Every year our family loads up in the car, presents and family dog and all, to make the 14-hour trek from Southern California to Grandma and Grandpa’s house in the mountains of Colorado. We originally started driving out there because of the price of airline tickets and the size of our cargo load. But now it has become a Christmas tradition. I almost look forward to the drive as much as the destination. I say almost because we are traveling with a 5-year-old, a 3-year-old and a 2-month-old baby which is bound to create a few obstacles. But when we plan carefully, prepare fully and learn from our past mistakes; our trips turn out well. Here are some of our survival strategies.
- Leave at the right time. We like to leave a few hours after the kids fall asleep. That way they sleep for a good part of the trip. It is much easier to entertain them for six hours as opposed to 14. One of us rests during the day so that he/she is prepared to drive through the night. The other sleeps in the car while the kids sleep. When the kids wake up we switch places and the other adult finishes out the drive. Another factor to take into consideration is holiday traffic. One year we left for home the Sunday after New Years Day and the traffic in Las Vegas was backed up an extra three hours. If you drive on a heavily traveled holiday route, leave on an off day like Monday or Tuesday if possible.
- Prepare to contain and entertain. My kids can ride for about an hour and a half with no problems. After that they start bugging each other and us. Car DVD systems are a great way to combat this. Holiday videos do double duty by keeping them entertained and getting everyone in the holiday spirit. Last year I picked up some Christmas pop-up books at the dollar store and those kept them playing and singing for hours. Find some fun car games like I-spy to play together. Also be sure to stock up on snacks and beverages. Not only is it annoying to constantly stop when someone gets hungry, it is expensive too. Gas stations are notorious for $3 bottled waters, especially ones that are on heavily traveled routes. My kids like to play restaurant with our snacks. I pack things that I don’t usually give them as an extra treat. However, I avoid sugary or caffeinated products because those don’t mix well with cooped up children.
- Plan for Delays. Before we had kids, my husband and I could have made this drive in 12 hours flat. And the first few times we drove it as parents we expected to make the same kind of time. We learned very quickly that those goals did not produce results, only frustration. Now we plan to stop and sit down for breakfast and lunch so that the kids can stretch their legs. We take long fuel breaks, walk the dog and give the kids plenty of potty opportunities. It is no fun to be rushing and yelling on vacation so it is better to include these excursions in your time estimations. That way you have more accurate drive times and less frustration. Also, if you are traveling a route for the first time, you may want to map out where to stop for meals to avoid wasting time driving around towns you don’t know.
Sponsored Links for Holidays road trip traveling with kids
Comments
No comments.