrest. This way, your children can watch movies in the backseat and won’t pester you with cries of “Are we there yet?”.
You might also want to take audiobooks which are interactive or even things where you can have a discussion about.
If your child enjoys drawing, take a drawing book with colourful pencils, it will distract help to distract them and help the time to fly by.
3. Comfort is Essential
Having the opportunity to sit comfortably and change position when you want to is worth a lot while driving long hours. It is always better to make some room inside your car so that your kids can move maximally freely when they want to. Wearing comfortable clothes, taking pillows and setting a manageable temperature inside the car can make the trip more pleasant.
When traveling with little kids, you either have to choose between lugging around a bulky, heavy booster car seat or leaving it at home and praying that you won’t get into a car accident. Fortunately, you don’t have to do either since you can buy an inflatable car booster seat. Just inflate it when you need to ride a car then deflate it, fold it flat, and put it in your purse when you get off.
You shouldn’t forget about your comfort as a driver either and also be careful of children easily catching your attending in the mirror when you are driivng. , you wouldn’t like to give them such an option.
Without a doubt, sitting in one position for a long time causes discomfort, so having a good stretch and flexing your muscles during your stops can help a lot. Switching places with your partner or turning your car back massager on if you have one, may also help you relieve stress.
4. Be Creative
There are also so many different games you can play in a car, and your options will depend on the time you are travelling and also your child’s interests.
Playing make up games games with your kids can keep them entertained for a remarkably long time. Offer to play games like “I Spy”, for example, when they need to guess the word that you have picked and give them some small clue.
You can also play a game of associations or simply give your kids a camera and offer them to record the trip. Children enjoy taking pictures, so this might bring some excitement into the journey for them and you.
5. Have Regular Stops
When you are spending a long time in a car, whether with children or not, getting to your destination quicker will rightly become your priority. But it is important to make regular stops to break the journey up and also refresh your body and mind.
Whether this be a stop at the side of the road or a service station, it really will help. This might make the journey time longer but it will really help make the whole experience more endurable.
Going on a car trip with your children can be fun and exciting, but it also can be stressful. This is particularly true if you have little kids who are prone to making a mess or throwing a tantrum.
We hope our top tips for travelling by car with children has given you some ideas to make the trip less stressful. If you have any recommendations let us know. Also if you enjoyed this article view our tips for flying long haul with kids.
