If you have a long road trip coming up as you prepare for the winter holiday season, you may be dreading having to be in the car for an extended period of time with your kids. But while being stuck in their seat for hours on end can be hard for anyone, there are things that you can do to help make this time a little less tortuous for both you and your kids.
To help you see how this can be done, here are three things that will make road trips with kids more manageable.
Plan To Get Out Of The Car Regularly
One of the best things that you can do during road trips with kids is to be flexible with your schedule so that you’re able to get them out of the car regularly.
Kids have a lot of energy, and being stuck in the car all day is a recipe for disaster. But if you’re able to find places along your route where you can stop for fifteen minutes and let your kids run around to burn some of that energy off, the time spent in the car should be much more enjoyable. Ideally, you should try to plan a break from the car about every two hours or so.
Bring Out Some New Toys
While it can be helpful to pack some of your kids favorite toys and games that you know will keep their attention for a while, something else that can be helpful is bring along a supply of new toys for them to play with as well.
If you can space out when you disperse these new toys and games, you should be able to keep your kids entertained for hours on your road trip. You could plan to only give them to your kids if nothing else is working for you, or you could make some items special for the road trip, like a bound workbook that they can come back to throughout the entire trip.
Pack Child-Friendly Foods
Something else that can help to pass the time and keep your kids from getting too grouchy is to pack a lot of child-friendly foods for the trip.
While you should try to bring foods that your kids like and will eat, you should also try not to give them too much sugar, as this can make their energy levels spike out of control in their seats. You should also try not to bring foods that are going to be particularly messy or hard to clean up if they happen to spill.
If you want your upcoming road trip to be more manageable with your kids, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you make this happen.
