Hosting a Road Trip

So, you’re going to drive to grandma’s house, eh? Over the river and through the woods, with the kids in the back? You need a plan.

Please realize that you can host in any space that you occupy. Wherever you find yourself, it is likely that you have the ability to make someone else feel welcome and valuable. If you think of your car trip as something to survive before you get to your destination, then Peace be with you. I hope you do survive. However, you could think of the road trip as the time when you plan to host your immediate family in the car. If you do, you all may actually have a really good time while you “get there.”

“Children in a car need a change every 30 minutes.

Give them a snack, a new activity or a beating.”

                                              My Mother

With all the new rules for car seats, seat belts and child abuse, it’s hard to make good time on the road if you’re spanking your children every 90 minutes. So, I decided that part of this historically successful philosophy might need a modern makeover. (How do I know it was successful? Well I was there, wasn’t I?)

• I planned lots of short term activities for the kids to rotate through. Sitting while active may seem like a contradiction, but it can happen. My crew are aged 6, 8 & 10. The activities I chose for them would work for kids slightly younger and slightly older. Click if you need some inspiration for Sitting While Active.
• I also decided that all meals should be eaten while rolling. Unless you guys are sitting on a toilet, all time while seated should contain forward momentum toward your destination. We didn’t even do drive-thru! That means some advanced meal planning is in order. Want some help with that? Click on Meal Ideas
• Stop calling them “rest stops”! From now on, think of them as “wiggle stops.” Use Yelp to seek out parks with bathrooms and playgrounds, near the freeway. At  smaller stops do cart-wheel contests, jumping-jack contests, three-legged races, throw a football, you get the idea.
• We enjoyed books on CD as well as cartoons from the DVD player. I tried to limit the DVDs to one for each day of driving. I actually had backups beyond this, but my ideal is to interact and enjoy one another on the journey. I realize that we all need down time, but I didn’t want to just attempt to hypnotize my children for a 14-hour road trip. Nope, you don’t have to agree with me; plenty of people don’t.

Think through this trip with more than dread. Making a plan for a significant event helps me handle it better, enjoy it more and remember it fondly.

I hope that works for you too.