Traveling with preschool aged children can be exhausting and frustrating. A trip may consist of a couple hour car ride to grandmas house or an all day trek across several states, either can be a complete disaster. Learn how to turn this usually dreaded event into almost as much fun as the destination itself. A few simple steps and some planning are all that is needed to turn travel time into vacation time.
It may be time for the annual family vacation, or just a couple hour trip to grandma’s house. If there are young children along for the ride, either trip can be long and frustrating for everyone involved. Being cooped up in a car, especially if it includes being buckled in a car seat, is not exactly the afternoon that a child would plan for itself. Most parents do not enjoy a ride that involves fights, complaining, screaming and the “Are we there yet?”s that often accompany a trip with young children.
A few steps can be taken to lessen the agony of these car rides and help turn them into an enjoyable part of the family vacation.
Timing
Perhaps one of the easiest changes to make involves the time chosen to leave for a longer than average trip. Try to leave at a time that coincides with the child’s nap or bedtime. Make sure the youngster is dressed comfortably. A good choice in clothing would be sweats or pajamas, these items will help ensure the comfort of the child. It is also important to feed the child before starting a long journey. This will help eliminate any complaints about hunger later on down the road.
Remember to bring a drink, a small child will definatly ask for one. Juice and water are a couple of good suggestions; they will not go bad quickly and are drinkable warm or cold. Put the drink in a sippy cup even if the child normally does not use one. This will prevent spills, therefore, keeping the child comfortable. Nothing is worse than sitting in a wet car seat and not being able to move away from it.
Special Bag
It is important to children to have their favorite playthings with them at all times. Since a child will plead to bring toys with them and will need them to fight off boredom, let them pack a special bag. A good idea is to let the child pick out their very own “trip bag”, duffle bags or canvass bags work great for this. After the bag is picked out, let the child make it special. Let them decorate the bag with markers or paint, this is what will make it the “trip bag”.
Next, let the child pick out a small number of things that they would like to have in the car with them.
Allowing a child to be in charge of this “very important” part of the preparation for the trip will fill them with pride and help to keep them calm in the car.