There’s nothing more exciting than hitting the road in the fall. The changing colors, the crisp autumn air and the anticipation shared by you and your family as you hit the road to visit loved ones and spend time making memories.
However, enjoying a road trip with your family isn’t without its challenges. In fact, it can be a wholly stressful experience for everyone. Getting lost on the interstate, high volumes of traffic, fighting siblings, bored toddlers and unhappy infants. It’s enough to make you wish you’d stayed at home or turn the car around and go back home!
Not only that, but unhappy passengers can be incredibly distracting, which could mean inadvertently putting your entire family at risk and increasing your chances of being in a car accident – for more info on car accidents and personal injuries, click the link.
So, with this in mind let’s take a look at some helpful family road trip tips that will get you all from A to B safely.
Don’t expect it to go perfectly
This isn’t the movies. Or a feel-good family film. So, it might be a good idea to put those images of car sing-alongs and traffic-free roads to one side. You’re in a small space with small children and you’re trying to navigate the road ahead, it’s not going to be easy! Keep your expectations grounded and you’ll find you actually enjoy the experience more. There may be tears, there’ll probably be complaints, you may have to stop more than you wanted to, but that’s ok! Remember, it’s all part of the adventure.
Keep things as simple as possible
Keeping things simple will make your trip stress free and every aspect of it, much easier to manage. Pack each child some essentials, from toys and spare clothes to diapers and pacifiers. Piling your car high with everything you think they’ll need for a few hours will only limit space and make everyone incredibly stressed. Keep your route simple too, the less time you spend in the car the better and make plans to stop for bathroom breaks!
Let them burn off energy
Couped up kids get bored, frustrated and you’ll soon know about it. If you’re planning on being in the car for more than an hour, make sure you plan somewhere to pull over so the kids can run around, stretch their legs and burn off some energy. Incorporate a picnic and spend some time away from the wheel. You’ll all benefit from a little break. The kids will probably fall asleep afterwards!
Find simple ways to keep them busy
If you want to keep your kids entertained with a tablet or screen time, then that’s great. However, if you’re conscious of how much screen time they’re getting then consider other ways of keeping them occupied on the journey. Basic craft supplies such as tin foil and pipe-cleaners are mess-free and fun to play with, a simple note pad with a pencil or a whiteboard and washable marker pens, plenty of paper and colouring pens will always keep them busy!
Remember to anticipate moments of frustration and stress on the journey and don’t be afraid to pull over if things get a little too much for everyone. It’s better to arrive late than never at all!
Leave a Reply