Since our now 7 year old son was just a few months old we’ve taken him on the road.  From 4 hour trips to picnic on the Blue Ridge Parkway to 9 hour adventures between the Tarheel and Sunshine states.  Many of these trips I have done alone with my kids.  Over the years many friends have patted me on the back for my “gutsy toddler travel”, saying they haven’t gone anywhere in years because they’re just too scared of the combination of kids, backseats & long hours.  Now that I’ve added an infant to our highway herd, I get even more raised eyebrows.  So many of you have asked “How do you do it?” that I decided I’d stop answering “Ah, it’s nothing” with a wave of my hand and actually give some practical advice.

Here are all the things (that I can think of) that go into one of my Kids Crew Road Trips:

1. I always travel in the very early morning hours. There is less traffic and the kids always seem to stay quiet and calm at least until the sun comes up.  I load the kids into the car in the dark, still in their pajamas.  Or if your child prefers, let them sleep in their “travel clothes” the night before. (I consider road trips a time to be very flexible about rules- see #8)  Most kids will return to sleep, mine don’t..but again they are usually subdued while you get the first few hours under your belt.  We always do a last minute check to make sure the favorite blanket and stuffed animal have made it.

2. Organize and pack -completely- the night before.
I pack a “car bag” (separate from the suitcase) for each child which includes toys and food- entertainment and sustenance. I put these bags in the car, within reach of the older children, the night before.

These bags can make or break your trip, so give them extra attention.  Let your child help by choosing what “toys” they want to bring (try to be as flexible on this as possible) and consider adding a surprise toy/game/coloring/book* as well.  *I always put books in the kids bags (even for my 11 month old) to encourage them to pick up books to entertain themselves. A brand new book, one they would choose not you (ie; a comic book), is a great surprise to put in the bag.

3. I pack a “lunch” so we don’t have to do “junk drive through” stops, but I always let my son pack some snack he really considers a treat, like fruit roll ups.  Again, this is where road trips make rules flexible: let your child eat Cheetos, lollipops, Oreos, whatever floats their boat.  And let them get crumbs everywhere, let them turn their fingers orange and wipe sticky prints on the window.  If you really want to be able to road trip with your kids accept that this will happen and resign yourself to giving the car a good cleaning when you return.  If you can’t handle this, stop reading now and cancel your trip.

This is an example of what I would pack in a “snack bag” for a 9 hour trip:

Cereal, peanut butter and honey sandwiches, apple slices, yogurt drinks, carrots,
pretzels, lollipops, bubble gum and mini muffins.  While I know my son will eat the muffins first, then the bubble gum- I let him.  By the end of the trip he’s eaten everything and I’ve heard few complaints.  He chooses what he wants to eat and when.

4. As for the baby? I bring lots of options:
I have always carried a thermos of hot water for warming breast milk or mixing with formula. I make it hot, since I can always cool the water off with bottled water, which we always carry alot of.  Each of my boys has his own water bottle and I make sure they’re filled ahead of time.
I pack foods that he can hold and feed himself (again I don’t worry about crumbs, drips and spills) as well as foods I can easily feed to him while parked in the car or at  rest area picnic table.
And of course, lots and lots of wipes.

5. Proper Attire. I like to leave the baby in his “footie” pajamas since I find that he always pulls his socks off and no matter the weather, bare feet get cool in the car.
My 5 yr old always gets to wear his “crocks” when traveling since I find it’s important to have easy-on shoes when we want to hop out quickly at a rest stop.

6. Consider seating arrangements. My boys work well sitting next to each other.  The now-and-again poking and pinching is totally worth the help with lost pacifiers and they never fail to make each other laugh.  If you’re traveling with a rear-facing, only-child, I’d recommend making sure he/she can see you (remove the hood on a car seat; add a mirror) so that they can interact. Sing alot, talk alot- Children’s audio books, checked out from the library, are fabulous for babies!  Dangle stuffed animals from the headrests and change them at each stop- It’s all about entertainment.

Let me be honest- sometimes everyone’s boredom coincides and there’s pandemonium in the car. This is a good time to stop- get out and stretch, change a diaper, play pat-a-cake, run around, buy a new fun drink or candy and get back on your way..

7. Yes- I do let the kids watch movies. I let my 5 yr old son have control of his own DVD player and movies.  He eventually gets bored of movies and wants to color, read or play “road games”and the baby gets to watch a little “Baby Einstein” after he’s eaten, been sung to and played with his toes or toys for a while.
Schedule?  I don’t expect the baby to keep his normal nap schedule, and yes, the first (sometimes 3) night at our final destination is often tough.  I believe by offering these new experiences now and then, your children learn to adjust more easily.

8.  Rigid rules are not for road trips. While my husband and I both demand good behavior from our boys and try not to let them eat too much junk or watch too much TV, I definitely like to vacation, So, I can be flexible.

9. When you get to your destination plan to be able to give the children some “free time”. In other words, don’t plan to meet the grandparents at a restaurant, or stop over at your Aunt’s house, or even go to Chuck E Cheese.. you’re just asking for a melt down.  Get to your accommodations and jump on the bed, go to the playground, color on the hotel stationary, play with the shampoo bottles, play hide and seek in all the closets- whatever. Your little traveler also needs to decompress.

In hindsight, this all seems very simple (aside from good planning) and truthfully I think it works because as Nike says, we “Just Do It”.

10. And finally, no road trip would be safe without Mom’s advice. Be sure your car is in excellent condition before setting off on a long trip with children!

Fun things that work for us:
Knock Knock Books
Pipe cleaners (for making aliens)
Bubble Gum (with a side of napkins to spit used pieces into)
Crayons, Markers, Pencils, Spiral Notebook & a Clipboard
The “I Can’t Hear It” Game (I can’t hear a bubble floating, I can’t hear a grasshopper swallow- We like this much better than “I Spy”)