I don’t pretend to be the all-knowing, mom expert of all things road trip (as I write this, the 12 year old is moping about being tired and wanting to sleep, and the 2 year old is screaming about wanting to watch an iPad - which is something we don’t allow until we are about an hour from our destination….and we still have 4 hours to go), but we at the Circus do this a lot. We’ve spent so many hours in the car together, exploring various parts of our country. We aren’t perfect at it, by any means, but we’ve learned a lot along the way.
I thought that pulling out the computer while sitting in the backseat on a long road trip (we’ll spend a total of 6 days in the car on this trip) would be a perfect time to hash out some of the things that help us get through these trips. It works well for the Circus, so there’s a chance that it would work well for you. With summer coming up, it’s the perfect time to give it a try.
Don’t be scared - there’s nothing about a road trip that needs to be overwhelming or expensive. We once took a 4 day, 400 mile trip up the Pacific coast with three little kids in a teeny Prius, and spent less than $500 to do it. Part of that was our car’s awesome gas costs, but a lot of it had to do with how we look at our road trips. The driving isn’t just a means to an end - it’s *part of the vacation*. It may not be as relaxing as lying on the beach with a drink in hand (2 days, y’all. 2 days and that will be me!), but it can be just as fun. I promise. You and your family can do this!
Along the way, we’ve picked up some tricks that we insist on. These are our non-
negotiables, if you will. I will not go into any trip without these things settled, unless it is an absolute emergency. 
1). Make sure that you budget enough time for A LOT of stops. We stop every two hours, regardless of how things are going. Everyone gets out, pees (or gets a new diaper), and we replenish snacks and collect any toys that may have gotten moved around and out of reach. Trash gets dumped out, and if it’s a meal time or time to get gas for the car, we do these things, too. We know that this will make our trips take longer than they are “supposed to”, but it mostly ensures that we will have happy children in the car itself. That’s worth its weight in gold!
2). No screens. I mentioned before that we don’t allow screens until the last hour of the day’s planned driving, and we try really hard to stick to that. We’ve noticed that the kids are just bears when we do get into the hotel room if they have been on screens more than that. (We include any movies and games that are played on any sort of device in this category).
3). We pack lunches. This not only helps us save money, but it helps us stay active when we do stop. I pack lots of sandwich fixings (usually deli meat and cheese, peanut butter, nutella, and hummus), and as long as I stick to pita bread or tortillas, I don’t worry about bread getting smashed. A stack of paper plates, some plastic utensils, and condiments, and we’re all ready for a picnic lunch. I keep lots of snacks in the car for the trip (usually goldfish crackers, pretzels, fruit leather, applesauce pouches, cheese sticks, frozen yogurt tubes, apples, and clementines), so those become our sides for our sandwiches. A rest area makes a great stop for a picnic and pee break, and running around helps keep moods happy - much more than stopping at a restaurant or fast food place. Less germs this way, too. ;)
4). Bring balls, bubbles, and frisbees and play with them every time you stop. A quick game of catch or chasing bubbles keeps everyone active. I know it seems like I’m hyper focused on keeping everyone moving whenever we stop, but I kind of am. It makes SUCH a difference in the car and moods of everyone in it if they’re able to expend energy when we stop. Those endorphins don’t mess around!5). Use music and audiobooks constantly - make them do most of the work for you. At the advice of a dear friend years ago, I started using Pandora at home to “set the mood” for our school days. When it was play time, we put fun, upbeat music on our tv in the main room. During school time, we kicked on a Gregorian chant station. When it was time to settle down and relax (or nap), I’d switch it to classical music. Even without having to instruct the kids, I noticed that they’d start reacting to the music and adjusting their behaviour. It works in the car, too. Audiobooks are golden - I sometimes doubt if they’re actually listening, but then they’ll ask me about something that just happened, or ask for the book the next time we get back in the car. Something about the rhythmic recitation of a good book soothes the nerves of everyone in our family - just having the audiobook on changes the dynamic in our car. I do the same thing with classical music. After lunch, when I want any nappers to actually settle down and take a rest, I’ll flip on classical music. More often than not, the music sets the stage for the activity and attitudes in the car, and the kids respond accordingly.
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Like I said above, it’s not perfect. Some days (like today), we have more yelling and crying that other days. (That would be the reason I’m in the backseat at the moment - just helping out with the littler ones a bit more than normal, to keep moods lighter). The vast majority of the time, though, we arrive in our destination after laughs, new sights, and relatively unscathed. Sometimes dirty (Miss R currently has marker all over every exposed part of skin, but it’s washable, so oh well! Baby wipes will help with that when we stop!), but always with more money in our pocket than if we had flown to our vacation!
I really can’t say it enough: just because you have kids does NOT mean that road trips are unaccessible or more hassle than they are worth. Some of my favorite memories with our family are from time spent in the car together. Spend some time planning, get out a map, and hit the road!
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