Do you love to travel but dread taking your children with? Are we there yet? I have to pee! He keeps touching me!! The list is never ending.
First off, take a deep breath! Traveling with children can be an absolute blast, seriously! My husband is a busy man who works long days and doesn't have much vacation time. Bummer, I know! However, I don't let his crappy schedule limit what I do with the kiddos. Summers are the perfect time for us to travel. I am off and so are the reds so we travel! Yes, me in a car with two children under the age of five for 4+ hours at a time. You're probably thinking NO WAY NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN! Stop right there! Here are some tips to make the most of your vacation even during the car ride!
1. Think happy thoughts! Seriously, if you start off the vacation with a bad attitude and are dreading the 9 hour car ride then it will be awful. Don't ruin your trip before you even start! So be happy and think excited making memories thoughts!
2. Plan ahead!! This is a life saver! I pack each child a bag and that is their travel bag. I put crayons, snacks, games, books, tablets, you name it in the bag. It is within reach and they are responsible for getting anything they need during the trip! Bam, I just took a huge headache off my shoulders because I planned ahead and gave them things to keep them busy while I drive. They should never say they are bored in the car. To this day, my kids have never once said they were bored during our long car rides. Now, they are not limited to the bag. We love to jam to loud music and play road games!
Being prepared for bumps ahead will make all the difference!
3. Train them well. The reds know that mommy doesn't stop often. They use the restroom before we leave and then I stop every two hours. I set a timer and when it dings they know it's time to stop! This takes out the "Mommy I need to pee!" every five seconds!
4. Make the most out of every stop! When we do stop I make the children do exercises to burn off the energy. They run, do jumping jacks, you name it! This helps them get rid of some of their stored energy from sitting for so long!
5. Pick a kid friendly hotel! This is huge! If the hotel doesn't have a pool and free breakfast we don't stay in it period.
When you see your children as blessings and not burdens it opens up a whole new world of endless possibilities.
**Side note***
If you are not you need to sign up to be a Choice Hotel Rewards Member. Their program is CRAZY GOOD! For every stay you earn points on top of additional incentives. For two nights you could earn enough points for a free night plus a $50 gift card?! Say what?! There are no other reward programs as good as Choice Hotels. If you want a fancier hotel chose the Comfort Inn and Suites, it even comes with free breakfast! You can sign up here! The more you travel the more free nights you have! Score!
https://www.choicehotels.com/choice-privileges/account/enroll?createType=joinToday
6. Find fun things for the kids. Now you are thinking but it can get so expensive! You are so right, it can add up quickly but it doesn't have to! Do a simple google search for the place you are going and type in free fun for kids. There will literally be 10 pages of free or really affordable options for you to do that will be super fun for kids! Remember you don't have to pick the most expensive things for your children to have fun. I have found my kids love the free things better then the expensive options!
7. Make memories. Cherish the time God has blessed you with and laugh as much as you can!
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