Road Trips
My husband is from Oxford and his dad lives in Somerset so we’ve been used to a few long car journeys. When I first passed my driving test, I was very nervous about motorways (even more so with children in the back!!) but long car journeys often can’t be avoided & so I thought I would share my top tips for driving with children in case you’re off this Summer.
⭐️ Get portable DVD players on headrests. Game changer. But..use them regularly & you’ll lose the novelty. We keep ours tucked away and only bring them out a few times a year with a newish DVD to enjoy for the best impact. Having them on headrests means they aren’t looking down so often helps avoid travel sickness.
⭐️ If you’re the only parent in the car make sure all the snacks are next to you in the front or give your child their own and once the snacks are gone, they’re gone! This way everything is easy to hand. Stick to water only for drinks but pack LOADS of snacks. Prepared fruit, crackers and veg sticks also help keep tummies settled.
⭐️ Avoid reading or writing if you have a child that gets travel sick as this is a recipe for disaster! Try travel bands or the teacher tip is to sit on top of newspaper! I have no idea why this works but it does!
⭐️ Always have a rubbish bin (a fancy car one or just a plastic bag you can just about see in the 2nd pic) and have a child in charge of it!
⭐️ Place hand wipes, baby wipes, a toilet roll and bottles of water in easy reach. For young children, put a potty in the boot.
⭐️ Even if you don’t need to stop, stop. Find a service station, stretch your legs. Get everyone to visit the toilet and have something to eat.
⭐️ For young children, drive during nap time. When our children were little we would often do their bath, pop them into pjs and drive at night. It made for a much more peaceful journey!!
⭐️ Be realistic. A whole family crammed into a car is not easy. My favourite game to play is often ‘Whoever can stay quiet the longest, wins a prize’. ALWAYS have a bag of sweets on hand for any disasters. They often come out at the end of a trip!
⭐️ Remember you’re on holiday. Take it slow and take your time. Plan ahead & pack up the majority of the car the night before. Create excitement about the journey and the destination.
