Traveling with Children

When planning a summer vacation with children, preparing for the travel is almost as important as planning the actual vacation. I recently took a 13-hour road trip with my three children. I was nervous about being the only adult with a 9-year old and two 11-year olds. Here are a few ideas that helped make the car ride go more smoothly.

1. Listen to a book on tape/CD checked out from your local library.

2. Play car games: travel bingo, the alphabet game (find each letter of the alphabet on signs), 20 Questions… The list is endless. If you need ideas, check out www.momsminivan.com/.

3. Pack snacks & beverages.

4. Set up a reward system. For each hour that the children get along and are pleasant, they earn a reward. Young children need rewards more often, possibly a quarter for each half hour. Older children may be motivated by the opportunity of earning $1-2 per hour.

5. Can the “How much longer” question be avoided? Prior to the trip, have each child make a chart counting down the number of hours the trip is expected to be. If the trip takes 10 hours, have the child write the numbers 10 down to 0 on a paper. After each hour of driving, announce that an hour has gone by. Have the child cross off the number 10. Now the child can see there are 9 hours left. Continue the countdown until you've arrived at your destination!

So, as you are preparing for your summer vacation, be sure to plan for the travel times. Good planning will help to make the trip a memorable experience. Happy Traveling!!!