My family and I recently ventured back home to Oregon from Texas. We were gone for 30 days and drove a total of 5,285 miles. Thirty-four hours there, thirty-four hours back, plus all of our running around. We stayed at three different houses and saw a ton of people, both family and friends. Factor in my two toddlers who rarely leave home, never spend that much time in the car seat and in new surroundings, with a bunch of people they don’t recognize; I was just happy to survive.
A lot of little things came in to play during the trip, but these were the top 5 things that helped my toddlers AND me on a long road trip.
How to Survive a Long Road Trip with Kids
- SNACKS. Honestly, if you only pay attention to one thing on this list, make sure it’s this one. Snacks were the life force of our journey. Getting antsy in the car? We’ve got a long way to go…here, have a snack. Getting an attitude because we’re waiting to eat until our lunch/dinner plans? Let’s have a snack. Feeling overwhelmed because the house we’re staying at is not catered to your needs like home is? I am, too, buddy; here, lets have a snack. My go-to’s for the drive were things that could be handed to the back seat and eaten without help: granola bars, crackers, fruit snacks, etc. Once we were in town and had access to counter space and a fridge, the options were endless.
- SLEEP. New place, new faces, new trouble to get into! What toddler would want to sleep? It was SO important for us to TRY to keep them on their schedule. Of course, it didn’t work out, but we made the effort every day. The boys are used to their own space, so sharing a room with each other AND mom and dad was a huge change up. They would play for quite a while and eventually fall asleep, for both naps and bedtime. Even just giving them the time away from everything helped recharge their batteries (and mine!).
- PERSONAL SPACE. Everyone gets so excited when little kids are around, especially when it’s family seeing them for the first time in two years (or meeting them, in our youngest’s case). It was extremely important for me to know that my children’s boundaries weren’t being pushed just because they are little. They got to decide who they showed affection to and how. Some people got high fives, others got hugs, and that was OK. I never forced them to show affections just because it was a relative. I also made sure diaper changes were done in a room away from everyone, which gave us a perfect opportunity for a few minutes of one-on-one time.
- A RELIABLE BAG. Right around the time I was expecting my second boy, I ditched the adorable diaper bag I had and went for an $11 adidas gym bag from TJMAXX. I haven’t regretted it once, and for this trip, it was a lifesaver. During the road trip portion, it hung out in the cab with diapers, wipes, extra clothes, and a few other essentials so we wouldn’t have to dig through the luggage for anything. Then, for every outing we went on, I added in snacks, a couple toys, sunscreen, swim gear, plus my phone and wallet. It all fit comfortably, was easy to cart around, and never put me in a position where I was in need.
- LOWERED EXPECTATIONS. We have a pretty normal routine at home, so I really didn’t know what to expect from my boys on this crazy trip. Of course, since we were visiting family and friends, I wanted them to act like civilized little gentlemen, but that was not on their agendas. I learned VERY QUICKLY to lower my expectations of them and just go with the flow. They had tantrums, they fought with each other, they got into things they shouldn’t, and the list went on. I tried to see it from their perspective. Our house is extremely baby-proof. If they have something they’re not supposed to, it is because my husband or I left it out. But now, they’re in this new environment with a lot of opportunities. What I had to keep reminding myself is that curiosity and acting out because they’re far from home and what they know is not something to get upset over. Lower those expectations, be understanding when they get overwhelmed, and just love those babies.
