Long car journeys with children

Before you set out for that long trip to the Grand Canyon, Disney World, or wherever you decide to go on your next long car journey with your kids, you need to be sure and prepare as best as you can – otherwise it truly will be a long, long trip.

There are a few simple things you can do before you head outto make the car ride bearable, and dare I say, fun!

Make sure before you leave the house that all family members use the restroom, especially the kids. The last thing you want is little Timmy begging you to pull in to a gas station so he can relieve himself. Not only will it drive you to the edge of insanity, but it also could delay your trip because you had to go buy soap and a sponge to scrub out the disastrous results in your back seat. It never hurts to keep a large bottle around – just in case.

Also, make sure that when you’re packing the car, to bring plenty of blankets and pillows. The time passes by a lot faster when the kids are asleep, so accommodate them as best as you can with their favourite pillows, teddy bears, and blankets. The more comfortable you make them, the better off you’ll be.

Make sure you pack up little “treats” that you can pass out to the kids if things start to get out of hand. Make sure they know that they’ll only get their treat if they’re behaving well. Don’t hand them all out at once; rather, try to spread them out over the course of the trip. Remember, you'll make the children sick if they wolf down too many sweet things too quickly - so a few bottles of water is also a good idea.

Games are one thing that also helps the time pass by faster, as it keeps the kids occupied and less likely to drive you up the wall with chatter. There are a million games you can print out from the internet, or portable electronic games work well too.

If you have a DVD player (or even better the built in the back of the seats type of DVD player), make sure to bring plenty of movies that they can watch that they won’t get bored with. Figuring a movie lasts around two hours, the more you bring, the more quiet time there will be. Just make sure to bring a few they haven’t seen yet to keep them interested.

Last but not least, always make sure to bring a good first aid kit, along with any medicines or anything else your child may need if you run into an emergency during the trip. The last thing you want is for your child to get hurt while you’re driving through a 300 mile stretch of country road with no rest stops. You don’t have to get fancy with it, just fill a grocery sack or bag with band-aids, ointment, and whatever else you like to carry in a first aid kit.