Road Trip Survival
I’ve always been intrigued (slightly envious) of families that pile into the car and take a road trip without arriving in an anxiety ridden, hysterical meltdown, with divorce negotiations. Jamari and I are avid travelers, but road trips with two toddlers seemed daunting; truthfully, any travel with two toddlers is daunting. In the last few months our family has piled into the car for 11 different road trips putting more than miles on the car than ever before, with the longest trip being almost 18 hours from Kansas City to Virginia. Not only have we pushed the limits with the kiddos, but our “wow” factor is that we’ve also mastered traveling with Kingston, our 140 pound Cane Corso who takes up the entire trunk space of the SUV. So for any other parents who scoured the internet for tips and tricks to get through road trips with littles and dogs, I am giving my survival tips.
Prep for Each Arrival:
packing cubes
tote bag
ziplock outfit packets for kids
bathroom kit
I don’t pack for Jamari; but for the rest of the family I humbly add ‘professional packer’ to my resume. I utilize packing cubes and the kiddos and I each get a different color for easy organization and grabbing. If we have a multi-stop hotel trip, I pack a foldable tote bag so I can grab each nights stuff and toss it in the bag rather than taking apart the car every night at arrival, then I restock the next morning before leaving the parking lot. I do some extra prep work by putting the kids complete outfits into ziplock bags for each day. It’s easier to grab a bag with complete outfit (pjs, clothes, panties/diaper, hair bow, socks, etc) than dig around in the packing cube. I keep a “bathroom break” ziplock by my feet for grab and go bathroom stops, which has extra underwear, extra diaper, wipes, sanitizing wipes, sanitizer, and a hand towel. We use the restroom when we stop for food but other bathroom stops for Audrey are usually done using our little training potty that has permanent residency in my car. I put a diaper inside of it and it makes for easy clean up and no risk of hand foot mouth from truck stop bathrooms. If you prepare yourself for arrival at each stop you can be better organized.
Pack Light:
If you’ve been following us for a bit you know that Jamari has a rule when it comes to travel, “don’t pack what you can’t carry.” It’s unclear what age that applies to our kids, but it definitely applies to me. So I pack very light because I can’t carry much and let’s be honest, there is a big box store in every destination you go, or along the route. I only pack enough for the day of the trip and buy supplies once we arrive. This applies to diapers, snacks, and drinks.
Use Car Space Crevices:
Your car is full of spots to shove things that are standardly overlooked. Although potty trained, I prefer to put Audrey in pull-ups for long car rides in case she falls asleep. I use the space under the front seats to stash with diapers in ziplocks for each child. Seat back pockets get their shoes and their tablets and the glove compartment holds a pack of wipes for easy clean ups, sanitizer, and extra masks. Their blankets get folded into a packing cube I put between their car seats unless they are using them, and I put a soft cooler full of snacks/milk/water so I can grab things easily from the passenger seat. Each child gets their water bottle in the cup holder of their car seat. We don’t use toys in the car because I have found that no matter what the toy is, it lasts 3.5 minutes and ends up on the floor with tears because they can’t reach it. We rely heavily on screen time in the car because it’s a great distraction while strapped in and moving. I download content to their tablets before leaving, and change it at the next stop with WiFi to keep it fresh. Because of Kingston traveling with us lately, we have zero trunk space; so our bags go directly behind the seats. Maxwell is still rear facing, so he could care less, and Audrey enjoys having something to put her feet on, so no complaints yet; but I know our time doing that is minimal. That means, we usually pack up in soft sided luggage like a backpack, and utility tote (hence, pack light).
Kingston’s Corner:
Kingston is a big boy, so he takes up the back of the SUV. I put a crib mattress back there for him to lay on comfortably. I pack his food in a container, pack his bowls, and a leash. He is the super low maintenance compared to the rest of my travel comrades. The only issue we run into is hotels that allow large breed dogs, but we utilize Bring Fido for dog friendly hotels and restaurants with patio seating since we don’t leave him in hotels solo.
Snacks, Snacks, Snacks:
I always overpack snacks, but would rather have too much than have them screaming that they are hungry and I can’t find a place to stop. With two kiddos, I always make 2 snack bags per child so I don’t have to hear, “he has more than me!”. Car snacks are tricky with kids and I leave this up to your discretion if you allow your child to eat in a car or not. We allow it, so here are my go-to car snacks.
Sliced fruit
Plain pasta
Tortilla chips
Gold fish
Cut up meatballs
Cut up cucumbers and cherry tomatoes
I do my best to keep sugar low with travel because I imagine it would be equivalent for me having 3 espresso shots and then sitting in the car for 5 hours. I don’t need them more wound up than they already are about getting to the destination. And we always make fast food (which we normally don’t eat) a stop on a road trip as a special treat.
Strategic Stops:
We try to keep stops to a minimum because once kids catch on that you will stop the car every time they complain the complaining multiplies. For a 5 hour ride to my Mom’s house, we try to stop 1 time at the 3.5 hour mark unless a quick bathroom stop is required. Where to stop can be tricky on road trips with kids. The last thing you want a “stop” to be is through a drive-thru because it isn’t allowing them to get out and stretch and release energy. For short trips, we stop at a restaurant to grab some food, use the rest room, and do some parking lot stretches and a quick game of tag to run around a bit. For longer trips, I like to stop at a grocery store; grocery stores allow for the children to walk around, you can buy ingredients for sandwiches or salads, healthy snacks, and be the cool mom for the day by suggesting to buy ice cream bars and then find a park to have a picnic and play on a playground for 20 minutes before getting back in the car. Your chances of getting some car sleep after that is higher than if you ran through the Golden Arches drive-thru.
Give Grace, and Don’t Forget Yourself:
Road trips can be fun, and we’ve had our fair share of laughs and memories made. We have also had hours of crying, whining, and “are we there yet” being asked every 4 minutes. I try to remember that as an adult I get anxious and dislike being seated for too long, so my children certainly do as well. I give grace to everyone in the car, including myself if we start to get cranky. Sometimes a quick stop and stretch of our legs is a good reset to hop back in and change our moods. I always pack my headband headphones which aren’t loud enough to not hear the kids yelling for my attention, but loud enough to tune out Jamari practicing French for hours as we drive while I listen to an audiobook. As a Mama it is easy to remember all the things for the rest of my family, but neglect my own needs too. My go-to car trip necessities are peppermint oil (I get awful car sickness), ice water, my headband headphones, audio book, and comfy clothes.
So if you haven’t had enough family closeness with the quarantine of the pandemic and decide you want to hop in the car for hours of enclosed, moving car, family time I hope some of my helpful tips and tricks can be of use.