I did it.
I survived!
With, well, most of my sanity intact...
If you're here looking for tips and tricks on how to make a long road trip seamless and pain free...
You've brought me to Advice Tip #1: Be Realistic
Do your kids fight at home? Then they're going to fight on the road. Do they whine and talk back at home? Guess what isn't going to change on a road trip!
All of the planned activities and toys in the world will not completely stop the monotony of being in the car.
Advice Tip #2: Pack Your Essentials
No, not the ones already on your list. This isn't a weekend trip to grandma's house! This is a long, difficult road trip! Think outside the box, er, bag?
I'll link a comprehensive list as soon as I write it. But think along the lines of your own toilet paper and Poo Pourri Spray (stop laughing, I'm serious).
Advice Tip #3: Make The Most Of The Car
SILENCE IS DEADLY!
You know how silence makes your Mommy Sense tingle because it usually means the kids are breaking something? Silence is an opportunity for the children to make that noise. You know the one. The noise that will make you briefly consider tossing said child from the moving vehicle? THAT NOISE.
My family is super weird and we listend to the Welcome To Nightvale podcast for a majority of the drive.
We also played a couple of games! The winner (and only one I recommend for the car) was Loaded Questions Junior. The boys LOVED this one and I'm going to put it in our regular game box.
Advice Tip #4: Maximize Your Stops
Your kids will spend 10 minutes in the gas station picking out their snack if you let them.
ASK ME HOW I KNOW!
It took us a few days to figure out how to combat this and stop adding literal hours each day.
At the first stop we let the kids pick out 3 snacks and 3 drinks. (We did the same) Then everyone chose one of each item and we put the rest in the trunk. (It was cold for the trip so use a cooler if it's warm)
When we stopped to pee we would each grab a fresh snack or drink if we needed/wanted it.
Boom. Seriously saved us a good hour each day.
You're welcome.