It has become a yearly tradition for our family to take road trips after Christmas. Long drive with kids can be tricky because they get bored especially during traffic. When we headed to Ocean Adventure this year, we have 3 kids in the car, ages 2 and 6. Going to and from our destination took us 3.5 hours each way.
Here are my tried and tested tips to make travelling with kids bearable.
1. Plan your trip
Spontaneity is not something you can enjoy when you have kids. One needs to be organized. We planned our day ahead, from what time we are about to leave, to what time we expect to go home. With that we were able to consider what stuff we need for the kids.
2. Pack at least two separate bags for each kid
Admit it. Travelling kids means bringing loads of stuff. However, I want us to be comfortably seated so I have one medium bag beside us which contains all the things that we will be needing before reaching our first stop like milk, clothes, water, snacks, diapers and some toys. Then at the compartment is another bag which contains all the extra clothes, toys etc… So during stop overs or upon reaching our destination, I take out all the used stuff from the bag inside and replaced it from items coming from the second bag.
3. Make use of modern technology
This has got to be the greatest time saver ever. We are so lucky to be living in a time wherein internet is readily available. By logging on, we saved a lot of time. We purchased our tickets online and it did saved us a lot of time from lining up in the ticket booth as Ocean Adventure. Mind you, the line was very very long.
Next, we used Google to search for the suggested restaurants in the area. We went to Texas Joe Ribs and it was amazing. A very family friendly restaurant. I love its rustic and cowboy feel.
The kids even enjoyed playing with the wooden horse.
Lastly, Waze App was a big help in navigating traffic. By keying in your destination, it will easy tell you what is the faster route to take and will even help you take that road. Believe me, this app is heaven sent. The kids gets restless in traffic, especially Hendrix so this saved us a lot of crying spells.
4. Pack a lot of patience
Among all other things that you will be preparing, you must also prepare yourself. Try to be more patient than you usually are especially when kids gets cranky, restless and tired. A carrier will be helpful if you have a baby so you won’t get tired on carrying them for long hours. As to buggies and strollers, I suggest checking out first if your destination is stroller friendly. Ocean Adventure, for example, although it was cemented walkways, almost all of the attractions require you to take the stairs so bringing a stroller might not be a good idea as you will be forced to leave it at the entrance anyway.
I do hope these tips were helpful to you. Aside from the attractions of our destination, what I look forward to road trips is the bonding and time spent inside the car as we interact with our family members.
I also believe that travelling and experiencing new places widens the horizon of children. It is a great learning experience for them.
I would love to hear more if you can add up some tips here. Sharing is highly encouraged!