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We’ve never lived close to my husband’s mom so once a year we pile our rapidly expanding crew into our rapidly shrinking car and drive
over a thousand miles to visit her. Okay, so there are only five of us, but three of us are under the age of five.
I was nervous before our most recent trip because we had a nursing infant, a toddler, and a preschooler—all who have learned the art
of “The Whine”. Before we even left the driveway, I thought, “This time it’s all going to fall apart.” But I was wrong.
It seems that some principles apply no matter how many kids you have in the car. While one cannot eliminate “The Whine” completely,
we’ve learned to keep it from growing into a monster that ruins the entire vacation by following a few simple rules.
1. Enjoy The Journey
I remember my dad making us pee into a plastic cup as kids so we didn’t have to stop on long trips. It was all about getting to the
destination as fast as we possibly could. The older I get, the more I see the magnetism of that mentality. But I try to force myself to
slow down and just relax.
Being uptight about how long it takes may shave off a few minutes, but it makes everyone stressed and unhappy. You have to choose a
good attitude and strive to keep it the entire trip. Before we start every trip, we always tell our children that we are going to be
in the car all day long and we must choose to be in a good mood.
2. Plan Pit Stops
We try to stop for a good hour every four hours or so to allow our children to stretch and release some energy. You can’t expect little
ones to sit still all day long without moving; especially the way car seats are these days. So the next time you’re tempted to keep on
pushing, think about this: Would you want to sit in one position for four hours without being able to shift around?
Even on relatively short trips you can curb the fussiness before it starts by planning long breaks that allow your children to play and
release pent up energy. McDonald’s play places are the perfect, safe and controlled spot for eating and playing.
3. Bring Lots Of Goodies
Goodies, or surprises as I like to call them, are little things that entertain your children during the long trip ahead. They could be
picture books, reading books, coloring books, travel board games, Happy Meal® toys (unseen and unopened), non-messy craft kits, and so on.
Pick the least exciting thing first, while your children are still content. Then dole out the surprises slowly, saving the best
surprise for that last hour or so of the trip—when everyone (including you) starts to fall apart.
And don’t forget to bring a CD of soft, quiet music or a relaxing video tape for naptime or bedtime.
4. Use Car Time To Interact
Movies are a great distraction, if you have the capabilities, but try not to depend on them too much. You don’t want to lose the
precious opportunity to spend time as a family.
Use the time you’re stuck in the car together for “together time”. There are several things you can do like:
- Play games, like Twenty Questions, I Spy, and the ABC game. In case you’ve forgotten, Twenty Questions involves coming up with a
single idea and then giving each passenger 20 chances to guess what it is. I Spy is a game that involves spotting something up the road
and then describing it in a single word. The passengers try to guess what the object is based on your clue. And The ABC game involves
finding something that starts with each letter of the alphabet before the other passengers can spot it. (This can also be done with
license plates.)
- Sing songs. Singing together is always fun, especially when you know all the words or are trying to learn all the words. And don’t
be afraid to explore different music styles by listening to music you don’t normally listen to.
- Read books out loud or listen to them on CD.
- Review things your children are learning, but make it fun and interesting—turning each lesson into a game.
- Tell true stories. The best stories to share on long journeys come from your own life: stories from your childhood, stories about
their dad, or stories about their birth.
- Make up stories. Take turns making up lines to a story you create yourselves.
5. Bring Food
We don’t want to teach our children to eat when they’re bored or tired, but sometimes a little food can save one’s sanity. If the kids
are munching, they’re not whining and they’re not fighting. Besides, they’ll be eating a whole lot healthier if they eat snacks from
home.
Bring little bags of carrots, nuts, and raisins. And don’t forget the crackers, goldfish and cookies.
Our trips always take a few more hours than they’re supposed to, but it’s worth it to know we’re enjoying our time together. Won’t you
develop our motto, too? “You’ll get there when you get there!”
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About The Author:
Miracle Quelle is first a wife and mother, and a writer. She and her family make their home in Georgia.
Visit her online at miraclequelle.blogspot.com
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