The 411: The two person roadtrip, you and the kid
So Fuller and I just got back from our two week trip. One week we went South, to Alabama, and the next week we went North, to Ohio.
This is the first time I have driven such distances with Fuller and only Fuller. No Damon, no dogs, just me and the boy. I admit that I was a bit nervous about it, especially because I think that when we all drive as a family, Fuller gets a lot of attention from the parent not driving. This is so that he is happy and comfortable, not a whiny mess.
Thankfully, we survived. Fuller is an excellent traveler, especially when the DVD player is involved. And he sleeps in the car, something that other parents have told me is rare. On the way home on Saturday, he slept through the entire state of Kentucky. That was great for me, because I could concentrate on driving and listening to what I wanted. Too bad my ipod pooped out on me halfway through the state.
I haven’t found much on the internet about traveling alone with kids, but there are plenty of traveling with kids articles out there that could be adapted.
How to Drive with Kids Without Driving Yourself Crazy has some tips that I put into action:
Pack lots of small, healthy snacks. Keep a cooler in the front seat packed with things like grapes, carrot sticks, raisins, Cheerios, trail mix, juice boxes, etc. Not only do you save money by not buying snacks, you also have another distraction at your disposal. Deciding what to have, distributing it, eating it, and cleaning up breaks the monotony.
I got Fuller a dwink box to use with juice boxes. This was supposed to limit his ability to squeeze juice all over himself while I was behind the wheel. It did not limit is ability to turn the box upside down and let the juice drench his shorts or shirt.
Also, I did keep a cooler in the front seat, making it easy for me to get the juice and snacks ready to give to my traveling companion. I got individual size snack packs of goldfish crackers and fruit chews.
A lot of internet articles on road trips with kids focus on games to play to keep the child occupied. Fuller isn’t really of the age to play car Bingo or the license plate game, but he does like to sing. So for two hours we would listen to music that Fuller could sing along with. It made him happy, so I was happy. But at about the two hour mark, he gets antsy. And since our family rule is that the portable DVD player is only for trips that are more than two hours, it seems like that is the perfect time to set up the in car theater.
I keep the main console in the front passenger seat, where I can use the remote easily, and Fuller just watches the second screen in the back. Fuller is too young for a headset, so I listen while he watches. It still makes the time go quickly.
MommySavers suggests that you stop at rest areas for your breaks.
Stop at a nice rest area to eat your meals. This will be less stressing then hauling the kids into a crowded McDonald’s. When we travel from Texas to Maryland each year we stop at a beautiful rest area in Tennessee. It has nice bathroom facilities and is located on several acres giving the kids a chance to run around and exhaust some of their energy.
This is a great suggestion, and I will take it into consideration on our next trip. However, this time we didn’t follow that suggestion at all. I didn’t pack meals in the cooler, just snacks. So I would purposely pick a fast food place with a play structure. This allowed Fuller to run around and I could eat too. If I did pack meals, then I would suggest the rest areas.
We had a great trip and I appreciate that Fuller is a good traveler. I look forward to taking more trips with him in the future.
Do your kids travel well? How to you prepare for your roadtrips?
traveling with kids, roadtrips, two person roadtrips
