Yay for Friday and for school ending!!! My little one has one more day but guess who finished the third grade yesterday!? She's grown soo much in a year, huh?
Today, we say goodbye to our montessori also. I cried at the last parent teacher interview at the school. I'll be a total hot mess this afternoon.
Since we are going on a little long road trip with our kiddos, I thought we'd talk road trip tips and tricks. I share mine and then you give me your best ones in return!
A's first road trip-- she was 10 months!
1- Last year, on the advice of a friend, we left really early for a road trip with the kids... I mean I'm talking 4:30 sort of early. I went to bed before everyone and we always pack our car the night before. We scooped the kids out of bed with their pjs on and packed them into the car. They were able to sleep a couple hours and we were able to get a good head start and the entire day wasn't wasted driving. I usually change them when we stop for gas.
2- We usually pack breakfast and have it in the car. Just that much more healthy and then I get to use some of my stuff from the fridge :-)... oh and cheaper. Another friend also told me this tip of packing a picnic lunch too and stopping off somewhere... that way the kids can stretch their legs for a bit instead of just stopping at a rest stop. Last year, we were able to stop in the little town of saratoga and enjoy a walk and some time in a park.
3- Have enough snacks and drinks but let them not drink too much! Also, I try to give them treats but watch the sugar. No one needs to see my five year old sugar crash.
4- Screen time is your friend but my kids have to take some breaks. I download a couple movies on Netflix. We also have this portable DVD player which comes in handy.
5- Then they can play games and do some reading. Road trip bingo is a fun one. This year, I also plan to do times tables with them. I'm the world's most fun mom, I know!
6- This is obvious but I keep a garbage bag in the car so we can toss all the trash. I empty it in rest stops when I can so that clean up after isn't too bad.
7- For the adults, I borrow a few audio books from the library and download some podcasts. That keeps us entertained!
8- We use this time to chat with our kids as well. We talk about the trip and try to create excitement but also set expectations!
I used to dread road trips when the kids were younger. Now that they are growing up, they've become fun family adventures that I will cherish for the rest of our lives.
What are your favourite tips/tricks for road trips?
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