Well, the time has come. This morning we close on our new home in Belton, Texas and we drive away from Kentucky tomorrow. After a few nights in an empty house an then a few more days of hotel living, we are ALL more than ready to be on our way.
I know we aren’t the only ones hitting the road this month, so I thought it could be helpful to share some family road trip hacks that I came across from experience, and from some amazing other military moms who are no strangers to travelling with kids.
1. Bring a potty training potty!
I got this idea from my own parents. We moved from Maryland to Texas when I was five and my sisters were three and one. On this trip, I vividly remember my mom helping us use a potty training potty inside the van, while it was still moving. Different times….
Instead, the way we use it, is to always have a “place to go” at hand so that if we are in an area with nowhere to stop, we can just pull over. I wouldn’t care if my kids had to take a potty break on the side of the road without one, but if you have a toddler, you know that what you think does not matter. 🙂 This worked out particularly well on a trip to Texas from California where we had to drive through very deserted areas and there were large stretches without even a place to exit the highway.
I would consider this a must-have if you’ll be travelling in really rural areas, have a child newly potty trained, a child who can’t hold it very long, or just a finicky kid.
2. Create “themed” bags when packing.
I’m not talking about themed bags of activities for the kids here, I’m not a “Pinterest mom” like that. This is a suitcase, bag, or pouch with everything you need for a certain activity or time. When we do a trip to visit family where we stop in a hotel for just one night on the way, I’ve packed a specific suitcase with everyone’s stuff for just that night. It’s way less to carry in.
Since we are moving instead of just travelling, we wanted the kids to be able to have some books and toys with them. We let them take whatever they wanted as long as it fit in their one backpack. If they are looking for something they brought, it’s going to be in that backpack.
One that I’ll be trying out this time around is a “bedside table bag” with all the chargers we need, a lip balm, small lotion, etc. I usually have all these things in my purse but forget to find them all before it’s lights out for the kids and so I’m thinking this will be an easy way to keep it all together and easy to find. The makeup bag I’m using even fits my kindle!
We do this with swim stuff on a regular basis, the goggles, pool towels, and sunblock all live a bag in a closet and is easy to grab to go to the pool or splash pad.
3. Have a road safety / first aid kit in the car.
This is a good one for anytime, not just travelling. We got road safety kits for each vehicle and they live in the car all the time. With everyone in the car, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to make sure you have enough extra food and water for everyone in case you need it.
4. Lollipops = Quiet Kids
A friend shared this one with me and I thought it was genius! When fights among the kids start breaking out, offer them a lollipop to get yourself a little silence. They take long enough to eat that it is almost like a reset button!
5. Picnics
We used to look for a fast food place with an indoor playground but they aren’t always around OR, they never reopened the play area after COVID restrictions were lifted. So now, usually for a longer lunch break, we skip the drive thru, order food inside and use that as our bathroom break, then take our food to-go and go to a nearby park or rest area. The kids get out some energy, we get to sit and eat instead of trying to drive at the same time, and hopefully the kids tucker themselves out and fall asleep after. That’s a WIN!
What is your favorite tip? What else do you like to do on a family road trip to make things easier? Let me know in the comments!