Mom's Wisdom: Roadtrippin' It

We've learned a few things about roadtrippin' with tots over the past few years. This weekend we went on a roadtrip with the tots and it made me think about writing a Mom's Wisdom post full of pointers for newbies at roadtrippin' with kiddos. With the right planning and a little luck, a roadtrip with kids can be just as much fun as a roadtrip without kids.

Plan, Plan, and Plan Some More!
First, and most importantly, plan, plan, plan, and then when you think you have everything all planned out, plan some more. If something can go wrong, it probably will, and especially when you've got little ones, you need a plan B, C, D, and on and on. It will be much more fun if no one has to stress about the small stuff. Something will get forgotten, you will hit traffic somewhere, something is almost guaranteed to happen that doesn't exactly go according to plan. Your job is to just not stress it. Be determined to have fun, no matter what, and you will. Worst case scenario, you get a story to laugh at years from now.


Allot Extra Time
No matter the ages of your kids, it will take longer than you expected. I remember being young and single and taking roadtrips with my friends or siblings and we'd drive straight through and make ridiculously good time. Once you have kids, this will not happen. Babies need frequent food stops, toddlers and preschoolers need frequent bathroom stops and everyone needs to stop and stretch. Plan for it! When we travel, we add in about half again as much time to get where we're going. We may not need all of that, but we've got it built in just in case. We also to look at what there is to do along our route, especially if we have a little bit longer drive. We've stopped at museums, zoos, and other attractions along the way just to break up our trip. That way it feels like two shorter trips to the kids rather a marathon imprisonment.

Travel When They're Sleepy
Leaving at nap time can buy you a few precious  hours of silence. Leaving at bedtime can buy you even more. take my advice, leave when your kids are sleepy. There is nothing more miserable than wound up kids who are ready to play, but are strapped in tight.

Bring a Touch of Home
When kids get off their schedules and are in completely different surroundings, even the most flexible tots can totally melt down. Bring along some items that remind them of home. Favorite toys, books, a blanket, whatever it may be a few well chosen items can make a trip. You may not be able to keep to their normal schedule, but observing a semblance is also important. If your kids are used to a bath, bedtime stories and lights out, then do it on the road too, even if it's past bedtime when you get in. A few extra minutes to keep to the routine can save you many more minutes of struggling with little ones.

And Last...
Make the trip (at least partially) about them too. If your kids are old enough to help pick out activities, let them help plan the itinerary. Happy kids = happy parents and we all want happy parents. Kids are much more obliging when mom and dad want to go look at yet another museum, antique store, whatever "boring" thing it is you want to do when they know that their turn is coming up soon. 


So go have fun on the open road!


What's your favorite piece of car-ride advice? Please share!