Family road trips can be the most enjoyable or stressful trips around depending on how they are planned. Careful planning can help avoid tiny disasters that can ruin family vacations. When hitting the road with the family, here are a few things to keep in mind.
Do as much as you can the day before
We all would like to believe that we have memories like elephants but the truth is that running errands, packing and all sorts of last-minute activity creates the atmosphere for loosing or forgetting important items. Create a check list and following your list, pack your vehicle the night before, leaving out only the things you will need for travel. Packing the night before can free up time, relieve stress and lessen confusion. It can even give you time to remember anything you have forgotten.
Create individual “goody bags”
keeping children and teens occupied over long drives is a common concern. One idea is to create goody bags for each child filled with snacks, handheld activities, a book or anything that child might enjoy. Unveiling these bags only after the trip has begun and the first leg of boredom has set in will give them a sense of excitement and hope that the trip will turn out better than expected!
Do most of your traveling at night
This is key especially when traveling with small children. Leaving home precisely at their normal bed time will allow them to sleep through a great part of the journey. This gives mom and dad a quiet couple of hours to get the trip under way.
