It’s summer. The weather is great. The kids would love to go. It’s a great time to take a trip to somewhere … anywhere. Well … maybe. Let’s think this through.
What places would you like to visit? Are these places of interest for your children or just something you would like to see? Are these places close by or how far do you have to go? Are there occasions you would miss because you are gone on a trip? Is the whole family excited about going on a trip?
Once you have these answers and you feel positive about taking a trip you are ready to begin planning. The first thing to ask yourself is are you ready to involve the rest of the family in planning? Do you have the patience to include the activities your kids would enjoy? Do you know what extra things you need to pack for your kids?
Remember when packing to include snacks, electronics, headphones, crayons, coloring paper, toys, books, and important dolls. These are all extra things for your little one.
Teens are a little bit different, but you should help them remember the things they should take. All these are items that you need to remember but you haven’t begun to pack for yourself. Pack several days ahead so you can remember to take all the things you need for yourself and for your kids.
Talk together a lot about the coming trip. Think about what there is to do on the way there and when you get there. Read about the place you are going and the places you will go through to get to where you are going. Are there landmarks to pay attention to? Are there special buildings to see or scenery to check out?
If there are really few things to pay attention to on your way, figure out what you will do to break up the travel. Food is always a good one. Having a meal out takes time and gives you a chance to get out of the car and walk around. These breaks in the driving trip help your children — as well as adults or older children — to handle the drive.
Think of ways to make the time fly by. Are there games you can play? Who can spell specific words from the letters they see on license plates? Elementary children can add the numbers on the license plates and even improve their math skills. How many plates can they find from different states? Guess mileage or time to the next town and then clock it. Make sure you have planned some surprises for whoever wins these contests. It doesn’t have to be much but an M&M or two with each answer can make it interesting and fun.
Singing helps the time go quickly. Maybe even bring some sheets of paper with the words to a few songs so everyone can join in.
Be creative. Really spend time before you leave thinking of ways to make the trip special for everyone you have with you. Plan ahead to make the trip all you can hope for even if it is just a trip to grandma’s house.
The goal of the trip isn’t just in getting somewhere you had planned; it is enjoying the process and having a good time getting there.
Cynthia Martin is the founder of the First Teacher program and former executive director of Parenting Matters Foundation, which published newsletters for parents, caregivers and grandparents.
