Several people have asked me what I do to keep my sanity while driving with 2 kids for such long periods of time. I have used trial and error for a ton of activities and found a few things that work well for us so I thought I would share. Hopefully, these will help you along the way too!!!
Go to Lowe's for a bucket organizer (you know the one used to organize tools on a bucket?) and a short bathroom bucket. Place the bucket in between their seats and it is an awesome car organizer. The little pockets that hang on the seat in front of them is great but the shorter friends in the car can't reach the pockets so everything falls on the floor. This bucket gives both kids pockets, a big center for coloring books and such and even a pocket for snacks if they choose! It is awesome.
Another thing we use are magnets. I found some small toaster oven baking pans and then got magnets at the dollar store. They LOVE making things with their magnet boards. Target usually has fun magnets in the dollar section of their store so I buy those up when they go on sale for $.50.
I have a cabinet at home where I store "travel toys and games". These things are only used when we are in the car for a road trip. This helps keep them special and new. I pack a bag for each boy the night before we leave full of these travel toys and then each kid gets the bag as we get in the car.
I also shop at the dollar store and get additional things (based upon how many hours we will drive. If we will be in the car 16 hours, I get 16 things for each kid.) If they go the whole hour without fighting, they get a new toy. IF they do not go the whole hour without fighting they don't get a new toy but they get to try again in the new hour. This helps us count down our time and it really helps our behavior. All I say is, "do you want your new hour toy????" They calm down immediately.:-)
As for music, I find that they do great with the fun songs but ultimately those about drive me nuts, especially considering how often we travel and how many times I would hear the song. Instead we do a fun game of "name that tune" with classical music. I found CD's that say the name of the song after it is played. The kids have the whole tune to figure out either the name or the composer before the lady tells them at the end. If they guess the name or composer (or both) they get a sticker. Not only is this better music for the driver, it is educational for the kids and helps them gain a better appreciation for the finer musics. We also do this for other genres of music but classical is easier to find with the names of the songs after it is played.
I'm not one to stop every two seconds but we do stop to let the kids get their energy out a little. I have found several rest stops to be useful as they have large fields for running. I let them have some silly number (3.5 min) to run as fast as they can to a tree or a bush and back. Whoever follows my running directions gets a sticker when we get back to the car. (I do the red light green light game for this). When you give them a silly amount of time they think it is more fun than 5 min and it also keeps you on a pretty good schedule.
When you travel through the same states often find something special for each state and look for it. The second we cross into FL on any trip we stop and get pictures with the FL sign and get some free OJ. Even if we have only been in the car for an hour, we do this EVERY trip. It helps the kids have the consistency they desire in life even when you are on the road with no consistency. MD has a great program where you can get a wildlife and sign bingo game at the welcome centers. Find the quilts on barns in KY. Each state has something special so help your kid find that special thing and they will also learn along the way about that state.
For the hotel: I always have a hotel bag for each kid that has a change of clothes and the toiletries needed for that one night stay. It is a pain in the butt to get luggage up in a room for everyone when all you need is one outfit for the next day and a toothbrush. Each boy is responsible for getting his bag to the room and I don't carry it at all. You take it in, you take it out. This really helps me when I travel alone.
Potty breaks. Thank you to my sweet friend Jessie for this tip. When you have short people who have just potty trained, traveling long distances are going to be a pain for everyone involved. Instead of stopping every 20 min to potty, take the travel potty with you. You know the little training potty that you have at home? Pack it with some Clorox wipes for cleaning, plastic store bags for "disposal" and a beach towel for privacy. Pull off on the side of the road and go! You have your own makeshift bathroom and it didn't take you 30 min to unload everyone, go to the potty, get every one's hands washed, load back up and then get back on the interstate. The only person out of their car seat is the potty person. YAY!! (for boys, this is actually much easier. IJS) hehehe
Food is another big obstacle when traveling. I like to go to the dollar store and buy the snack size bags and then a bunch of fun foods like the Whales, Gummies, dried fruit, nuts, crackers, and cereals. I create snack bags before we leave that are small enough for a little break snack but each bag is different so we don't get bored with the same food all day. Having the bags prepacked means all I have to do as a driver is yang a bag out of our snack container and pass it back to the kids. I never stop for snacks.
Snacks lead to drinks. I ALWAYS have spill proof cups for our drinks. When we stop for food the drink goes directly into the spill proof cup. I don't mess with straws, lids, and spills. I refuse to spend my time cleaning up drink when we are traveling. Jeffrey resisted this at first as he doesn't use these cups at home anymore but I let him go pick out a special travel cup and this is the only time he uses it. I explained the reason why I do this and he was OK after that. Mommy and daddy even use cups with lids that close. I take nothing to chance when it comes to messes in the car.
Messes in the car leads me to the next topic. TRASH. Let's face it, 3 people in a car for 16 hours is going to produce trash. Pinterest had a car garbage can idea that I have fallen in love with. Get a large cereal plastic box with the lid that has a flip top (where you pour the cereal out without having to remove the whole lid). Place a plastic store bag down in the container and then put the lid on it. This keeps trash in one place and keeps it from rolling all over the car. When you stop for gas, throw away your bag, replace the bag and start over! The best part is that I have a car barfer. The container is easily transformed into a pail by removing the lid and bag. He just sits back there holding onto it for his emergencies. YAY!!! Multi use objects rock!
Laundry on the road is a pain. You WILL need quarters and the detergent and dryers sheets take up a lot of space. I have stumbled upon the Purex 3 in 1 sheets. Literally, you throw a sheet in the washer and it has soap and softener on it then it goes in the dryer as the dryer sheet! One box of those takes up very little space, it prevents you from prepackaging zipper bags of soap and it rocks! I wouldn't use them at home for daily use but for the road these things are a blessing!
If we are gonna be gone from home for a while we take home with us in the way of art. Go to the dollar store and get a cheap picture frame for each kid. Take a few pieces of construction paper and some scissors and glue with you and when you stop for a week or so let them create a piece of art that they can set on the TV or desk of the hotel room to make it look like home. It is simple, doesn't take much space but makes a world of difference for them. Home is where the "art" is.:-)
We don't have a DVD player but we do have iPads. These are my absolute last resort for road trips. I figure I didn't have stuff like that growing up. I played the alphabet game, looked at road signs, looked for license plates and read books so why can't my kids? The reality of it is though, I also didn't travel as much as we do. Sometimes for mommy's sanity I have to break out the technology for some peace and quiet. My rule is this: they get the iPad for 30 min and if they give it back to me when I ask for it they will get it again during the next "technology break". If they do not, they don't get it back and ultimately we all suffer. It usually only takes missing one technology break before they realize mommy means business. Give it back when she asks for it and everything will be just fine.:-)
In the end our travels are not as bad as they could be. Yes, when the kids get older we will play the traditional alphabet games and license plate games. We will look for car bingo games and such. For now, considering we are 2 and 4 we are doing the best we can. We still have meltdowns right before we pass out for a nap, we still go nuts when we check into a hotel, and we still drive each other crazy but we make it work. This is the way it has to be for now so instead of complaining we are making lemonade out of our lemons! Hope this helps you on your next road trip. Just a little prep and planning will make your life sooooo much easier on the road!
No comments:
Post a Comment