By Sarah Welch and Alicia Rockmore
Mothers and fathers, start your engines! Summer is fast approaching, which means more car time, be it going to the beach, going to the park, or taking a big road trip to a fun destination. Road trips can be a wonderful way to spend time together as a family, or they can turn into repeated choruses of “Are we there yet?” and “I’m turning the car around!” So, how do you get the car organized, prepared and safe for this trip, and how do you keep the kids entertained, while keeping yourself sane? Keep your eyes on the road and we’ll tell you how.
Alicia on “Sharing the Road”
“Wouldn’t it be nice to have the road to yourself? Unfortunately, the average commuter spends ten 40-hour weeks in their automobile each year – roughly 10 percent of their waking hours! The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimated more than 6 million automobile accidents in the US in 2005. Fatigue, weather conditions, technological distractions, holiday weekend traffic, or carelessness can all cause us to be in an accident.”
Sarah on “Being the Driver, Not the Entertainer”
“When you’re on the road, you have to understand your role. You are the driver. That’s it. As hard as it may be, no matter what is going on in the backseat, no matter what names people are calling each other, no matter what just got spilled, your only job is that of driver. There are so many bigger safety concerns on the road than in the backseat, that your attention should stay focused on what the car ahead of you is doing, and not what your son is doing behind you.”
Before you hit the road, keep these hints in mind.
#1: Be Prepared for Everything
Just as you have your house stocked in case of an emergency, you’ll want to make sure you’re prepared should anything happen in your car as well. Your glove compartment should hold a pair of sunglasses, the trunk should have extra water and a blanket, and you should have a first aid kit under the passenger seat. In case of an accident, a helpful tool is something called Collision.kit by Buttoned Up which includes information cards and a camera to ensure you have everything you need to record the details of the incident.
#2: Know Where You Are Going
“We’re lost.” The two words nobody wants to hear on a road trip. (That, and “I’m queasy.”) Fortunately, nowadays it’s easier than ever to know exactly where you’re going before you get into the car. For those of us lucky enough to have a GPS system, it will do the work for you. If you’re still on your own, use internet site like Google Maps, or MapQuest to plot your destination and print out the best route to get there. When you’re in the car, kill two birds with one stone by designating someone to be the navigator, keeping them busy and you informed.
#3: Keep the Backseat Happy
And now for the hard part: the backseat. Don’t worry, though, since a little preparedness will go a long way in keeping kids (and adults) not just occupied, but genuinely entertained. Most importantly, always bring plenty of snacks, plus trash bags and wipes for the resulting mess. Fuller stomachs make happier kids. As far as keeping them entertained, DVD players are becoming ubiquitous in many of today’s cars, but try some of the classic games, such as the license plate game, or “I Spy”. Not only are these more interactive, but they tend to be the ones your kids will remember when they grow up and go on their own road trips.
We are the co-founders of Buttoned Up, inc (@getbuttonedup)., a company dedicated to helping stretched and stressed women get themselves organized and co-authors of Everything (almost) In Its Place. We welcome your thoughts! Please send ideas and questions to us at: [email protected] or visit us at www.getbuttonedup.com
AmyBean says
We take at least 4 long (8 hours or more) road trips each year to see family. Our kids are both under 5, so it’s hard to play a lot of games that require looking out the window because they’re short and can’t see much except the sky and tall trucks. One of the best things I’ve ever done is to keep a ready supply of THEIR music on-hand, right in the compartment that’s supposed to be for storing sunglasses or whatever in the dashboard. It’s mildly annoying for the grown-ups, sure, but it’s a lot less annoying than constant whining and crying, and we can all sing along and have a good time. I also have a bag of really cool toys that are just for the car, and we save those for when the trip starts wearing on the kids. And also very important: non-messy, healthy snacks. A lot of families take chips and cookies and such on car rides for a special treat, which sounds like a good idea, except those things aren’t nourishing to the body, and they’ll make you feel crappy toward the end of the trip. Take things like whole-grain crackers, dried fruit, apple slices, dry cereal, etc., and everyone will be much happier. It’s ok to take along a junky snack, but save it for the end of the trip when everyone is getting really antsy and needs a boost. 🙂
The best thing to take on a car trip though is a positive attitude. Don’t get in the car with a sigh and the attitude that this is going to be a looooong drive. The kids will feel it. Just keep a smile on your face, and make the best of it. They’ll pick up on that positivity, and things will go much more smoothly.
Beth Randall says
I thought the perfect car trip was me by myself listening to the latest Jodi Picoult novel!! If I do have the kids with me then I like to find a book on tape that is interesting to all of us. The kids are very intent on listening to the book and looking out the window. Of course, they are older now (17, 12, 11).
Susie's Homemade says
Those are great suggestions! We have along car trip planned this summer:-)
pam says
To save on cash, I buy bigger boxes of “snacks”. Then I bring a box of ziploc sandwich bags and fill as necessary. Since they “zip up” I can toss one to the back of the van with out spilling. I know – not the best “go green” idea, but this tip has really saved us time, money, and messes. Other back seat musts: stickers (they entertain a toddler/pre-schooler for a long time! I save new packs and hold out for really difficult moments.); happy meal toys (we usually don’t buy kids’ meals but when we’re travelling we do — so the toys are a little more special). I tend to look at a toy and try to gauge how many minutes it will entertain the kids. Sometimes it’s worth it, sometimes not.
At each stop (and there’s plenty), we pick up trash in our areas/seats and head in for the bathroom. Sometimes I bring a jumprope (for rest stops — nice for the driver to get a bit of exercise), and also an inflatable ball. If the weather is nice my husband will entertain the kids while I’m taking one (or more) of them to the bathroom.
Jennifer says
I love to take a few 99c packs of sticky notes and pens. Good for even the prereading/writing kids. We can play games, draw pictures, take food orders (real or pretend), stick them to the windows, seats and each other. It’s 99c that goes along way. (easy to take on a plane too)
Linda Hare says
When the kids were really young and couldn’t write or play traditional games, I modified the “I’m going to the grocery store” game and instead of naming a letter the item started with we did what color the item was. Still to this day even though the kids are much bigger, they still ask to play the grocery store game, and they want to play the color version instead of the letter version. Go figure!
Trish says
I agree with Beth….audiobooks all the way! We have filled our long car trips with Chronicles of Narnia, Harry Potter and Percy Jackson! Our six year old twins just love listening to audiobooks and I just plug in my iphone and hit play! What’s interesting is that we often have to push pause when one child or the other wants us to look at a particular cloud formation ….something tells me that’s good for their little brains.
suburbangranola says
I almost never let my kids eat in the car. They ruined a perfectly brand new one that way once. Also, we once had a choking incidence with a two year old in the back seat…it is hard to get your car pulled over (safely) fast enough. We do let them dink water only in the car, that way if it does get spilled it is no big deal, and it is easy to get dehydrated in the car, I think. Our car and car seats all look and smell clean and I am not embarrassed to have someone ride with us somewhere.
To keep them busy we love audio books as well. We use the TV. They don’t watch much at home so it is a nice treat in the car. We sing silly songs. We even catch up on our History lessons…Over all, they don’t need too much “entertaining”, being in the car for extended periods of time gives us lots of time to talk, and to listen to each other.