Over the holiday break, my husband and I decided to embark on a 7-day, 2,000-mile road trip with our 4-year-old and 9-month-old. This road trip took us from Worcester, MA, to Richmond, VA, to Chattanooga, TN, and back home again.
Funnily enough, we drive very little as part of our daily routine, but there is something that appeals to us about being trapped in a car with one another for hours on end without distractions or work stress to weigh us down. But kids are different. They don’t always see the positives in every situation. You can never truly know how they are going to handle a new experience. Even with some minor hiccups and some major traffic, we all truly had a wonderful time. My 4-year-old even asked us to do it again!
Although every travel experience is different, and there is only so much within your control, here are my top road trip tips that helped make a successful and memorable family adventure:
Frame it as an adventure!
This is the most important tip I have. The destination is only part of the equation, meanwhile, the journey itself is often overlooked or even dreaded. It is treated as the uncomfortable part that we have to “just get through.” Our kids will always look to us for an example of how to act in a new situation, so if you are feeling impatient and bothered by the traffic, the sitting, the car farts, or the boredom, you can probably count on your kids mimicking, and acting out on, those feelings as well. Try to reframe!
Spending hours in the car is an untapped opportunity to make the mundane riveting by getting excited about the small stuff. Viewing the driving stage of your trip as family bonding time, talking about the new people and things you encounter on your journey, and best of all, letting the silliness from being cooped-up erupt and the giggles overflow. If anything, think of it this way, our kids want nothing more than our undivided attention. As parents who are pulled in every which way, we are often wracked with guilt for not being able to give that to them. Now is your chance!
Eat, sleep, and move on a regular-ish schedule.
My advice here is from a hard-learned lesson on our first day out. We got the kids up before the sun to get a jump start on the day-after-Christmas traffic. We skipped breakfast, and we did not move or stretch our bodies at all. This might be fine for an adults-only road trip, but it made the next 14 hours much more challenging than they ever needed to be. We ended up milking our time at the first two rest stops so badly that we added hours to our road trip that first day. Lesson learned. Once anyone is too tired, too antsy, or too hungry, our odds of staying in that positive adventure frame of mind or dealing with bumps along the road are slim to none.
On our remaining long driving days, we let the kids and ourselves wake up at a natural time. We made sure to eat a filling breakfast and kept all driving chunks to about 2.5 hours. So that we would be able to keep the baby full and happy throughout the day. We also made it a plan to stop driving around dinner time and to find a hotel with a pool. This way, the kids could get another good meal in and have time for a swim before bed. The kids went to bed an hour or so past their usual time, but this approach helped us all relax and fall asleep more easily. We are only humans, after all. So no matter what, prioritize sleeping, eating, and moving, and you will all have a better, happier, road-trip experience!
Try going old-school.
If you already embrace adventure, take it old-school and pull out all the non-screen activities and games. Maybe some that you used to play on road trips as a kid. Word games like 20 Questions, I Spy, Two Truths and a Lie, and Knock-Knock Jokes help pass the time and help your child develop their thinking and language skills. You can adjust the activity based on their current age level and interests. For example, identifying road signs by shape and color or talking about the different states you pass through. Or mixing in some mental math using mileage and rate of speed. And of course, bust out the crayons, activity books, Lego box, boondoggle, and friendship bracelets for quiet times. Plus, use the power of music by playing DJ and taking turns making song requests!
This goes for adults, too. Turn the phone off and grab a good book. Do Sudoku, crossword puzzles, or handcraft. Let your brain have a little R&R from the blue light and digital input. You might be surprised how much less often your kids ask to watch something when they are not seeing you on your phone.
Plus, less screen time will also help everyone have an easier time falling asleep at the end of a long day of driving. Trust me, my 4-year-old definitely still experienced boredom, but it eventually turned into him creating his own silly games, having long conversations with his stuffed animals, or finally taking a nice nap. And yes, time might initially feel like it goes by slower without screens, which may not be what you think you want on a long trip, but how often do you get the chance to truly unplug and unwind? Take advantage!
You got this!
The next time you find yourself “stuck” in the car with your littles for more hours than you think that they, or you, can handle, be prepared, plan ahead, and when all else fails, go with the flow! Remember, every family road trip is a one-of-a-kind adventure in disguise!
I hope these road trip tips help you and your family on your next adventure!
