No matter how well behaved they happen to be, kids will be kids on the road. They will wiggle, complain and ask the same question time and again.
Face it, long-distance travel is hard on everyone. With all the sitting around and waiting for the excitement of a vacation to begin, the hours can seem [...]
When getting to a family vacation destination is going to demand hours and hours in a car, keeping the kids behaved and engaged is a chore to say the least. No matter how old or young they are confinement in a car seat or seat belt can take its toll.
If you’re looking for a great [...]
Day one of a road trip can be rather exciting for the entire family, but by the time the second morning rolls around the atmosphere tends to change. If your family trip is going to involve more than a single day in a vehicle on the way to a destination, chances are you’re going to [...]
If you’re worried that your children will wiggle and jiggle more than a bowl full of Jell-O on a road trip, there are things you can do to prevent the trapped-in-the-car jitters from even starting. If your children love hands-on craft projects, scrapbooking can be just the thing to keep them [...]
Road trips are great for families who want to vacation without spending a fortune. Unfortunately, even they can prove to be a bit expensive. This is especially so if a trip calls for eating out three meals a day during transit.
If you need a way to cut some of the expenses without giving up on [...]
The United States offers a plethora of great travel opportunities and with airfare being what it is today, many parents are considering road trips that will provide valuable learning opportunities for their kids as well as some time away.
There are a few “road trip routes” that are very popular with families. The first encompasses one [...]
Your family vacation is right around the corner and you cannot wait to hit the open road. The only problem is the kids. They cannot seem to make it 10 miles down the road without fidgeting and fussing about getting out. You’re just not sure how they are going to fare on a long ride [...]
When you are trying to get from Point A to Point B on a family vacation, time is often of the essence. After all, you want to get to where the fun is as quickly as possible.
If you are traveling with small children, however, it is a good idea to build in at least a [...]
Whether you are traveling for the first time with a newborn baby or you are packing up your car with young children and tweens to head out for some holiday fun, car trips and cold weather call for some advance strategizing. Getting into and out of a car with a good heater in sub-zero temperatures [...]
The “perfect family” tools down the road in a car on the way to a vacation destination of their dreams. Songs, laughter and general harmony fill the car. The entire trip goes smoothly.
With the current economy being what it is, many families are bypassing the airport for their next vacation and instead, packing up the minivan and hitting the road. However, while a plane may be able to get you there faster, and provide a greater level of entertainment for your kids than a long, boring ride [...]
It might be the season to be jolly, but tell that to your kids 10 hours into a 15-hour road trip and they are likely to look at you like you have grown a second head. If you want to keep the holiday spirit alive and moods happy during the trip, there are things you [...]
A long car ride to a family vacation destination can provide the ideal time to teach your older children a lesson or two about geography. Hand out a road map, a few crayons, a pencil or pen, a notebook and a map of the United States to each child and the miles will pass by [...]
The sound of snores coming from the backseat during a road trip with children can be music to your ears. It can, however, turn into quite a cacophony of discomfort if your youngsters look more like pretzels than precious little bundles of joy.
As much as you would love to, you just cannot afford a big family vacation this year. The kids are disappointed and so are you. Still, there just might be a way to squeeze in some serious fun without spending a fortune.
In the mind’s eye, a family vacation is an idyllic adventure to help parents and their children bond and create memories to last a lifetime. While this is certainly true, after 10 hours of “Are we there yet” and a few days of “What are we going to do next,” parents tend to need a [...]
Your husband just cannot seem to drive a car without blaring country music. Your kids have their own tastes. It is time to head out for your family vacation and all you can think about is the battle that will soon ensue over the radio dial.
You and your family are riding down the road on your way to a vacation destination you have been dreaming about for years. Somewhere along the way, your little one shouts out that she left her favorite blanket at home. For the next 100 miles, you hear pitiful sobs from the backseat.
Your children are adorable and you love them like nothing else in the world. Unfortunately, they just do not love each quite as much as you might like. The sibling rivalry era has arrived and it has done so with a vengeance. Your kids are more apt to resemble cats and dogs fighting than loving [...]
Most moms and dads understand that packing a few snacks and drinks for long car rides can lessen the stops and keep grumbling tummies at bay for a time. What to pack, however, can prove to be a quandary. If you are ready to head out for a long-distance ride, healthy snacks can take you [...]
If you are getting ready to head out on the open highway for a family vacation of a lifetime, chances are your car is packed to the brim with suitcases and other supplies. While you might not have included the kitchen sink, it can easily look as if you did. Before you pull out, however, [...]
You have been driving on your way to your family vacation destination for hours. After multiple meals out of a sack, you are ready for something that might be considered a few steps up from a greasy spoon. Vegetables and full service, after all, sound quite nice at this point. You have one problem, however. [...]
You need to get from Point A to Point B in order for your family vacation fun to start. The drive will take about eight hours and that is all you are budgeting into your itinerary.
Math is a subject that just does not come naturally to all children. When the school bell gives its final ring for the year, this is one of the many things elementary-aged children want to leave far behind in favor of family vacations, swimming and hanging out with their friends.
You have spent all year scrimping, saving and planning out your family vacation in detail. The bags are packed, the car is gassed up and you are all ready to go. Before you strap your children in the backseat and take off for parts unknown, there is one last thing you need to do.
Long trips by car are not to everyone’s taste. A road trip might sound like Heaven to the average college student or anyone of a like mind over a certain age. However, children have a shorter attention span and being stuck in a seat for a period which can sometimes exceed a quarter of a [...]
It is a well known rule that traveling in a car with more than one child greatly increases the possibility that you will witness a fight or two – if you’re not very careful. Being hemmed in at any time is not something that any child takes kindly to – even if there is an [...]
It goes without saying that a day trip, or any other kind of trip undertaken in a car, has a safety plan that should always be stuck to regardless of any other consideration. Children may have a desire to roam wild and free, but they need to be kept under control in order to make [...]
We’ve all seen it in sitcoms or cartoons – the adults sat in the front of the car getting increasingly frazzled with irritation as the children demand loudly whether or not the journey is any closer to its destination, often punctuating their question by kicking the back of the seat in front of them. In [...]
Packing up to hit the road is serious business when you are getting ready for a vacation. If you have children in tow, the job can become even more important. Beyond the basics of clothing, toiletries and maps, what you pack to keep them occupied can mean the difference between a drive time that flies [...]
Traveling long distances with babies or small children can be extremely intimidating for parents. Even seasoned veterans can turn a little green in the face at the thought. If children are young, however, parents do have an ace in the hole to make the ride a bit less stressful on everyone involved.
Making sure children are occupied on a road trip can be quite the chore, but it does not have to be. If your trip will take you into undeveloped areas, just point their noses out the windows to keep an eye out for wildlife. If you turn it into a game everyone can play, the [...]
Passing the time on a family road trip can be a lot of fun, or it can be an exercise in patience all the way from Point A to Point B. When the former is desired, a little preparation can go a long way. Bringing along a good book or several of them, for example, [...]
When it is time to hit the road for a family trip, new parents often find themselves at a loss on what to bring. Just how much of the nursery really needs to come along for the ride and how much can be safely left behind are questions that can present a real quandary.
Suzy wants a juice. Tommy needs a snack. Your spouse cannot go another mile without a water to quench thirst.
You are itching to get out with the kids and do something a little different. Day trips that enable you to come home at the end of the day sound like the perfect way to go, but you are just not sure what places are worth traveling to.
Taking newborns or toddlers on long car trips can be a very intimidating experience. If your children have never traveled and you just do not know what to expect out of them in the car, you can prepare yourself and them by taking shorter trips to test the waters.
For most children, the hardest thing to learn is how to be organized. At that age, organisation is just something that holds you back from having fun. “Homework? I will do it later!” You know the drill. Keeping all of a child’s thoughts on one thing is like herding sheep. And trying to make them [...]
Everyone looks forward to getting away from time to time. Going on holiday is often the highlight of one’s year, as most of the year is spent working and concerning yourself with matters around the house. Being able to relax and cut loose a little is good for us all. But too many parents seem [...]
Trying to decide on a place to take a child on a family trip can sometimes be quite the chore. There is no getting around it; they would often rather be sat in front of the TV than getting in a car to go somewhere that they have not chosen. That is the key thing [...]
You no doubt remember a few things about being a young kid. However, there is no point pretending that you remember it all, partly because kids have shorter attention spans than adults. Having to hold down a job means that you need to develop an attention span that allows you to keep your mind on [...]
Traveling with children in the car is an exercise in patience at best. Keeping them occupied, happy and too busy to ask questions about anticipated arrival time can take everything adults in the car have to give. This does not have to be the case when parents get their little passengers to tap into their [...]
New parents are often filled with questions, doubts and worries. From when to feed a brand new baby to how to make sure they sleep well at night, the concerns never seem to end. When it is time to take the baby on the road, the reasons to fret can justifiably multiply. After all, the [...]
Taking a road trip with teens or elementary aged kids can be a lot of fun. They tend to be more self-sufficient which means they’re capable of taking an active role in the planning of the road trip. Mapping out the route together, deciding what sites to see and where to stop can build a [...]
Toddlers and preschoolers can be a bit challenging when required to sit through a long car trip. They generally require a significant amount of wiggle time throughout the day. Carefully plan each leg of your trip to include picnics at local playgrounds or grassy rest stops where kids can run and play.
Traveling with kids can be a bit tricky, but it doesn’t take a master magician or a super parent to create a fun filled adventure for all ages. It does however; take more forethought in the planning stage than your typical vacation. Below are some sanity saving ideas for keeping the kids occupied during your [...]