As Christmas approaches many of us will be hitting the road to spend time with loved ones.  For those of us with small children a looming road trip can be a cause for significant anxiety.  How to cope with little ones in a car for a whole day (or more)?!  As always, put the safety of your family first.  I have previous shared my top ten safety tips for road trips.  I won’t lie, we don’t find long road trips easy however the following tips have helped us deal with the practicalities of having little people on the road for prolonged periods:

• Have realistic expectations.  Driving for eight hours a day may not be possible with your child. You may have to take it slower you planned.  Have a contingency to overnight if you have to.
• Before you depart join a motor club which provides roadside assistance.
• Don’t let fuel run low.  The consequences of an empty tank are more profound if you have a baby or small child to care for while you seek out an emergency fuel supply.
• If you have a baby or toddler, factor their routine into your drive.   The best way to do this is to cover the most kilometers during their regular nap times.
• Plan frequent play breaks and choose the best places to have these before you go.  Nobody will enjoy playtime if it is in a hot, dry park with minimal  play equipment that is suitable for little ones.
• The combination of cooped up children and a new hotel room will always lead to over-excitement.   If you are over-nighting plan to arrive at your destination at least two hours before bed time to allow your children to unwind.
• Utilise technology.  Portable DVD players and a few favourite DVDs are a great way to keep young children occupied in the car.
• Take some children’s CDs with you.
• Employ those old favourites.   Having games like “eye spy” up your sleeve are gold.   Ask your parents what games they used when on road trips with you as a child.
• Carry a GPS system.  You don’t want to prolong a drive with small children by getting lost.
• Carry a portable potty if your child is toilet training.
• Carry plenty of snacks.  You don’t want to have to stop every time your little one is hungry.  This also avoids overdosing on junk food which is often the quickest option when on the road.
• Carry drinks either in a sippy cup or bottle with you.
• Buy an activity table for the car.  This will allow older toddlers and pre-schoolers to color in, do sticker books and puzzles in the back seat.
• If your little ones suffer from motion sickness have a read of the post I dedicated to this problem here.
• Plan frequent toilet stops.  An excellent resource for those driving in Australia is the National Public Toilet Map found at www.toiletmap.gov.au

Happy driving everyone!  I would love to hear if there are any tips that you think should be included.

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