by Tiffany Lott

Created on: November 26, 2008

When I was a child, my family lived over six hours away from my grandparents, and we took the trip about twice a year: once during the Fourth of July, and the other during Christmas holidays. I never understood it, but we would always take a nap around 9:00pm, and then get up at Midnight to leave. It wasn't until I had a child of my own before I realized the value of such an idea. Here are several tips to consider when taking road trips with your children:

Short trips: 30 min to 1 hour

Cut off beverage intake and always remember to have a potty break before you leave. There is nothing more frustrating than having to stop in the middle of such a short trip. Try to keep a small toy within reach so the child can amuse themselves during the outing.

Medium trips: 1 1/2 hours to 3 1/2 hours

Anytime you take a longer trip, it would be in your best interest to have another adult accompany you. It is not safe to attend to young children and drive at the same time, and the only alternative is to pull over each time something needs to be addressed, whether your child needs help reaching a toy or has somehow gotten unrestrained from their seat belt. Again, potty breaks are always recommended prior to departing; however, be understanding if a pit stop is necessary, especially if you're in the early stages of potty training. Toys and hand-held games are small items that may be easily transported, and will occupy your child's mind as you focus on the road.

Another fun tool is to make up your own games on the road: I-Spy, or the Alphabet game where you see who can find the letters of the alphabet on signs and billboards the fastest. (Watch out for letters J & Q; they can be difficult.) This is also an idea best to be done with more than just you and your child as it could be a negative distraction as well. When my parents, brother, and I would travel from Mississippi through Tennessee and finally into Arkansas during the winter seasons, we would notice a tremendous number of hawks that would be perched on a fence or in a tree, or flying around the hills above. We ended up counting hawks nearly every trip and reporting it to my grandparents when we arrived at our destination. When your mind is elsewhere, you'd be surprised how much time passes.

Long trips: 4 hours +

All of the above can be helpful when taking long trips: Frequent potty breaks, toys, games, and company; however, there are some other things you may want to consider if you will be in a vehicle for very long. Make sure your children are well-fed prior to leaving, or time the trip just right in order to stop at a local restaurant for a meal. You may wish to add a DVD or sing-a-long CD to give variety. Or, as mentioned at the beginning of this article, you may try leaving in the middle of the night to ensure that your children will not be miserable, and can be comfortably asleep during the main portion of the trip. Establish landmarks. About thirty minutes from arriving to our destination, my father would point to a factory plant and say, "That's where your Uncle Duane works." I'm twenty-seven and it's still a tradition, but it's nice for the children to know there is not much longer to wait.

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