Road trips with kids can be pretty stressful.  Most kids don’t like being strapped into a car seat and they’re even less fond of staying there for hours!  Combine that with their parents’ exhaustion and you have a recipe for a pretty unpleasant drive!

But this last week, we had our least-stressful road trip ever!  Ava’s usually pretty easy-going in the car but it can be a nightmare to travel with Kelvin.  Here’s what helped us on this trip:

1. We used a DVD player…with a screen for each child!  Chad and I both agree that our portable DVD player is one of the best investments we ever made for our mental health.  And it’s even better now that Kelvin is a little bit interested in watching TV, even though it’s just for short periods of time right now.  If your kids are old enough to be entertained by TV, get a portable DVD player with a couple of screens, a few mounts, and you’ll be set!
2. We turned Kelvin’s car seat around.  Even though he was a couple days shy of one year old, he was definitely over the weight requirement and it made the trip so much more pleasant for everyone.  He didn’t even need to be entertained every second of the trip like he normally does, because he was so thrilled to be able to see everything that was going on.
3. We made several fairly long stops.  Two of the stops were to eat and one was at an Old Navy outlet.  At each stop, we made sure to let the kids move around and stretch their legs, which made it much easier to get them back into their car seats later!
4. We had a few new toys for each of the kids.  It’s amazing how long something new can keep their attention!  Plus, the new toys keep them entertained at the hotel, too!
5. We brought along blankets, pillows, and teddy bears to make it easier for them to sleep.  Napping in the car isn’t always easy, even for little ones, so this tip always helps!
6. And as always, we packed lots of snacks!

What tricks do you have up your sleeve for having stress-free (or at least low-stress) road trips?

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