Safe and Comfortable Family Car Travel
During my children's early years, we lived on the East Coast and the "Grammas" lived in the Midwest. This involved multiple yearly road trips, sometimes during holiday times, which in the upper midwest, often meant blizzards and poor driving conditions. Every single trip resulted in a safe and timely arrival with minimal hassles. Good preparation was a key factor.
One month to one week prior to your trip, get the car checked at the mechanic's. Attention should be on tires, brakes, transmision, and any safety aspects your mechanic recommends. If you consistently use the same mechanic, they get to know you, your car, and your driving style, and will be able to offer you the best advice. I always contacted our insurance company to make sure everything was in good shape on our policiesl. The first aid kit in the car was reviewed and expired ingredients replaced. Necessary prescriptions were refilled. Tire pressures were double-checked prior to leaving. The car was loaded allowing accessibility for items that might be needed during the drive.
If traveling with small kids, this may be a good time to stock up on "boredom busters". I kept a small bag of age appropriate toys, many carefully selected by the intended recipients, in the front seat. The deal was during our 10 hour plus drives, that if they could be good for one hour (you can set your own time period), they could have a toy. As most of the items were only a dollar or two each, this worked out to a lot of peace and quiet for Mom and Dad and vastly increased contentment for the little folks for relatively little money. Kids have trouble with long time periods, but even the littlest kids can manage one hour of goodness. We stopped every four hours for walk abouts, snacks and potty trips. Naps, even for the older kids, often took up two to three hours during the long afternoons. The anticipation of which toy they would choose (I handed the bag back and let them each choose their own toy for that hour with separate bags for each child), kept them happy during the brief period that the previous toy might lose its allure. Some toys kept them happy for prolonged periods and became permanent additions to the "travel kit" of each child. I considered this tool very important for everyone's safety, as a distracted driver runs a much greater risk of an accident. Quiet, happy children offer zero distractions. We also found that if we kept the kids active during the body of the trip, the return ride home was one long nap.
At rest stops hands were held while crossing any parking areas. Everybody knew where to meet if they were separated from the group. Mom and Dad accompanied kids into restrooms and waited for everyone to finish. Walking the dog was handled by one parent supervising. The dog was not left alone in a hot car. Most rest areas offered outdoor eating areas where pooch could wait with Dad, while Mom and kids brought back food for everyone.
Kids were always briefed on what to expect when we arrived at Gramma's house. They helped unload the car, which allowed for activity after hours of confinement. Carry your pet's bowls, leashes, etc.
