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[R362]Road Trip With Kids

by Brigitte Meier, Bri

Boredom, limited space and overflowing energy are a source of nuisance for a child when in a restaurant - how much more in the narrow cage of a car on a hour-long ride. You have barely left your home when the notorious "Are-we-there-already" starts, sometimes replaced by the equally infamous "How-long-is-it-still-going-to-take" and "I-have-to-pee" (the latter preferrably on highways with no possibility to stop).

So again, the key here is entertainment. It's more difficult because you have a very limited space in your car and often a very long time to go.

The "surprise bags" described above do a good job also here. In case of a long ride, you can prepare several smaller bags and scatter them in intervals of several hours, thus keeping the excitement going. Be careful with loose plastic boxes and toys, though, they can become missiles heading forward in case of an accident.

Why are kids asking the "How-long?" - question? Well, first of all, because they're bored and annoyed. But it's also hard for children to understand a distance of 500 miles or a period of 10 hours. So when you're planning your trip, just make a simple map for your children, displaying your home, the target and important points in between. Add some pencils or crayons and point out when you're passing the marking points. This way, your kids have an overview of where you are and adding drawings will keep them busy. Later on, you can put the maps in your holiday album for souvenir. Keep in mind to make a map for each child.

If your child doesn't mind sleeping in the car, you can consider travelling during the night. That can buy you some peace during the ride, at the cost that you're tired when you arrive at your destination. If you have a spaciuos car, like a van, you can use some pillows and blankets to turn it into a cozy place.

Entertainment electronics can make your trip a lot easier. A game boy can keep a child occupied for a very long time, and you can even get a small, portable tv / vcr combination for a reasonable price. You can bring your kids' favourite videos and they'll probably be fine for the entire trip. When it comes to music, you should consider that you'll have to listen to it also, so make sure you can stand the constant repetition of child songs. Otherwise, a walkman might do the job.

A major problem with playing in the car is the very limited space. Toys easily fall down and slide under seats, so you have to stop in order to pick it up again. A tray like the ones used in fast-food-restaurants may help there: it supplies a solid, even surface that can be used as a foundation for eating or as a playground. Childrens' imagination is still vivid, so a plain plastic tray can turn easily into a setting for the favourite action hero's next adventure. If you have a family, you should get rid of the idea of having a car to impress and rather trade it for something spacious and comfortable. It might be hard at first, but later on you'll be thankful for the extra space that helps getting through even a long trip without too much disturbance.

Sure we enjoyed flying, when there were only two of us. But soon after our first child became a full-fare airline passenger at the age of two, we realized that driving would be far less of a strain on the family budget. We purchased a minivan and our destiny was sealed: we were officially a road trip family.

With a little advanced planning, the journey can be something of an adventure rather than an ordeal. Here are eight tips for planning an extended car trip with your children:

1. Kids enjoy being a part of the planning process. Involve them in mapping the route and talk about the attractions you might visit. There are even child-friendly maps and atlases available for your child to track the journey.

2. Pack water bottles and juice boxes in a small ice chest, along with healthy (and not too messy) snacks like cheese sticks, grapes and pretzels. Packing entire meals is a good option if you are adverse to the idea of fast food, but the trade-off is you'll probably have to squeeze a larger ice chest in your vehicle.

3. Get your toddler or preschooler accustomed to going to the restroom when everyone else does. For the very newly toilet-trained, consider bringing a potty chair that can be used in an ?emergency.? And don't forget to bring along hand sanitizer and toilet seat covers for rest stops and gas stations.

4. Let your child choose two or three favorite toys that will fit in their backpack or tote bag. Avoid toys with lots of small parts that can easily be lost. And if you've ever tried to remove melted crayon from upholstery, you'll know not to leave any crayons in a hot car.

5. Provide special travel games or activity books that are new to your child just for the trip. Rather than giving them several toys at once, doling out individual toys at intervals throughout your journey will help your child appreciate each new thing and increase its enjoyment.

6. If you're fortunate enough to have a DVD player in your vehicle, allow your child to pick out a few movies and bring along a never-before-seen movie or two in addition to the favorites. Headphones can be invaluable for those times when the driver wants to listen to a CD or audio book without being drowned out by the kids? flicks.

7. Allow time for ?stretch? breaks. This could mean a longer meal at a restaurant with a play area, a romp in the grass at a rest area, or a short walk around a scenic viewpoint. We find that our grown-up legs need to work out the wiggles just as much as our little ones? do. If you're driving for more than a day and staying overnight at a hotel, find one with a pool or playground for the kids to burn off energy. They'll have something to look forward to and should sleep well that night.

8. Keep a positive attitude. At some point the kids will probably whine or get restless. An impromptu game of ?I spy? or ?Twenty Questions? or even a silly song can often break the monotony.

Too soon the experience will be over and life's routines take over once again. The memory of the endless expanse of highway fades and you'll find yourself making plans once more? for the next family road trip.

Article Source : Where Do Children Come From

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Both Brigitte Meier & Celia Fielding are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Brigitte Meier has sinced written about articles on various topics from Children, Shopping and Alternative Medicine. Brigitte Meier is an occasional author for . Find some interesting. Brigitte Meier's top article generates over 1300 views. to your Favourites.

Celia Fielding has sinced written about articles on various topics from Children. Celia Fielding is a mother of three and Communications Director for , an online store featuring award-winning activity books a. Celia Fielding's top article generates over 1000 views. to your Favourites.