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“Are we there yet?” comes the tired refrain from the backseat which makes you think that you’re stuck in a bad family movie. Family vacations can be a terrific way to see new things and get some great bonding time in but they can also cause a number of headaches and hassles. Long car trips are a source of many of those headaches as kids get restless and parents get impatient. Here are some tips for keeping the kids entertained during long car trips so that everyone can enjoy the opportunity that you’re getting to spend some quality time together:

• Allow everyone a certain amount of time to control what’s on the radio. Yes, you hate your teenager’s passion for angsty emo music. No, you don’t want to listen to your toddler’s sing-a-long CD again. But it won’t kill you to tolerate either of these for an hour, and sharing the radio can significantly ease the tension in the vehicle. Plus, it teaches your kids some great lessons about sharing, compromise and getting along.
• Give everyone in the car a tool for quiet time. Sometimes, the car radio needs to be turned off and the kids need to be immersed in something that gets their attention without annoying anyone else in the vehicle. MP3 players, video games and handheld DVD players can all be made silent through the use of headphones and everyone gets to enjoy their own time to themselves.
• Car games. Standard favorite games like “I Spy” and the search for the alphabet on passing road signs never get too old to make good use of passing the time in the car.
• Stop frequently. Yes, it will take longer for you to get to where you are going but the trip itself will go much more smoothly. Stop and see interesting things along the roadside. Get out and enjoy a sit-down lunch instead of snacking in the car. If you can plan your trip in advance, let each of the kids pick one thing that they want to stop and do during the trip. Looking forward to that will help keep them entertained during the ride.
• Let each child pack a bag of toys. All kids should get the same bag for the trip so there’s no fighting about who brought more of what. The bag may include books, action figures, crossword puzzles or any other distractions that each child enjoys. Make them responsible for their own bag and they’ll bring along things to keep themselves entertained.
• Talk. Many families are so worried about keeping everyone happy that they forget about the value of just spending time together. Use the road trip as an opportunity to get to know your kids better. Everyone in the family loves the spotlight now and again and this is a time when they can have your mostly undivided attention.

Long road trips can be an annoying aspect of family travel. However, they don’t have to be. You can enjoy the time that you spend with your family while using toys and pit stops to give everyone the break from each other that they need.

This entry was posted on Friday, November 16th, 2007 and is filed under Assorted Travel Tips.