Secrets of a Successful Road Trip

If you have been following my blog, you know that I have been road tripping with my family and that we had a very good time. This was our first big family road trip. It was a test drive, if you will, and it may very well be the first of many. The kids were happily entertained, the adults felt well at ease, and the entire trip was a nice diversion from everyday life without costing a ridiculous amount of money. There were no fights, very few tears, and only one cry of boredom.

Distractions
I planned a lot of road trip activities for the kids. The license plate game and the scavenger hunt were big hits. Printing off maps so that the six-year-old could follow along was less well received, simply because he kept yelling out directions that were not applicable to our actual location. DVDs were, of course, a lifesaver, but an assortment of books, toys, and coloring pages were much needed for both children. Sometimes, five minutes is all it takes for a child to get bored with a toy, which means another one has to be right around the corner. And if you're out of toys? Be creative.

Beatrice entertained herself for 30 minutes with a clean diaper.

Planned Stops
I am a planner. I had a mental and physical list of places we could stop on the road when we needed to get up and stretch. I thought every couple of hours would be sufficient, but it turned out that the kids could go much longer than that and be fine. We made our first destination several hours before we had planned, simply because the kids were satisfied in the car. That way, when we did stop, we were able to stop at fun places instead of whatever gas station happened to be by the side of the road.

Visiting the totally out-of-the-way Blarney Stone in Shamrock, Texas

Snacks
I learned which snacks were appreciated, unappreciated, and completely unnecessary on this trip. I had probably twice as many snacks as were eaten, and many that ended up being thrown away. I went out of my way to find travel size milk only to learn that the baby wouldn't drink them anyway because they weren't heated. The Fruitables, on the other hand, were appreciated by everyone and may very well become a mainstay in our home. Next road trip? More fresh fruits and vegetables, less meat and dairy - the sliced summer sausage and cheese sticks were barely touched.

Conversation
I focus a lot on how to keep the children happily occupied, but the adults need to have a good time too. I'm lucky that I'm married to a man whose company I thoroughly enjoy and with whom I can have hours of conversation. I admit, though, even I sometimes plan for conversation topics so that we can keep the car rolling down the highway. This time, my plan was to discuss landscaping, which took all of about 10 minutes. My husband and I never have a lack of conversation, though, and we managed to cross state lines without even realizing it when we were so embroiled in talking with one another.

Flexibility and Bathroom Breaks
The six-year-old says he needs to go potty 10 minutes after your last potty break? Do you make him (and therefore everyone else in the car) suffer? Or do you go ahead and make another stop? Only a parent can know if his or her child is really in need of a potty break, but our general attitude is to take the kids at their word. I am less flexible than my husband, and also more likely to ask my son to "hold it" for a while, but we will never create animosity in the atmosphere by yelling at our child for needing to use the bathroom.

Do What Suits You
When I was a child, the road trip was a given and happened more often than I can probably remember. It was also, in my opinion, dreadful. My mother may read this and tell me I'm misremembering, which admittedly could be, but my take on the situation was that it was an all-day, spontaneous event that included potty breaks at the grossest of the gross roadside parks and a late night stay at a whatever motel my father happened upon. I can remember going from place to place until my father found one that was the right price and had a vacancy. Sometimes an hour or more would pass before we were actually able to settle down. My parents always thought I had a love of water towers - not so. I was excited when I saw a water tower because I thought that meant we were near a town, which meant that we could maybe, finally, stop. The barreling through the day with no reservations technique worked for my parents and it may work for you. It does not work for me. My suggestion is that you do what suits your personal style.

Remember the Children
Above all, do not forget your children. I don't mean that you shouldn't abandon them by the side of the road. Well, yeah, don't do that either. But what I'm saying is don't forget that the kids are as much of a part of the family as you are. This vacation is yours as well as theirs. While it's not practical to allow a six-year-old to plan a vacation, it is empowering for them to have input. Give your children the chance to weigh in on certain matters and when you make whatever decisions that you do, explain those decisions to them. Nothing, and I do mean nothing, is worse than not having a voice. When you allow your children to be a part of the trip, and not just spectators, you can have the best experiences of all.