As a parent when Suzzane and Charlie were little long family road trips could be a lot of fun but they could be stressful as well. Now that Leslie has her second child I wanted to share tips she can will be able to use when traveling as I was putting together the post I thought these tips might help you as well. Because more times than not when Charlie and Suzzane was little there was most times than not when I would find myself wondering why didn’t I just stay home.
Now, I have a question for you because I’ve been there, Have you? More times than not when I would be traveling with Suzzane she would need me to stop to use the bathroom five minutes after we left.. Then when Charlie was little he always wanted to sop because he was hungry.
The truth is, most long-car-trip chaos isn’t necessarily about how many miles you’re driving. It’s often about timing, poorly planned stops, tired kids, hungry passengers, and everybody being stuck in the car together for too long. As the kids got older I realized I didn’t need a perfect itinerary.I needed a survival rhythm that would work for my family. I thought you might need one as well.
1. Time the Drive Around Your Kids– Google Maps can tell you when you’ll arrive. It doesn’t know when your child is going to need a nap. If you have younger children, think about when they’re normally at their calmest and try to plan your departure around that. For my family we tried to travel at night so Charlie and even Suzzane would be sleeping.
Some families do better leaving:
- Early in the morning
- Right after breakfast
- After everyone has used the bathroom
- After a meal when little ones are ready for some quiet time
And sometimes leaving before the kids are already tired makes a huge difference. You want to start the trip while everyone still has some patience left.
2. Give Everyone a Reset Every Couple of Hours– Sure, you might be able to drive four or five hours without stopping. But that doesn’t necessarily mean you should. A good family-road-trip rhythm is to consider stopping somewhere about every 1½ to 2½ hours, depending on the ages and needs of your passengers.
And don’t make every stop a quick gas-and-go. Sometimes everyone needs to get out of the vehicle. I always made sure to stop every two hours and I would give the kids a timer so they would be able to see how long it was before we would be stopping and every other stop we would take a 10 minute walk to help everyone stretch.
Kids need to:
- Stretch their legs
- Use the bathroom
- Get some fresh air
- Move their bodies
- Take a break from screens and car activities
And let’s be honest. Mom and Dad need a reset, too.
3. Give Your Stops a Purpose– A stop doesn’t have to become another event. In fact, sometimes the simplest stops are the best ones.
Look for:
- Rest areas with room to walk
- Small parks
- Playgrounds
- Clean gas stations
- Fast-food restaurants where the kids can move around
- Places where everyone can grab a drink and stretch
- Visitor Centers
The goal isn’t necessarily to spend an hour at every stop. Sometimes 10 or 15 minutes outside the car can make the next two hours much easier. Try to avoid turning every bathroom break into a shopping expedition, too. If everyone is already tired and overstimulated, wandering around a crowded store probably isn’t going to help.
4. Match Activities to Your Kids’ Energy– This is one of those things you learn after taking enough family road trips. Not every part of the drive requires the same activity.
When everyone is calm, you might have:
- Books
- Road-trip games
- Coloring
- Quiet conversations
- Audiobooks
- Movies or shows
When the kids start getting restless, it may be time to switch things up. Maybe it’s time for a snack. Maybe it’s time for a new game. Maybe somebody simply needs to get out of the car. And when you’re approaching the melt-down zone, don’t wait until everybody has completely lost it if you have a safe place to stop. You’re not necessarily “giving in” to bad behavior. You’re recognizing that everyone has reached their limit.
5. Never Underestimate a Snack Break– Food has a funny way of changing the atmosphere inside a vehicle. Someone who was perfectly fine twenty minutes ago can suddenly become convinced that they are starving to death. Keep easy snacks and drinks where you can reach them without turning the car into a food explosion.
A small cooler or snack bag can be a lifesaver. And remember: a snack stop doesn’t have to be a full meal. Sometimes getting everybody out of the car, having a drink and a snack, using the bathroom, and stretching for 10–15 minutes is enough to reset the entire trip.
6. Keep the Things You Need Where You Can Reach Them– One of the biggest road-trip mistakes is packing everything beautifully into the trunk and then realizing you need something that’s buried underneath three suitcases. Keep a small “car survival bag” within easy reach.
Depending on the ages of your children, you might include:
- Water bottles
- Snacks
- Tissues
- Wipes
- Hand sanitizer
- Small trash bags
- Extra clothes for younger children
- Chargers
- Headphones
- Books or activities
- Any medications or necessities your family may need
You don’t want to unpack half the vehicle every time somebody needs a wipe. I used to make everyone there own bag with snacks, water a book and a small blanket and pillow and I would even make Davd and I a bag as well because even the driver needs snacks and water.
7. Don’t Try to Make Up Time on the Way Home– This one is especially important. Maybe your first stop took longer than expected. Maybe traffic was terrible. Maybe you spent extra time somewhere because the kids were having fun. That’s okay.
The temptation is to think, “We have to make up that time.” But rushing the return trip can turn a manageable drive into a miserable one. You don’t actually win that time back if everyone arrives home exhausted, irritated and arguing. You don’t win time back. You just lose peace. Drive safely. Take the stops you need. Let the schedule flex when it needs to.
The Real Goal of a Long Road Trip– A successful family road trip isn’t necessarily the one where you arrive at your destination thirty minutes early. It’s the one where everybody gets there safely and you still like each other when you pull into the driveway.
Long trips aren’t really about how fast you can cover the miles. They’re about pacing real people who don’t want to sit still in a car for hours. Plan around meals. Plan around bathroom breaks. Plan around energy levels. Give everyone opportunities to stretch, breathe and reset. And leave a little room for the unexpected.
Because sometimes the little roadside stop you didn’t plan becomes one of the memories your family talks about for years. You don’t need a perfect road trip. You just need a plan that leaves room for your family to be human.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
