While a road trip with kids can be challenging, proper planning and preparation can help alleviate some of these difficulties. Bringing along snacks, engaging activities, games, and frequent breaks can help make travel more enjoyable for everyone.
Use this shelf to make room for coloring, tablets, food, and games
Provide easy access for food and drink on a road trip with kids
Let them create with mess free drawing and coloring
Ease potty training worries with painless pitstops
Drive boredom away with activities and games
Taking a road trip with kids can be challenging for several reasons. Here are some common factors that contribute to the difficulty:
- Restlessness and boredom: Children often have shorter attention spans and can become easily bored during long car journeys. This can lead to restlessness, fidgeting, and frequent requests for entertainment. Having multiple options to chose from will help fight boredom. TIP: Wrap any new items in gift wrap paper (no matter how small the item) to make it feel special and take up more time!
- Limited space: Cars typically have limited space, especially compared to the freedom of movement available to children at home. The restricted space can make kids feel cramped, uncomfortable, and more likely to experience discomfort or frustration. TIP: If you have a third row, consider a roof top luggage rack to give kids more space to spread out. If not, on restroom breaks take a few minutes to play Simon Says or Red Light, Green Light.
- Motion sickness: Some children are prone to motion sickness, which can make car rides particularly challenging. The combination of motion, confined space, and reading or looking down at electronic devices can trigger nausea, dizziness, and vomiting. TIP: Talk to your doctor about medication or wearables that can help lessen feelings of nausea, and have disposable bags handy just in case.
- Lack of routine: Being away from home and traveling disrupts the usual daily routine that children are accustomed to. This change in routine can make them feel disoriented, irritable, and unsettled. TIP: Give a relaxed routine in the car such as- first we will listen to a podcast, then color, then open some of the new activities we brought, etc. You don’t have to tell the kids all this upfront, but have it in your mind. Sometimes parents need a routine too.
- Limited activities: Long car trips often lack the variety of activities available at home. This absence of options can lead to a monotony that exacerbates restlessness and boredom in children. TIP: Ask friends for ideas of what to do. We provided some items that help, but there are also podcasts, car games (we play the alphabet game by looking a billboards and trying to work our way through the alphabet by finding letters), mad libs, 20 questions, car snacks or letting the kids pick a small snack at the gas station, pack a picnic and eat at a rest stop, and try to save tablets for the last ditch option. Tablets are awesome, however, once given I find it can be hard to move kids to something else later.
- Dependency on adults: Children may rely heavily on their parents or guardians for entertainment, assistance, and comfort. This dependency can place a burden on adults, especially if they are also driving and need to focus on the road. TIP: If kids are younger, try to have an older kiddo or adult be your wing-person and help hand out snacks, look at drawings, or answer questions. If that isn’t possible, chat with kids before the car ride about safety and what is and isn’t good for the driver.
- Sibling conflicts: Being in close proximity for an extended period can increase the likelihood of sibling conflicts. Children may bicker, argue, or fight over space, belongings, or personal differences, creating tension and stress for everyone involved. TIP: Ugh, honestly this one drives me the most nuts. If I buy items (no matter how small) I get the same number for each kid. I have also used a cardboard square to “divide” the backseat in half. We try to have them use their pillows on the window or a neck pillow instead of laying heads on the middle arm rest, where many of the fights start. I have also told them to go under their blanket for some alone time.
- Lack of control: Children often have limited control over the journey itself. They may feel frustrated by the inability to make decisions, such as when to stop for breaks or where to eat, leading to feelings of helplessness or restlessness. TIP: If you can give some choices, this can help- such as we are stopping at exit 555, do you want to eat burgers or chicken? Or if you are at a gas station or rest stop with a vending machine, let them pick a snack. Let them pick the next activity or podcast to listen to in the car. Of course you may have to take turns on who picks if the kids can’t agree.
And good luck parents! Road trips with kids are hard, even with families that take them regularly. Give yourself some grace and pack the ibuprofen. What are some tips you have for long car trips? Any podcasts or audio books you recommend?
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