A Road Trip With Kids Needn't Be Hell On Four Wheels

So you’re planning a road trip, miles of open roads, no specific destination in mind and you’re looking forward to it. Well you were until you realized that you were going to have to take the kids with you. With the kids in the back seat your trip is going to be nothing like the romantic adventure that you were hoping for. Rather than just hitting the open road for hours you are going to have to plan in toilet breaks and snack stops, as well as making sure that you find acceptable accommodation along the entire route. 

So rather than a cosy little Bed & Breakfast place in a quaint village, you may well end up in a faceless and uniform Travel Lodge or Holiday Inn alongside a motorway somewhere. But really, finding accommodation is the least of your problems when you are travelling long distance with children.

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Are We There Yet?
It’s no joke. Kids really do start asking the question when they have been on the road for more than ten minutes. Grumpy and complaining kids are going to make for a long and arduous journey. And no matter how much you wish you could, you can’t send the kids to the same boarding kennels that you sent the dog too. They are with you for the long haul. So what can you do?

Well you need to start getting organised well ahead of the trip. If you have the funds an in-car DVD player can keep them amused and quiet for an hour or so at a time, but if you can’t stretch to a DVD player for the car use your iPad or other tablet as a TV screen. Simply load it up with some of their favourite films before you leave (making sure they play correctly of course), strap it to the back of the headrest on the front passenger seat and there you have it.

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If you don’t want to hear the movie, give them some headphones to listen to it through. Some portable gaming devices and mobile phones can also be loaded up with films too.

Practical Packing
Aside from all of the regular things that you are going to have to pack, remember to pack an extra bag. This is the bag that is going to get you through all kinds of incidents and accidents in the car. What you will include in the bag will very much depend upon the age of your children, for example, older children are going to be less likely to need a change of clothes than a younger child. But you should always carry some tissues, wet wipes or baby wipes, plastic bags, pens, pencils and paper/colouring books, snacks, drinks, blankets and pillows.

Have a few games in mind that you can play in the car as you are driving, such as observational games or counting games as these will work in taking the children’s minds off the fact that they are cooped up in a car, and you can easily cover a couple of hundred miles while they are happily playing.

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Mark Adamson

About the Author:

Mark Adamson is a renowned author on all things automotive - he runs a blog and car accessories website, and he regularly visits RegPlates.com for all the latest information on the latest cars.