Summer vacation has just begun, and already the kids are probably driving you crazy. They’re bored, they’re hot, they’re hungry, they want the wifi password, they never get to go anywhere, all their friends are out of town… the complaints themselves might be slightly different in your house, but no matter what the kids are whining about, you’re getting close to the end of your rope.
And you’re all supposed to go on a road trip in a couple of weeks! Yikes!
Look no further, for we have some super-smart tips and hacks for preserving everyone’s sanity while traveling this summer — and making it the best vacation ever.
1. Let the Kids Help Plan:
Depending on your children’s ages and interests, you can encourage them to come to a consensus (water park or amusement park, anyone?), or plot out stops along the way that will appeal to each of them: a visit to the Baseball Hall of Fame for your daughter the aspiring shortstop, a night or two spent camping to indulge your naturalist son, and so on.
2. Build in Plenty of Stops Along the Way:
Just like life, road trips are more about the journey than the destination. Put another way, getting there is half (or more!) of the fun. Make sure you’re not in such a hurry to leave point A or arrive at point B that the trip becomes a grind. Build in plenty of time for unscheduled detours, leisurely pit stops, or irresistible opportunities to explore something new and different.
3. Give Your Trip a Theme:
Got a foodie family? In addition to your destination(s) and mode of transportation, consider structuring the road trip around an edible theme. For example, Great Hot Dog Stands of the Northeast or Iconic BBQ Pits of the South. Old-timey diners are always fun, or maybe your family has a penchant for trying new foods, in which case you should seek out the local specialties wherever you are.
“Collecting” experiences this way can be a lot of fun for everyone. For added educational and entertainment value, have the kids document each stop or new dish with snapshots, a video review, a blog post, or a set of hand-drawn illustrations.
4. Give Everyone Space to Spread Out:
Is there anything more aggravating than listening to kids squabble over whose foot touched whose leg, or who has more elbow room in the backseat? Do everyone a solid and give everyone plenty of space to spread out and do their own thing. The best way to do this is to buy or rent a motorhome. Mom and Dad can take turns driving — and have some blissful silence up front in the cabin, whether together or separately — while everyone else can nap, snack, read, watch TV, draw, or do whatever makes their heart’s content.
Don’t forget to get the best motorhome extended warranty you can afford, for peace of mind as well as peace and quiet.
5. Don’t. Just Don’t:
Look, there is no rule that says you have to take a family vacation every year. If all else fails and no one can agree on any aspect of the trip, it might make more sense to jettison the whole project. After all, there’s no use in spending a ton of money to take your misery on the road.
Of course, this will mean getting creative in order to keep everyone entertained — or loosening the reins on their screen time. Maybe you could consider sending the kids to their grandparents’, aunts’, or even friends’ houses for an extended weekend to give everyone a change of scenery. Host backyard campouts to get older kids out from underfoot.
Another option is to use the money you would have spent on your road trip for a membership to the local pool or the Y, or a week-long sleepover camp. Or you can take a staycation, peppered with a number of day trips. Both will break up the monotony of the long summer days.
And don’t forget to have lots of ice cream, hots and hamburgers, watermelon, and other fun seasonal food to make it feel like a true summer vacation!
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