Tips for Traveling With Kids
A child's perception of time is different than ours. To them, it moves ten times slower. So when you put your three-year old in time out for three minutes, it feels like thirty. Now imagine a 3 hour drive.
If there is a safe way to have something for your kids to rest their feet on, it is a good idea. Dangling legs are tired legs after a while.
Toddlers have to stretch every couple of hours. It is a physical need. Besides, they don't have a lot of wiggle room in those tight car seats. Your butt would fall asleep too.
Before the trip, go to your local dollar store. Get each kid a cheap toy for every hour of travel. Four hours equals four toys per kid. Wrap them up - in newspaper is fine - save some money. After each hour, let them unwrap a toy. It helps pass the time for them.
If you pack juice boxes, make sure they are all the same flavor. (unless you know certain kids won't drink certain flavors.) It is guaranteed that if you have one grape flavor and the rest all something else, everyone will want grape.
You can cut a candy bar in half, using a ruler and somebody will still say they have the "smaller" half. There is a solution to this. They can all have their own candy bar or say sympathetically, "I'm so sorry your half is smaller. Since you're so unhappy with it, I'll eat it for you." No child will pass up the smaller half after that.
If you have one portable DVD player, it will not bring peace unless you only have one kid. They will all want to watch something different. My 15-year old complained because I put on Barney for the 2-year old. Yeah, like he's going to quit screaming if I put on "Lord of the Rings."
Packages of peanut butter crackers are a godsend.
Remember that ideal vacation in your head? It will never happen. Stuff will spill - kids will scream-vehicles will break down. It makes for funnier memories when things don't go right. Happy Traveling.
If there is a safe way to have something for your kids to rest their feet on, it is a good idea. Dangling legs are tired legs after a while.
Toddlers have to stretch every couple of hours. It is a physical need. Besides, they don't have a lot of wiggle room in those tight car seats. Your butt would fall asleep too.
Before the trip, go to your local dollar store. Get each kid a cheap toy for every hour of travel. Four hours equals four toys per kid. Wrap them up - in newspaper is fine - save some money. After each hour, let them unwrap a toy. It helps pass the time for them.
If you pack juice boxes, make sure they are all the same flavor. (unless you know certain kids won't drink certain flavors.) It is guaranteed that if you have one grape flavor and the rest all something else, everyone will want grape.
You can cut a candy bar in half, using a ruler and somebody will still say they have the "smaller" half. There is a solution to this. They can all have their own candy bar or say sympathetically, "I'm so sorry your half is smaller. Since you're so unhappy with it, I'll eat it for you." No child will pass up the smaller half after that.
If you have one portable DVD player, it will not bring peace unless you only have one kid. They will all want to watch something different. My 15-year old complained because I put on Barney for the 2-year old. Yeah, like he's going to quit screaming if I put on "Lord of the Rings."
Packages of peanut butter crackers are a godsend.
Remember that ideal vacation in your head? It will never happen. Stuff will spill - kids will scream-vehicles will break down. It makes for funnier memories when things don't go right. Happy Traveling.
posted by Caro at 9:07 AM
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