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Lindsay Metcalf
on Jun 19 2013 - 06:00 AM
My top five most important moments of the summer so far
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on Jun 18 2013 - 06:00 AM
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Jim Cosgrove
on Jun 13 2013 - 06:00 AM
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Memorial Day weekend marks the official beginning of Road Trip Season for some families. In our family, every season is road trip worthy, but that might change when Lyda starts school (unless we opt for "road schooling"). Until then, we go whenever we can. Last year we logged more than 18,000 miles, with the longest journey lasting almost three weeks through eight states.
After nearly 100,000 miles of tears and tantrums over the past five years, I have found what works for my traveling family. And, like all parents, I know that what works today may not work tomorrow. That's why I solicit other ideas. So, if you have some, please share. I need all the help I can get.
For now, here's what works and doesn't work for us...
Medication is out. My mother used to give us a half tablet of Dramamine on trips -- ostensibly to keep puking to a minimum (with eight kids in the car, one small regurgitation could start an unpleasant chain reaction), but more likely it was to make us drowsy. And I know a lot of parents have no problem slipping their kid a Benadryl before a long trip. I just can't go there. I think it's best to utilize all possible strategies before resorting to drugging the kids. I much prefer arguing and whining from kids who are expressing emotions, than passive indifference from a couple of slack-jawed zombies.
Engage them. We make a space in the back for one parent to comfortably sit with the kids. And we don't need to sit there the whole trip, but occasionally one of us will climb back there and read, sing, color, perform puppet shows, play games, and ask them lots of questions. This may sound exhausting, and it is. But who said parenting should be a spectator sport?
Break the trip into two hour chunks (unless they're sleeping, then plow ahead!). We stop every 90 minutes or so for a bathroom break and to stretch our legs. I’ve finally come to accept that a seven-hour Map-Quested trip will take closer to nine.
Offer healthy snacks. Not chips and pretzels -- those are carb-heavy and quickly metabolize into sugar. Pumping a kid full of sugar and strapping them into a car seat for a couple of hours is flat-out cruel. I'm befuddled by parents who do this and then don't understand why their kid is cranky and fidgety. "She ate a whole bag of Skittles and she's still not happy!" We load up on protein like nuts and cheese and yogurt (without the sugar and corn syrup) and peanut butter. We leave the candy and soda on the shelf at the store and bring fruit instead. Reminder: digesting greasy fast food makes for a smelly, unpleasant journey.
Limit the video pacifier! Videos aren’t absolutely necessary. Really! Kids are pretty resourceful and can learn to entertain themselves -- but it takes us to teach them how. We went three years without a video player and then sparingly introduced it when we were gifted one. On long days (five hours or more) we limit viewing to one DVD. On short trips under three hours, we don’t use it.
Do you think in 20 years your kid will say, "I remember that trip to grandma's when I was five. That was the 15th time I watched 'Little Mermaid'. I'll never forget it!"?
Take care of yourself. If I'm rested and well-fed, I'm a more patient parent. And so the kids will be, too. When I'm getting cranky, a roadside break and a brisk walk is better in the long-run than caffeine.
Bottom Line: How often do you get uninterrupted time with your kids? Think of the possibilities! You can actually talk to them and laugh with them and play games and sing and learn something about their personalities. This is a great "teaching moment" for everyone.
I have enjoyed road trips with the kids. Since I am the only adult driver, we stop a little more often (I definetely need to stretch my legs) and we don't have a DVD though the boys do bring their gameboys...but the batteries don't last forever. They are always very animated on trips and talk. My girls, who are teenagers, tend to sleep more, but then we arrive at our destination they are ususally full of energy. I wish we could travel more.My kids like to color, draw, and do word puzzles. We do use the DVD player, but it is usually when both are cranky and have been fighting sleep, so it's not in use for too long.
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