Have you ever been trapped in a small cage with a bunch of flying monkeys hyped up on caffeine. Me neither, but I have been stuck in a car with a two year old, no air conditioning, and no entertainment for 20 hours straight; so I think I can guess what it feels like.
Car rides are a difficult time for kids, and the longer the ride the more problems can come up. I like to preempt these issues with some simple planning.
1. While I don't typically like to sit my kids in front of the TV for more than an hour at a time, when we are in the car I don't mind letting them veg. Instead of movies, I like to burn my own DVDs that contain a mix of different "educational" programming. They can watch some Little Einsteins mixed with Word World and Super Why.
2. Food is essential when you are on the road. Kids love it, I love it, and my wife loves it. Proper snacking can keep you awake and smiling. Poor planning will land you in the McDonalds parking lot twice each day. We like to bring carrot sticks and pretzels. My wife claims that they are the best snacks because the crunch which helps to keep you alert. I think she is just trying to keep me from the junk food. My personal preference is beef jerkey. It can take the kids 10 minutes to gnaw through a big piece.
3. Potty breaks are the most important part of your day. I can say from experience that it takes twenty times as long to stop after an "accident" than to pull off the side of the road. Even if your three year old crys wolf 15 times before he actually needs to go to the bathroom, you are still ahead by listening to him. Make sure to pack toilet paper an a shovel. If you have boys, an empty water bottle can also be worth its weight in gold.
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