A family road trip can be a unique, memorable, and enjoyable activity — or at least that’s how most parents hope it goes. Kids are a lot less patient than adults, and they need to be continuously entertained and managed during the trip to prevent them from complaining or even fighting. Not only do rowdy and impatient kids ruin the mood of the trip that you’ve probably looked forward to doing for a long time, but they can distract you from properly driving, which can result in an accident.
That said, we’ll be taking a look at different tips to not only help your parents survive the long road ahead but to genuinely make the trip as enjoyable as you imagined it to be.
Mentally and Physically Prepare Yourself
When you’re going on a road trip, it’s vital for everyone’s safety that the driver is well-rested and mentally ready for the task. So make sure that you and your spouse gets enough sleep. You also need to set expectations correctly and accept the fact that there will be issues such as the kids complaining, getting bored, hungry, etc. to not ruin your mood and also to allow yourself to be a bit more patient.
Leave at Night
If you’re about to take a long (8+ hours) road trip ahead of you, and you don’t want to deal with kids complaining throughout the drive, this could be the best solution. When driving at night, the kids are more likely to be tuckered out, and you’ll be able to enjoy the trip and have a conversation with your spouse. Just make sure that you’ve had enough sleep in the morning, or at least swap driving duties in between so that everyone has enough energy to drive and enjoy the vacation once you get to your destination. Alternatively, you can leave in the wee hours of the morning, just before sunlight, your kids would be fast asleep at the car by then, and you’d have enough rest, too.
Entertainment Is a Must
When it comes to entertainment options, you can go for classic road trip games — but make sure that you keep the driver focused even when participating in the game. Alternatively, you can stock up on movies and games on your kids’ tablets and phones. You may even want to go the extra mile and have entertainment upgrades for your vehicle before your Utah County road trip such as having a flip-down monitor. If you have more than one child on board, make sure that each one of them has their source of entertainment, especially if they don’t have the same taste in games or movies/shows — they’ll end up fighting and distracting you otherwise.
Stock Up On Food and Drinks
For those who have experienced road trips before, even when you have scheduled stop-overs for meals and stretching out those legs, it’s still important to have enough food, water, and drinks on hand. And pack up a little extra in case of any unfortunate issues such as being held in traffic due to a vehicular accident, or if your car breaks down (which brings us to the point: have your car maintained and tuned up before the trip!). Having too much food and drinks is a lot better than having too few, so don’t skimp out on your snacks. Be strategic about your food, too, try to have light food options — just enough to get the kids munching and distracted, without filling them up before your next food stop.
Conclusion
Poor road trip preparation won’t only lead to a bad road trip, but can even endanger your family. So make sure that you take these family road tripping tips in mind when preparing for your next big trip down the road.
