Road trip. Young kids. Hours on the road. If these words are making you sweat profusely, then you might need our tips for car travel with kids. Staying sane during long car rides can be a daunting task, particularly when you have young, energetic children that don’t seem to rest. To help you get through this epic journey unscathed, we have compiled a list of tips on how to stay sane on the road.

Get the Timing Right

We highly recommend starting your road trip around nap time, or getting your kids into their comfiest pair of pyjamas and heading out in the evening. Either of these options is best, as the kids can doze off and enjoy their sleep, allowing you and your partner to decompress and get used to being alert and yet relaxed on the road.

Separate the Kids if Possible

If it is possible to do so, it can be a good idea to seat each child as far from the other as possible. This discourages bickering, ensures that they feel comfortable and not claustrophobic. One could go as far as to put one of the parents in between the kids as a physical barrier, and to provide support and entertainment for the kids. This setup is also beneficial for families with infants, as one parent is able to tend to an upset child wholly and completely without risk of an accident.

Remember to Make Numerous Stops

Try your best to stop at fun and interesting places where your kids can run around and enjoy the fresh air for a spell. Playgrounds and picnics are great, cost-effective solutions to this problem. We recommend taking a ball along with you to make for some much-needed play time if nothing interesting arises on your route. Kids need time to burn up the energy that sitting in a car accrues.

Pack Healthy Snacks

Takeaways and carbo-loaded snacks can be convenient and most exciting to kids, but it is important to bring along a lot of healthy snacks and low-sugar drinks to keep your kids happy and healthy on your trip. Think apples, grapes, bananas, carrots, cucumber and nuts! These foods are textured and good for you. Bonus: fewer sticky chocolates and sweets means less damage to your car interior!

Prepare a Travel Pack

Speaking of sticky sweets, we highly recommend preparing travel packs of wet wipes, paper towels, diapers, rubbish bags and a change of clothes to be prepared for any mishap. Nothing neutralises the drama of a spilled juice than a swift clean up and change from mom or dad. Remember to pack a first aid kit of the basics, plus allergy, headache, stomach cramp and motion sickness pills!

Last Resort: Technology

We want to emphasise that we think technology such as mobile phones, tablets and the like should be a last resort when it comes to parenting! That said, a portable DVD player can save a life or two when nothing else seems to quiet your kids down. Load up some old favourites and new films to interest your kids on the road, but remember to make a stop shortly after it ends, as kids tend to feel agitated and irritable after a long film.

Highway Bakkie Hire posts a ton of helpful and interesting blogs that can help get you from A to B. Contact us for any queries regarding our bakkie and car hire service!