#Collaborative post
The Situation
Travelling a long distance with children in the car can be enormously stressful, especially if you aren’t prepared for the host of problems and complaints that might arise during the journey. A trip of a few hours can seem to stretch for the entire day; a trip that takes an entire day might seem completely never-ending.
The Solutions
Sometimes, however, trips of this kind are unavoidable. Let’s take a look at a few of the steps we might take to lessen the ordeal.
Make sure the car is fit for travel
Among the nightmare scenarios, you might come across is a breakdown. Partway through the journey, you’re forced to pull over to the side of the road and wait for a recovery vehicle. Not only is your entire trip scuppered, but you have to supervise your children throughout what might be a very long, awkward experience.
Make sure that your car is fit for travel before you set out. Make sure that the tyres have been inflated, and that they’re not looking worse for wear. If replacements are needed, then you can buy new tyres online. If you’re unsure how to change your tyres yourself, then pay someone to do it for you.
Make sure you stop
It’s generally a bad idea to drive for hours on end without stopping, even when you don’t have children in the car. Pick out a few rest points to stop at, and give the kids a chance to stretch their legs.
Make sure you have food and drink
Keeping the car stocked with snacks will help you to avoid hunger complaints later on. Make sure that you pick foods that aren’t going to generate a mess. What’s crumbly is generally to be avoided.
Certain foods, like chocolate, might keep the kids happy for a little bit – but don’t rely on them. The same goes for drinks. But be aware that every drink your kids consume will come with a trip to the toilet. Speaking of which…
Go to the toilet before you go
You can’t force children to go to the toilet when they don’t need to. But it’s still a good idea to remind them to take a trip before getting in the car.
Make sure that you have entertainment
Different children are going to prefer their entertainment in different forms. Portable gaming systems and iPads tend to be reliable in this situation, but they might cause travel sickness in some children.
You might also think of a few games you might play while travelling. Over the history of long car journeys, dozens of games of this kind have been devised – so just pick a few and see what goes down well.