62% of parents travel with children under the age of five., you have to imagine that it is hard to keep cool while traveling with those kids.
Now you are reading this because you either have kids or planning to have a kid.
Having a child under five is already stressful, even more so when traveling with them.
Yes, you will get upset.
Yes, something will go wrong.
Yes, flights will get delayed, or there will be a traffic jam when kids scream at the top of their lungs.
The above issue is a problem, but these tips can make traveling easier and smoother.
What type of vacation is it if your kids are screaming and fighting? Boo bummer, nobody likes that.
If you follow these tips, I guarantee they will surely help you on your next travel.
Here are the best ways to keep your cool while traveling with kids.
Let’s get it started!!!
Plan Ahead
Procrastination is a thing many people do, but procrastinating with traveling and kids is a nightmare!!
Here is how you can prepare if you are driving:
Fill up the tank, and grab the snacks, diapers, and pull-ups.
Reserve the rental a few weeks before you need it vs. renting it the day of.
When you rent the vehicle, make sure it’s for the day before you plan to travel. Why a day before the trip?
Because anything could happen, you want to ensure the rental car is ready.
That leads to the next thing you can load the car with car seats and luggage (if you are in a safe neighborhood or have a garage) all the day before, so you won’t have to rush with loud kids.
Prepare also by gassing the vehicle early.
That way, you have one less thing to worry about.
Prepare the snacks, and pre-see the drive. If you are driving more than, say, 8hrs (a typical work day), then prep to have a hotel in order so you can rest up, the kids can stretch their legs, and they can breathe a little bit.
So preparing is the most important thing to do before taking the trip, and it will help you stay calm because you are not rushing.
SNACKs SNACK SNACKS
Yes, we all know kids have huge appetites, and we all know they are hungry when it comes to getting something to eat. So make sure you have snacks.
Not just Cheetos, powdered donuts, etc.
Also, healthy snacks, like trail mix (if not allergic, obviously), fruit cups, turkey rollups, cheese, crackers, etc.
It would help if you had snacks because you could be on the road for a few hours at a time, and you don’t want to have to pull over, wait in line and eat fast food.
Especially if the kids are yelling and fighting in the back because they have not eaten the whole trip, or you could be in the middle of nowhere and not have any place to stop by.
So having snacks will help keep you cool while driving with the kids.
Remember the water or water down juice, whatever you kids like to take down those snacks.
Having snacks help keep the cookie monsters at bay, at least for a little bit.
Drive AT Night
If you are like me, you give your kids a bedtime, but this trick has worked for me. You have to keep the kids up.
Then take the road late at night if it’s a long drive or get on the road early in the morning if it is a shorter drive.
This way, the kids are still asleep. You can drive without the pain of hearing the kids whining and fighting.
You have to make sure you get some rest if you are going to ride at Night (trust me, I do it a lot); when I say some, I mean a lot of rest, like at least 6hrs.
Entertainment
What do I mean by entertainment? Well, what do kids like to do the most? Playing games with that said, play games with the kids like:
Trivia games: something surrounding their favorite tv show or, if they are old enough, American history.
Storytime: is a good one, and kids love a good story and love to create their stories. Have them do that; I’m sure it will be entertaining.
Lastly, would you rather, for instance, would you play a video game or watch tv all day? Would you rather have ice cream or french fries?
I know some parents are against screen time, but on the road can make an exception.
You can choose what games are on the tablet or phone.
Give the kids that and let them play educational games or watch educational kiddie videos for part of the ride.
TAKE A BREAK
Drowsy driving causes about 100,000 crashes, yeah, 1500 of those being deaths.
Sometimes on a long car ride and the kids yelling and fighting, the traffic goes too slow, and you are just flat-out tired.
So taking a break is essential for you and your family. Essentially is a great way to keep cool while traveling with your kids.
Find a rest area to stop at, let the kids run around a bit, and stretch their legs or something.
If you can’t find a rest, go to a truckers gas station such as Loves Gas Station. They are well-lit and always have people around and are open 24/7.
If that’s not good, then find a hotel which is always a safe bet because having a soft bed to relax in is a great way to rest on a road trip and calm your nerves.
Conclusion
Yes, kids can be annoying, especially when crammed in a car and when you are in the car for hours, but these are the best ways to keep your cool while traveling with kids.
- Plan Ahead
- Keep Snacks
- Drive At Night (If Possible)
- Just Take a Break
You may only be able to do some things on the list to help keep your cool and not crash out with the kids.
Sure yelling and turning up the loud music could be a solution, but is it an effect to keep your cool while traveling with your kids?
Especially if you have 5hrs to go, using these alternative ways can help you not be stressed out and keep you cool most of the time, if not the whole time.
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