Taking a long road trip with kids can be fun - or a
nightmare! A little planning can make all the difference and take any
stress out of the journey.
Make sure they are comfortable
Making your kids comfortable should be your top priority. Take along
travel blankets and pillows. If the weather is hot place a light shade
on the windows to avoid the bright sunlight. Make sure they are
appropriately and comfortably dressed - if it’s cold out make sure your
kids have plenty of layers on, and let them kick off their shoes if they
like. Don’t forget their favorite stuffed animal or teddy bear.
Pack their favorite possessions
Let each child pack a little backpack with their favorite toys, books
and even snacks. It’s exciting for them to pack their own special bag
and it’s nice for them to have their favorite things close at hand. This
also helps you avoid them wanting to bring along their whole room. The
rule is if it fits in their bags they can bring it, if it doesn’t then
it has to stay.
Plan your stops - and make plenty
If you are going to drive for several hours, remember children don’t
have the same patience as adults and often have a genuine need to
stretch out their legs, so make sure you take plenty of rest breaks
along the way. You can stop at rest stations but also schedule in visits
to playgrounds or parks where you can all stretch, or
alternatively visit a fast food restaurant which has a separate play
area for the kids. Make sure that everyone has visited the bathroom
before leaving.
Plan to stop once an hour, even if only to get out of
the car for 2 minutes!
Bring along some games
There are a range of classic board games like monopoly in smaller
versions specifically for travel. Cards are also another great travel
game and of course handheld electronic games (make sure you have one for
each child to avoid arguments) will keep them amused for hours, and may
even induce them to sleep.
Remember that some children need to watch the road to
prevent car sickness, so have a good variety of "thinking" games to
play, too. Keep some quiz books in the glove compartment, have
tournaments of I Spy, play your own version of Travel Bingo, count red
trucks, and so on! See also Games for car journeys
Other "busy" ideas
Apart from games, you can take along art supplies like coloring pencils,
coloring pages, crayons, and markers to
draw and paint the different scenes along the way. You could ask the
kids to write and describe scenery or make up a story or poem. Get them
to draw a "map" of interesting thing they see along the way, or write
down the names of towns they pass through or signs they see.
Listen to music and stories
Listen to their favorite songs. Get a pack of several CDs and let each
kid take turns playing their favorite songs. Sing along! Invest in some
good story tapes too, because a good story can make a long journey fly
by.
Prepare some surprises
A boring journey can be transformed if you have a surprise or two up
your sleeve for when the kids get restless! Save fast food toys or party
favors, print out puzzles and word searches, keep a small stash of
snacks and sweets, or even wrap up a tiny parcel or two, all ready to
distribute when the grumbling starts. Perhaps you could ask Grandma to
call you on the cell phone (mobile) at a prearranged time and ask to
talk to the kids? Anything to break the journey and provide some
interest!
Dressing Girls For School
I have spoken to so many parents who tell me it is a monumental task to get
their younger daughters ready for school in the morning. Unless your daughter
has only one set of clothes to wear, she probably wants to change her outfit
three times before choosing the one she will "agree" to wear to school each day.
Here's how we solved the problem in our family...
3 Easy Ways To Make An Awesome Playroom
Are you irritated every time you walk past your kids playroom? Paper here, toys
there, the floor is strewn with stuff that you can't even guess what it is! Most
of us feel a whole lot better when things are organized. Is it natural to be
neat and tidy or is it a skill that must be learned? We'll let you worry about
that question but we'll give you a few simple ideas on how to make that playroom
fun again.
What should you expect at 6 weeks, 6 months or 1 year? We provide useful
milestones and developmental stages so that you can keep an eye on your
baby's development in the first year. Baby Stages
Ideas For Sharing Stories
With Children
This two-part article discusses the ways in which stories and
storytelling play an important role in children's lives. Techniques are
offered for using stories to help develop children's verbal skills and
imaginations. This is part one.
Who Owns The Problem; Parent or Child?
It is tempting for parents to assume ownership and responsibility for everything that goes on in the life of their child. However, when the parent jumps in too soon to solve the problem or give the answer, the child never learns to trust his own judgment and become a critical thinker.
Parenting - Making A Schedule This article on the benefits of scheduling your day as a parent
really struck home with me. It took me a while to work this out for
myself when I had young children at home, and I wish I had done so - and
benefited from the much calmer household that was the result - sooner!
