Tips for Easy Family Holiday Travel

No matter which holiday your trip is focused around, any parent can tell you what a stressful ordeal traveling with children can be. From the never ending rest stop visits to the famous “Are we there yet?” chorus from bored little ones, any trip can seem longer than necessary. Add to that the sibling rivalry and potential for bickering the entire trip; parents can easily find they are slightly frazzled by the time they arrive at their destination point.

Here are some ideas you can use to make traveling with the kids during any holiday period a little easier to handle. We’ll concentrate on those family trips where you are driving to your destination.

1) Make a “grab-bag” of various inexpensive toys or surprises for your kids. These can be anything from little cars to mini coloring books with crayons, or any other age-appropriate items you can get at your local dollar store. At different times during your journey, you can bring out something new for them to play with for the next stretch of the drive.

Kids can bring their handheld gaming systems, favorite books, mp3 players and portable DVD players with movies if you own these items. However, you might want to set some ground rules as to who can choose the movie and when.

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2) If at all possible, do your driving at night. This way the children will be asleep most of the travel time. This isn’t always an option, but it does help to avoid some of the potential hassles you would otherwise have to deal with.

3) When traveling by car, ensure each child has their own travel pillow and blanket. While they must remain in either car seats or safety belts, it will help them to be comfortable while they are stuck in the backseat of the car. Allow them to remove their shoes as well, for a more comfortable ride.

4) Turn your trip into an educational experience by charting various historical or important geographical sites along the way. If time permits, use these locations as an opportunity not only to learn something new, but to stretch legs and get all the “wiggles” out before continuing on your journey.

5) Bring your own snacks and drinks to help alleviate some of the expense of fast food restaurant stops while you're on the road. Not only will you have more control over what your children are eating, it’s a more economical way to make sure they eat when they’re hungry while you’re on the road.

6) If you want to keep the chances of hyperactivity to a minimum while you’re trying to concentrate on driving, avoid giving your children a lot of sugar during your trip. Instead opt for fruit or nuts with a bottle of water. When you stop for an actual meal on the road, you can order milk instead of soda. Milk also has a calming effect, which when combined with a full tummy can nicely lull your kids into a nice afternoon nap while you keep driving.

These tips are just a few of the many things you can try to keep the kids calm and the stress level down. If this is your first long family outing, perhaps these tips can provide a little more comfort and less stress for everyone involved.

Your Holiday Travel and parking Guide:

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