5 Tips for Surviving a Family Road Trip

With summer break just a few months away, it’s time to start planning your family vacation. For anyone cringing at the thought of hours in the car, here are five tips for surviving a family road trip.

Use Checklists for Packing

Packing for yourself is hard enough; when you add in an entire family, it gets even harder. Make a packing list ahead of time to help you remember everything. Check off items as you pack them — and then hang onto the list. Using it again at the end of your trip will make you less likely to leave anything behind. If you make the list on your computer, you will only need to do it once. After that, you can use the same list with minor tweaks based on the season, destination, and planned activities. Remember to add things like plastic bags (for trash and car sickness), healthy snacks, and pillows for in-car naps to your list.

Invest in an Entertainment System

A rear entertainment system can be a lifesaver on a family road trip. Some vehicles offer a built-in option, or you can buy one of the many aftermarket alternatives available. On vehicles equipped with their own Wi-Fi hotspot, headphones and a tablet or two may be all you need. The goal is for backseat passengers to keep themselves entertained with a movie, TV show, or video game. Headphones make this possible without subjecting mom and dad to the sounds of something they can’t see.

Take Advantage of Audio Books

Can’t afford a rear entertainment system? No worries! There are other ways to keep the entire family entertained. In addition to music, you could bring along some audio books for the road. If you have younger children, focus on winners of the Newbery Medal and Newbery Honor books — “Charlotte’s Web,” “Island of the Blue Dolphins,” “The Graveyard Book.” Recent bestsellers like the Harry Potter books or Lemony Snicket’s “A Series of Unfortunate Events” are also good choices. You can find an audiobook that will last all the way to your destination or bring along a couple of shorter books for variety.

Break up the Hours

Speaking of variety, scheduling several different activities to break up the hours can help the time pass more quickly. You could plan stops at a few roadside attractions and pick a spot for a picnic lunch. You can also alternate between music, audiobooks, and traditional car games. Let passengers take turns choosing the activity to give everyone something to look forward to. Also, keep in mind that experts recommend driving only four hours in one day if you have a baby and six to eight with older children.

Stay Flexible

Perhaps the most important tip, at least in terms of your own sanity, is to stay flexible. Plans and routines are good — but there’s no reason to stick to one that isn’t working. With young children especially, you may need to stop more often than you’d like. That’s OK. Make the journey part of the adventure and cut yourself some slack. Keeping everyone happy and healthy is more important than being on time.

Following the tips above will help everyone have a good time, even in the close quarters and long hours of a road trip.

Image by Steve Buissinne from Pixabay 

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