Road Trip Tips

Last year at this time, I was in the middle of blogging a series about traveling with kids. And then the world shut down and the last thing any of us were doing was traveling! I was always bummed that I wasn't able to wrap that up, but now that traveling is starting to feel comfortable again, I wanted to go back and revisit it. If you missed out on this topic the first time, you can find those posts here:

5 Tips to Prepare for the Day of Travel

Travel Tip: Pack a First Aid Bag

Leaving On a Jet Plane

The one I never got to was sharing tips for road tripping with little ones, and it seems perfectly fitting for today as many of us may be choosing to travel by car instead of plane right now. We have done a good amount of road tripping with our 4 kids, usually within (or close to) our state, but we have driven cross country before too!

I think a huge piece of the key to success for road tripping with kids in in the PREP. You kind of have to be prepared for a little bit of everything, and keep an open mind. Being able to shift course easily will keep every one sane. My husband is more in the "pedal to the metal" mindset, but I strongly believe that if you want to keep your sanity, follow your kids' lead. When they need a break, stop. Anticipate when they are going to be hungry. Stop often for stretch breaks. Yes, it may add some time to your course, but you'll all be happy in the end and that's what matters most in my opinion!

I love a good reason to prep and curate supplies just so, and road tripping is no exception. Here are my top five tips!

 #1. Snack Caddy

Feeding your kids will keep them happy, seriously! I like to keep snacks within easy reach for my crew so I'm not constantly handing them out. I keep extras in the trunk so I can replenish as needed. 

#2. Screens and Headphones

At home, we run a pretty tight ship with screen time. Road tripping is not the time for that. It's not my favorite, but I also know where we're going we will most likely have little to no screen time as we'll be busy exploring new places, so I try not to sweat it. We do not own enough devices for everyone to have their own screen, so usually the two in back and the two in front will share. These headphones are amazing, as one plugs into the device, than then another can plug right into the first set. This allows my husband and I to be able to have a conversation up front, or listen to something of our choice.

#3. Travel Potty

This has been a game changer for us. As we all know, when kids need to go, they need to go NOW. They can't always wait until the next rest stop. We keep this is our car at all times (not just for road trips!) and its great to have when in a pinch. We'll set it up on the side of the road (if privacy allows) or in the trunk. It's not glamourous, but its better than wet clothes and car seats!