If there is one thing us mums dread, aside from the school run, it’s long car journeys. Why oh why are car journeys so stressful when there are kids in tow? As parents we want to travel with our kids; we want to be able to head off on weekends away with them or plan a day trip to somewhere fun, but the issue is that car journeys can be incredibly stressful.
The good news is, however, just because car journeys can be stressful, that doesn’t mean that they have to be. If you are smart about how you go about planning your next trip, you can make your next family car journey that little bit easier for yourself. To help you to do that, below are some tips and ideas to take note of and implement when it comes to family travel.
Buy a tablet
Okay, so you may not be the kind of mum that likes to stick their kids in front of a screen all day watching movies or playing games, but when it comes to car journeys, tablets really are a godsend. Put a movie on for your little ones and invest in a car harness for your tablet, so that it sits against the seats, like a TV screen, and you can keep your kids quiet for hours. Especially, if you download multiple movies onto them, as well as games for when your little ones get bored of TV time.
Put an audio book on
Another option, if you only have one tablet and don’t want everyone arguing over it, is to invest in a couple of audiobooks that the whole family can enjoy at once. Whether you want audiobooks that are part of a series of books, like the Harry Potter books, or one-off stories, you can pick them up for a low price online – Amazon is great for this, so it could be worth having a browse on there.
Pack food instead of buying it
There is no greater panic than being sat in traffic only to hear ‘Mummy, I’m thirsty’ or ‘I’m hungry Mummy’, which you know means if food or drink isn’t served in under two minutes means a huge tantrum. That’s why packing food and drinks in the car is a much better idea than having to stop and buy it on the way. Instead of taking a packed lunch, you could always consider packing a hot meal for everyone, using Thermo Boutique lunch boxes to keep it warm. That way the whole family gets a hot meal, instead of just sandwiches and other picnic food.
Drive while your kids sleep
A simple way to make traveling with kids less stressful is to drive while they are asleep. Plan to travel super early in the morning or really late at night when you know that your little ones will be sleeping. That way you can load them into the car in their PJs with a pillow and a blanket and drive in peaceful bliss as they sleep for the duration of the journey.
There you have it, everything that you need to know about making car journeys easier for yourself when traveling with little ones in tow.
