Well, I did it. Or rather, we did it (‘we’ being my husband, my two boys aged 10 and 11 and I). I am very proud to say we survived a road trip to Florida. 22 hours of driving, lots of pit stops, a few snack wraps, movies, iTunes and some good family chats later and I can say with confidence that my husband and I are still married and we still love our kids (and our kids still love us). Honestly, the children were better behaved than the adults—as we just kept talking our way through all eight states.
And that is exactly what helped us through the drive—talking. Of course we packed the pre-requisite DVD players, iPods and homework (always a big hit). But what really saved us through the lulls were the family chats. Not only were they helpful in getting us through the long hauls but they are the part of the trip when we laughed the most. In preparation for this family time, I packed a few helpers. Chatterbox is a savvy game that proved invaluable for starting conversations you might not otherwise bring up with your kids. Joke books are very popular in our house so a few new joke books to read out loud were also appreciated—especially for the driver who is always looking for a bit of stimulation.
If your children are old enough, ask them to read their books (or whatever they are reading) out loud to you. This is another good conversation starter and of course good for reading practice. We heard a lot of passages from the very popular Diary of a Wimpy Kid. My boys also like to read Sports Illustrated so we played a lot of sport trivia games based on what they were reading—but this can easily be translated to trivia games about a favourite tv or literary characters your family is interested in.
It’s all about time—that commodity we’re always looking for more of and suddenly we have too much of!
I was truly amazed at how painless the journey was. There are a lot worse things that could happen than being cramped in a small space with the people you love the most for two solid days.
Top Survival Tips:
What are your secrets to a successful family road trip?
Comments
My husband just took our 4 year old twins on a 14 hour drive to visit grandma and grandpa (by himself). He loaded the IPOD with kids music, brought lots of movies…and patience. Pit stops took a lot more time but the kids were allowed to pick a new treat at each gas station they stopped at and that seemed to keep them happy. He’s my new version of SuperDad!
We did the same road trip two summers ago when our boys were five and seven. I wouldn’t say it was fabulous but we survived. We thought we would wait a few more years to do it again and I think you’ve given some really great tips for making it fun with some older kids.
From the time my boys were really little until now, whenever we go on a road trip (we do one a year) I pack “bins” which are coloured bins I’ve picked up at Ikea. In each bin I pack something different (crayons and paper, toys, games, music, books, movies etc) and always one new surprise item. We place a bin in the van and they use what’s in that bin until our first stop. At that stop, and the following stops, I switch bins so they have new things to use to entertain themselves. I usually end up with three or four bins depending on the length of the trip (usually 6-9 hours) and it works out just great.
This year we decided to make the 18 hour drive to South Carolina with our 9 month old and year old. Let me tell you… I was nervous. We packed in tighter than sardines as we hit the road. My son was “all done car” after 35 minutes. We hadn’t even reached Oakville from Toronto. There were several things that made that trip possible:
- An activity bag. I had hidden some of the kids favorite toys (claiming ignorance when they asked where they were) for a few weeks previous. They magically appeared in the activity bag along with a couple new toys from the Dollar Store. Books that made sounds and were interactive helped for many miles too.
- A portable DVD player. For those of you who have them in the car, this is nothing new. For the rest of us without, this was revolutionary. When the whining started, and the lower lip began to quiver… Thomas the Train and Bob the Builder would suddenly dance across the screen much to the delight of both children. I could control the two screens from my remote control in the front seat. Pure magic.
- I packed us all an easy to access overnight bag to pull out so we could stretch out and sleep at night. A bath and complimentary breakfast the next morning was rejuvenating.
- Flexibility. Being the Type ‘A’ planaholic I wanted to map out where all the stops would be, where we use the restrooms, where we stop for a snack and a stretch…. But it doesn’t work that way on the road. I had to go with the flow and we found some great spots with playgrounds for the kids, super child friendly restaurants and lots of parks to run around it… all without planning! Imagine!!
We are already planning our next road trip!
Don’t forget the old trick of leaving late at night or in the wee hours of the morning. Pack as much as possible in the evening and leave the toiletries and food until the last minute.
Load the sleepy children and if there’s a second driver, let them snooze too. Added bonuses are, one alert driver to take over the second leg of the journey, much of the distance is covered before they get too car tired and you can often avoid the rush hour traffic!
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