Travelling with children for a long time can be a bit of a tricky business.
They can get bored, impatient, and there can be little accidents.
You shouldn’t let this trickiness put you off, however.
Travelling by car is a cheaper way to travel and it means that you can bring as much of your own luggage with you as you want to.
Don’t give up on travelling with your kids in the car if you’re finding it tough, follow some of these suggestions instead and see if you can improve the trips for everyone involved.
Plan Breaks and Stops
It’s important that you plan rest, food and toilet breaks in advance. Don’t leave it up to chance that you will come across a rest station at the exact moment you need one, rather know exactly where and when you are going to stop before you set off.
This means you can plan your schedule accordingly and you can let your children know how long they have to wait before they can get out and stretch their legs, and do anything they need to do.
Keep your breaks as regular as possible without slowing down your travels too much. Being able to get out of the car frequently will help stop your children getting fussy and upset in the small space.
You also will need far more frequent bathroom stops with children than you would if it was just adults travelling together.
Bring Toys and Activities
Bring plenty of activities and entertainment for your kids to enjoy while you are travelling.
Toys, books, colouring pages, and digital entertainment are all good options.
Try and keep them as distracted as possible, so you can focus on your driving and directions, and so you can limit the number of times you hear, “are we there yet?”
Use Music and Audiobooks
Play music and audiobooks in the car for your children. If they have a favourite book, listening to it while travelling will be familiar and calming for them.
They will focus on this more than asking you questions, and if you use relaxing music or books, they might just fall asleep.
There are lots of audiobooks these days online, and lots are even available for free. You don’t need to break the bank to keep your kids entertained on your journey.
Play Car Games
If all else fails to keep your kids occupied, you can play some car games with them.
“I spy” is probably the most popular one. Simply get your children to guess what object you are thinking of by describing it.
You can also play games surrounding seeing certain types of cars, certain landmarks, or anything visual for your kids to concentrate on.
A bit of a puzzle and a bit of mental stimulation will keep them entertained and happy for longer.
Prepare For Accidents in Advance
Keep everything calm by preparing for any inevitable accidents in advance.
Kids have accidents, and that’s ok.
Keep wipes, bottles of clean water, towels, and spare clothes in your car for long journeys.
A portable potty can be great too, and plenty of sanitary products.
It’s better to prepare them and not need them, than to need them and not have them prepared.