The most dreaded phrase ever to be spoken... "Mom, Dad, Are we there yet?" It is a simple phrase, but it is also a phrase that can literally drive a person insane, and make them do irrational things, such as stopping a car in the middle of the highway, to turn around and give the "innocent" child the evil eye. Yes, the stare that we see from our parents as children, and spend years mastering so when we become parents, we can in turn give our children the evil eye. This phrase is also heard most often on road trips, and guess what! I'm in luck. I have just such a trip planned, leaving tomorrow. Just a quick trip north to visit family. Am I looking forward to it? Yes, and no. Yes, I am looking forward to seeing friends and family that I haven't seen in a while. No, I am not looking forward to the 3 hour drive. My 7-year-old is now at an age, where he understands roadtrips, and as such, has just now started the "Are we there yet?" attitude. I'm really hoping that I don't have to leave him on the side of the road! :) Just kidding. I would never do that.
Ok, so, some tips I've either used or had used on me for getting through these awful hours, upon hours, upon hours!
Tips:
- DVD'S - Many people feel that having a DVD player in the car will make the hours more enjoyable for everyone. That's awesome, but in my family, that just doesn't work. I've driven several 2-hour trips, and even before the first half hour is up (and my son has had his dvd player playing Spiderman for the umteenth time) he still isn't happy. I've given him a lot of warning, and it just doesn't work. So for those of you that are lucky enough to have kids that will actually sit and watch a full movie without interruptions... LUCKY! Totally wish I were you!
- Music - Music is my saving grace. I have to have music playing to get me through a long trip. Without it, forget it! I just cannot make long drives (I'll explain why in a few.) I already know that I'm odd, but just having music playing doesn't cut it either. The only music that will keep me wide awake is...Are you ready for it?... Disney soundtracks. Yup, I'm a major Disney fan! I LOVE love, love Disney! I think the reason it works for me is, well, I can dance, I can pretend that I'm the character who's singing, it's just fun! My kids love it also!
- Sleep - Yup, that's right! This is the all time winner for surviving road trips! My parents planted the idea in my head as a child, "Go to sleep, and we'll get there faster!" and that's exactly what I'd do. I'd take my blanket and pillow, get all comfy, and fall asleep while my parents sang family favorites (no top 40's were ever played in our car) such as I'm my Own Grandpa, The wolf is on the hill, Jack and Jill, Two little children, A mother went out on a party, plus many many more. I'd wake up, and Hello destination. It was a wonderful way to travel!
- Books and quiet activities - The final tip for surviving a trip is quiet activities. Any thing that will keep the kids distracted long enough to make it through the whole or even part of the trip. This can include, books, travel games, video games, small toys, etc. These will also entertain for a few, but in my family, not long.
The last thing I wanted to talk about is how to travel without packing the whole house. This is my problem area. I recently went on a day trip, and literally packed almost everything but the kitchen sink. Now in my defense, I wasn't sure if I was going to end up staying the night, and I was also packing stuff for my 2-year-old. Babies require a lot of junk! lol. My trip tomorrow is going to involve going to a wedding reception, visiting my deceased parent's graves (cleaning the graves up, and such) and just visiting friends and family, with a possible appearance made at church on Sunday, ok, with as much as I have planned, it's probably not going to happen. So, I plan on packing 1 change of clothes, plus some dress clothes for the reception and that's it for me. For my son, same thing. My daughter is getting big enough that I do not have to change her outfit several times a day anymore... thank goodness... so I will probably pack diapers, wipes, 3 outfits, and a dress for the wedding. I think that's it! Oh darn, I just remembered, I will probably have to pack the play pen for her to sleep in, but this is a far cry different from my day trip just a few short months ago... I think I'm getting better!
Happy traveling!
