Tips for Riding in Cars with Kids

By: Candice Broom

Not everyone has fond memories of family car trips, but I’m here to ease your fears. You don’t have to have your kids “plugged in” to video games or DVD’s in order to arrive at your destination in one piece! With a little preparedness and a “baby steps” perspective, you won’t look at your car as prison-on-wheels any longer!

Terrific Travel Tips:

• Pack a reasonable amount of toys. Put yourself in charge of rationing them as needed. Wait until the thrill of the first toy has passed before you introduce the second (or third, forth, etc.).

• Bring along same favorite books and some “new” books. Pad your supply with library finds, or old books from home that have become overlooked.

• Try audio stories instead of DVD’s. Audio stories are available all over the internet in CD or MP3 form. We found nursery rhymes, fairy tales, Sherlock Holmes, and The Shadow for our most recent trip.

• Pack simple meals that can be eaten in the car. Use your stops to get moving, not sit still. Choose relatively healthy food options to avoid stomach distress. By relatively healthy, I mean Ritz crackers instead of potato chips, granola bars instead of chocolate bars. Nothing too extreme.

• It is okay to let your kids get bored. Really! You are not a failure as a parent for allowing your children to experience boredom. In fact, I think it is good for kids to get bored once in a while! It helps them learn to not expect to be entertained all of the time and it encourages creative thinking!

• Calm down! If your children know that you are tense, they will be too! Relax, take some deep breaths, and find the joy that is in the adventure of just getting there.

• Make every day an adventure. Find an adventure in the tasks you do every day.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

CanCan is editor and founder of MomMostTraveled.com, a family travel blog that delivers advice, product reviews, travel webisodes, and giveaways. She is mama to two boys and has flown across the Pacific Ocean eleven times and counting.

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