One of my favorite things to do is pack the kids in the car and set off on a family road trip. However, soon as we hit the road my excitement quickly would diminish and turn into anxiety from the boys being rambunctious in the backseat. After all, I was in my twenties and since most of my friends didn’t have kids; I had learned things on my own.
Disclaimer, Today’s Mom’s Guide is hosted by Mazda; all opinions are my own
A family road trip is a time to bond with the kids and get away from your everyday worries. Therefore, I thought I would share with you 5 Secrets to Having the Best Family Road Trip.
1) Pack a Mini First Aid Kit – Make sure you bring a mini First Aid Kit with essentials such as, Advil, Thermometer, Bug Spray, Neosporin Ointment, Bandaids, Alcohol Wipes, Peroxide and Instant Ice Packs. If you are going to a destination that is in a desert region pack extra Instant ice packs to help keep the kids cool.
2) Load Up on Snacks at Your Local Dollar Store – The 99 cent store is your best friend when going on a trip with the kids. Before we hit the freeway, we like visit our local dollar store and let the kids pick out snacks as I stock up on drinks to trip. I if you are picky about what your kids eat, you may be surprised at the wide selection. I do not like loading my snack bag up with candy and junk food. Therefore, I will include fruit, trail mix, jerky, and other healthy items that I’ve found at my dollar store.
3) Plan Out Your Meals – I like to plan all of my meals ahead of time by purchasing deals on Groupon or Living Social to restaurants that are located near the hotel I am staying out. I also will call the hotel to confirm if they offer a continental breakfast, midday treats or after dinner snacks.
4) Bring an Ice Chest When we go on family road trips we like to fill our chest with ice, drinks, fruit, and sandwiches to avoid the need to stop for food while traveling. Once we reach our destination we visit the local dollar store or grocery store and stock up on drinks to have on hand during our stay. So we don’t have to break open the $3 bottle of water or $5 trail mix in our room due to a hungry child.
5) Charge it Up Many of my friends refuse to let their kids bring their tablets or use their cell phones while on vacation. However, I think everything is good if done in moderation. We have a rule that no phone or tablet is allowed during dinner or scheduled activities. However, anytime we are in the car traveling from point a to be they can tweet, snap and play as many games their little heart desire. Therefore, we make sure that we bring chargers and all phones, chargers, cameras, tablets etc, the night before. I have to admit, on one trip, I forgot to charge Joy’s table and didn’t have a charging cord for her. Needless to say, our 4-hour long car trip turned into a broken record to the tune of
” Mommy where’s my cord…. ooo mommy where’s my corrrrrd!!! I can’t play my game and I am completely bored… mommy where’s my cord.”
Joy is a bit tenacious and asked me for her cord in 100 different ways within the first 2 hours of my trip. I finally caved in and went to the closest convenience store and purchased a cord.
I hope you found my 5 Secrets to Having the Best Family Road Trip helpful.
If you have a tip not listed above, I would love for you to share it in comments below.
About the Mazda CX-9
From its bold looks to the class-above experience it offers the driver and passengers, Mazda’s CX-9 has earned a reputation for excellence, being named a finalist for both North American Utility Vehicle of the Year and World Car of the Year. It is designed to provide peace of mind through its i-ACTIVSENSE safety technology suite and its passive features like a strong, lightweight SKYACTIV-BODY. All 2018 CX-9 models receive Smart City Brake Support (SCBS) for the first time, a technology that can automatically apply the brakes in emergency situations below 19 mph. Blind Spot Monitoring and Rear Cross-Traffic Alert are now standard.
CX-9 is one of a handful of three-row crossover SUVs to earn a 2017 Insurance Institute for Highway Safety “Top Safety Pick+” recommendation, joining all Mazda models tested to earn the nonprofit’s highest award when equipped with proper headlights and specific technologies.
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