Do you ever wonder why couples sometimes show up to that once a year family trip with food in their hair, a slight wrinkle in the brow from frustration or even stepping out of the freshly vacuumed vehicle (that is no longer freshly vacuumed but is covered in dog hair and smells slightly of poop from that thing that happened five exits back) even though you Face-timed with them that morning and they were all freshly showered and super excited? You guessed it! They are parents! Not just any parents either, parents to toddlers.
Here I will be going over six tips to help your future trips go more smoothly with your beloved (and car trip cranky) toddlers. Unfortunately, I have never had a eureka moment that solved all my problems with car trips and kids but I have experienced my fair share of them and have found some simple staples for our trips as a family.
Trip Tips
Screen Time: This one is controversial so I decided to start with it. Yes, my husband and I do screen time in our home. It has been a helpful tool in the past and will, I’m sure, be a helpful tool to us in the future. The night before a trip we charge up all phones, watches, iPads, laptops and anything else we might need. Although using the iPad is not our fist resort ,when the kids get tired of the long car ride we usually pull it out. I make sure to download whatever movie or show I want them to watch before we leave good service (I usually try to do it the night before).
Snacks/Drinks: What kind of car trip would it be without snacks and cool juices? The day before we leave I pack a bag or small cooler with car ride appropriate snacks and drinks. I say car ride appropriate because yes, I have given them given them cherrios in an “unspillable” snack container which only resulted in them figuring out how to make it “spillable” and…I think you know where I’m going with this. I still find the occasional cheerio ready to greet me with its partners ‘lint’ and ‘sand’. I would recommend some kind of fig or granola bar, or even a cheese stick. Now with the drinks, I actually don’t give them a drink to keep in their cupholders. When we stop, we have a “drink and snack” break while dad pumps the gas. I only do this because I have one potty trained toddler and one in the works. If you give kids free rein over a drink, especially juice, its gone before you buckled your seatbelt. Which then results in thirty minutes down the road, someone has to pee. Like now. Like, “we cant wait any longer, I can’t hold it, I think I peed in my undies” now. Why do they always hold it to the point of bursting? Email me when you have it figured out.
Books/Toys: Having a book bag packed with their favorite books and toys from home is a must for us. We choose the ones that they spend the most time with on a regular day at home (paw patrol figures) and they are kept pretty content with them for a good stretch of the road.
Leapfrogs: My eldest son got a leapfrog for his third birthday and has a veracious love of books. So needless to say, we brought this along as well. The leapfrog allows them to interact with it while at the same time reading them the book that is attached or even giving them activities to play. It will plainly verbalize how to participate in the activity and give clear instructions on how to win (which is important to my eldest). My kids love this because it involves reading but also other things that they can accomplish themselves without the help of mom and dad.
Audible Stories: My kids LOVE listening to stories in the car. The different voice actors and the colorful scene paints out before them as they watch the cars and woods roll by the window. This option has been a new favorite of theirs, especially my oldest who’s four and can imagine things a little better.
Noise-Canceling Headphones: This one is for the the front seat passengers. Sometimes it simply gets to the point where you are recirculating all of the “traveling tips” and they quickly become not so interesting as the first time around. Kids get tired, parents get even more tired and thats when I pull these babies out. Bright pink and beautiful in all of their salvific glory. I hit play on either a downloaded book or show and watch the outside world speed by in blissful peace. My husband and I usually sort of take turns with the headphone time (because he has some too) so that someone is being responsible for the kids. Even though they are strapped in a carseat and have only two feet of jurisdiction with their arms, the impossible is still possible, with toddlers.
Not every car ride is fun or peaceful, but these tips definitely help to put it on that track for me. All parents have to find their sweet spot (which changes like the tides of the ocean with kids btw), however, I do sincerely hope that should you try these for your family that they help in even the smallest amount. Stay strong moms and dads!
