How to Plan For a Road Trip With Kids

When the time comes to take the little ones out on the road, planning for the trip can be worse than the trip itself. There are a few tricks, as a mom with four kids and lots of road trips under the belt, sure to make your trip all the easier.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Dollar Store Toys
• Small Backpacks
• Water
• Portable Potty

1. Involve the kids in the packing process. Kids love to know they are going on a trip. This means they will take great joy in helping you to pack the supplies for the trip. Allow the kids to pack a few of their favorite things in a miniature backpack, but make sure to leave a little room for snacks.

2. 
   Toys for Kids are Time Killers

   Limit personal toys. The miniature backpack should hold only a couple of personal favorites. These choices should include toys the child plays with every day. These are the choices most apt to keep the child occupied during hours of driving when parents take children on a road trip.

3. 
   Water is hydrating for kids.

   Limit juice intake. Children like the sweet taste of sugared and sugar free juices. This does not change when parents choose to take kids on a road trip. They may ask for these on the trip, but moms and dads need to avoid juices at all costs. The idea is to drive somewhere, not to spend the entire trip in the bathroom. Water will hydrate perfectly without the taste making kids drink more than they need.

4. 
   There are no portable potties on the edge of the road.

   Carry a potty. For parents taking children on a road trip, the portable potty is perfect for long road trips. These small seats can be stuffed with paper towels to catch number one. The paper towels can be tied up in a small garbage bag until the car stops along the way. Unfortunately, number two still requires a stop every time.

5. Keep them busy. Most children are great for the first few hours of the trip. It is those last few hours that burn up patience faster than a parent can handle. Before leaving on your trip, gather a few new toys from the local dollar store. Keep these out of sight and wrap them like a gift. When moms patience, dads patience or kids patience wanes, pull out a little gift.

6. 
   Time is a great road trip commodity.

   Figure in extra time. Taking kids on a road trip requires time. If the trip is short notice or there is no room for frequent stops, kids may not be compatible with the trip. The idea is to get there, but not in record time.

Tips & Warnings

• Patience is the best road trip tool.

[RWNewhouse]

on 1/15/2009 Absolutely! Kids can make road trips extra fun, or extra hard. This will help!

[txwahm]

on 1/15/2009 Excellent tips! Definately agree on limiting the juice intake LOL 5* plus recommend