I need all the help I can get

canadianmom2three

Active member
OK one week and counting and I really do need all the help I can get:eek: We are heading off for a 24 hour (one way) drive with pretty much as few stops as we can manage, a van packed as full as it can get (safely using a roof rack of course, and with projectiles to a minimum;) ), and 3 very excited kids (+ one potentially cranky DH)...ahhh isn't travelling fun:p

What I am looking for is any tips all you frequent travellers can give me to make the trip go as smoothly and as safely as possible. We are travelling with DS aged 10 (backless booster) and DD aged 7 (Evenflo Confidence Booster) outboard in the rearmost seats, and DS 4 (Radian) center in the 2nd row seats, so I think as far as the seating situation goes, I am pretty happy. It is the entertainment that I am seriously stuck on. We have, and will be taking 3 DVD players, which I am aware some people may feel to be a safety issue. I have selected the ones that mount the most securely and I am making a parental decision to take them in order to preserve our sanity:eek: . Other than that, any tips would be so greatly appreciated:D
 
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ADS

trailrunnermom

New member
Slip-on shoes - can take them off for comfort while riding, and slip on for quick van exit at restroom stops.

Non-sugary (and non-crumbling) snacks, to the extent possible. (Except for a special only-pull-it-out-as-a-last-resort-to-distract-the-kids treat.) :)

Paperback books (or the latest Toys R Us catalog, which occupies my 5-yo well!)

Books on tape/CD? Usually available at the library. HTH!
 

Jewels

Senior Community Member
I make a suitcase with special toys that I put away a week or so before hand so it is exciting to see and also include some new little ones (ie. hotwheels). We take books and books on tape, and as something special I bring a flashlight so he can look and listen to his books on tape at night when it is dark out. We bring lots of kids music to listen too (we get sick of it), DVD player and DVD's (we don't use it non-stop but it is nice once it gets dark out) and snacks. We also bring crayons and paper and colouring books.

Make sure that you bring gravol and tylenol (my experience is if you have them then you likely won't need them, if you don't have them you will need them!) I also keep a pail, papertowels and wipes available (just in case) and have plastic bags to dispose garbage in.

Have a good trip :)
HTH
 
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Suzibeck

Active member
I honestly find that my kids do best with less stuff. We do look for the alphabet, play I Spy and that kind of thing. Mostly, I tell them to stare out the window and daydream, that's what I did as a kid. We recently survived a drive from MI to FL at Christmas. My kids are the same ages as yours and we don't have a DVD player in the van, we are not a big TV/VIDEO family to begin with either though.

We do borrow books on tape from the library. We have listened to many classics this way and Dh and I enjoy the stories as well as the kids. Gives us somethig to talk about all together too. I don't recommend Big Yeller or Bridge to Terribithea while driving, it is hard to see through the tears. ;) Learned that the hard way.

Slip on shoes are wonderful for the same reason the OP said.

We usually carry Goldfish crackers to snack on and keep water bottles handy as well. The kids will drink water if they are thirsty but they won't over drink it like they would if I let them have juice, causing more stops.

I pack a beach ball to blow up and kick around at rest stops, then defate it and pack it away when we get back in the car. I also make the kids do jumping jacks at rest stops.

Call me crazy but I really enjoy our road trips and I think the kids do as well. We spend a lot of time having fun together because there is nothing else to do. After about 12 hours, my crew gets a little silly and loud however and they can get annoying then. Are you driving 24 hours straight?
 

soygurl

Active member
Do a google search for age appropriate car games and print out a list to bring with you for times when everyone is sick of DVDs and whatnot. If you don't have a lits it'll be hard to remember any at times of chaos when you'll need them.
Also, these might come in handy if you can find them localy... I found them at my Kragen auto shop, but I don't know where you might find them in Canada.
Travel John
Travel John Jr.
 

Duckieheart

New member
Have the kids wear jammies or super comfy clothes. Thats always our issues with the godkids/nieces and nephews on long trips.

Also- sticker books. But your big kids may be past that. My 4 YO niece loves sticker books... Or even just a plain pad with seperate stickers.
 

JaRylan

New member
What about:
- a blanket for each kiddo to use when they want to be cuddly in their seat
- sunglasses or hats to keep the sun out of eyes
- earplugs for the passenger ;)
 

Mom2nj

Member
We traveled from MI to FL, 1 year ago with a then 3 yr old and 1 yr old. We found the movies were the best, new cheap toys from the dollar store, books, my DD really liked the magnet books, if you can find any, we found a Dora suitcase looking thing that had magnets in it. I second the throw up emergency kit as DD threw up in rush our traffic around Indianapolis, boy was I unprepared for that :eek: The only warning I got was, Mom my throat hurts... I think what helped us the most, is that at dinner time we stopped at a MacDonalds with a play structure and let them run it out for 15-20 minutes. 1.) It got things moving (potty) and 2.) they were able to burn some energy. Good luck and have a fun safe trip.
 

canadianmom2three

Active member
Thanks for all the great ideas (and the laughs - I will totally need those earplugs:D :D ) We have done the trip lots of times, but never with the littlest DS at his active and inquisitive best (we have been a bit spoiled by flying) Last time we drove he was just a babe, and happy with sleeping and soother. We took a wee trip down to the Great Wolf Lodge in Ohio (about 4 hours for us) and it was like torture for DS - he was soooo impatient. I just hope he can settle in a bit if I can somehow make it clear to him just how long it is really going to take...and hopefully some of the above ideas to make the time pass more quickly;) Thanks!!
 

JaRylan

New member
I just hope he can settle in a bit if I can somehow make it clear to him just how long it is really going to take...and hopefully some of the above ideas to make the time pass more quickly;) Thanks!!

Get him a watch! "How much longer till we get there?" said the dear child. The mother calmly replied for the 88th time in the last ten minutes "I do not know dear son, can you look at your watch and tell me what you think?"
 

canadianmom2three

Active member
ROTFL - I might as just well record my voice saying that very same phrase, that way my throat won't get sore from repeating it:D But that is a great idea - we even have some visual timers at work that show time elapsing in red, and time left in white, so when it is all white then time is up (which will work well assuming there are no traffic jams or other hold ups because when that red is gone we had BETTER be there!!)
 

beeman

Active member
Scenery is always helpfull, as long as your not driving from Winnipeg to Calgary. Bring yourself a discman or walkman of some sort of your favorite music for when you are the passenger. It can help you keep your sanity from the kids movies and might help you doze off so that your refreshed for your turn to drive. And bring a set of earmufs to put over the earplugs, just to be sure you get rid of all the noise :p . Have a safe and fun trip.
 

AdventureMom

Senior Community Member
Having just made two 600-mile journeys with Nolan down then back up I-95, I'll tell you what worked really well for us, besides the other suggestions of books on tape, snacks, etc.

He always likes to hear stories: make believe ones or "make be-go" (real) ones. So he'll say 'tell me story'. So now that he's four, we get him involved. One of us will start it, then we pass back and forth. They end up quite funny, and you're not stuck making it up as you go and trying to decide where you want it to end up b/c there is someone else involved.

Try that as a family!

(We also sung alot, too. :D )
 

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