We had a big travel day today in the form of a 13 hour drive. 13 hour drives are not fun for anyone, but especially when kids are involved.
Actually, my kids are exceptional travelers. They entertain themselves and each other and are quiet and keep complaining to a true minimal. But by the last hour of today, we were all complaining. Including me.
Luckily for you, I have tips on how to travel (by car) with kids for hours on end!
1. Technology, technology, technology.
- throw away those hippy articles about "screen time". You're on a road trip and this is survival, man! Get those dual screen DVD players for the head rest. Teach yourself how to change discs one handed without looking (I did). Give the kids iPads (or don't and call them ipads....my kids have a Kindle Fire and a Leapster, respectively. They think they're ipads. So I call them ipads. We all win). Bring chargers and batteries for said ipads. Let them play for twelve hours straight. Who cares, if it means you and the radio and some sanity.
2. A passenger seat full of food.
- This pertains to the crazies (me) that do these road trips by ourselves because our husbands can't get leave. Put a Costco shopping bag full of snacks and meals on the passenger seat. Seat belt that sucker in. Make sure it's easy food that can be used as projectiles, like apples, granola bars, those unscrustables PB&Js. If they start to say they're hungry, snatched something out of the bag and throw it at them. This prevents stops. And complaining.
3. Change seating assignments.
- This is a new tip I discovered just today! Add extra excitement by swapping the kids normal seats. We swapped the boys this morning for the first time in like 3 years. They claimed the view was "SO different!!" And were completely excited about it. Ooookay. Whatever works.
At this point, we are pros at this road trip stuff. We only stopped to pee and get gas. Period. It was exhausting and we were DONE by the end of it, but in my opinion it's better to just get there instead of stretching it out any longer than necessary.
End note: I did this blog on my phone. I have no idea how it will look or turn out and it keeps crashing when I add pictures. Bear with me the next few days.
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