The Most Important Thing to Pack For a Road Trip

This past weekend the boys and I went four hours north to visit my parents and siblings. Four hours in a car is a long time- for mama And little boys. We got them car dvd players for Christmas, which sounds like a fabulous idea in theory. In reality, Cayden has a tear-filled meltdown if I try to put on any movie except Rio 2. Let that sink in. That darn movie played nearly three times before I got to mom's on Friday night. Traffic was horrible so the trip took nearly five hours and by the end, Micah and I were both ready to throw the dvd out the window

Full disclosure- he's not wearing his seat belt because we were parked- not driving

Fortunately, I was prepared with a distraction for us all. I've been a mom for nearly twelve years now and I've learned the importance of car snacks. Whining kid? Car snack. Fighting kid? Car snack. Sleeping kid? I wish I was that lucky.

So into the trusty diaper bag, I tossed raisins, chocolate chip cookies, cheez-its, applesauce fruit squeezies, fruit snacks, bananas, sippy cups of water, and crackers. Overkill? Not at all. The kids always turn down the first three snacks offered (the healthy options, of course), until, in desperation, I give them the fruit snacks or cookies. Little do they know the fruit snacks are organic and no sugar added. It's the small victories that get me through.

When packing for a road trip, make sure you have plenty of snack options- I recommend a minimum of five. And if you have multiple kids, make sure there are individually packed snacks for each kid. The world will most probably end if two of them have to share one bag. You should also make sure the sippy cups are full, with a separate full thermos as a back up. I make sure Micah, the big kid, has a water bottle or Gatorade G2, as well.

Herding three kids through the gas station for refreshments is no fun. They seem to multiply and you find yourself standing at the register paying for armloads of chips and every type of candy low enough to be snatched by little hands. Don't get caught unprepared!

I wish you a happy vacation, safe travels, and sleeping children.

With Love,
Susanne