| Going on a long car trip with your children can be | | | | attention. If you take trips on a regular basis, you might |
| challenging no matter what their age. Young children | | | | want to consider purchasing a DVD player for your |
| and older children have trouble sitting still for long | | | | car. You can also buy a new DVD for the road, but |
| periods of time and can become bored, cranky, | | | | come prepared with others that they like just in case |
| irritated among other things. The trick to help prevent | | | | they aren't thrilled with the new DVD.If it is a trip that |
| this from happening is to prepare well in advance and | | | | will take over 12 hours, consider dividing the trip into |
| be a step ahead of them.The first thing you need to | | | | two days. Perhaps you can leave in the afternoon, |
| do is throw away the tight schedule of how long you | | | | stop for dinner and get a few more hours of driving |
| think the trip should take. For instance, a seven hour | | | | time in while they sleep. You can wake up the next |
| trip to the beach is no longer going to take seven | | | | morning, refreshed and ready to take on the hours of |
| hours. You can expect it to take nine to ten hours | | | | travel that you have left. If you can get up in the |
| depending on your child's age. Babies need to eat on a | | | | morning, jump out of bed and walk out the door, you |
| certain schedule, toddlers need to stretch their legs and | | | | can get a couple of hours of driving in before you stop |
| children who are just learning to go to the bathroom on | | | | for breakfast.Bring along books, magazines, toys and |
| the potty need more trips to the potty. Be prepared to | | | | car games to occupy time. Older children can play |
| stop and just add that into the time. Look for malls, | | | | games such as the license plate game where they try |
| Target stores or other places that you can stop along | | | | to find a license plate from all 50 states. Make the toys |
| the way where children can run and use the rest | | | | accessible so you can easily swap them out.The best |
| room.Pack plenty of snacks and drinks. If you know | | | | way to make it through a car trip with children is to be |
| that your toddler likes a mid-morning juice or an | | | | prepared, be patient and be flexible. Turn the trip into |
| afternoon snack, you can potentially avoid having to | | | | an adventure and part of the vacation itself. Stop at |
| stop for these things if you keep them at hand. If you | | | | attractions along the way. Take time to let everyone |
| are just 30 minutes from your destination and they are | | | | stretch their legs. Bring along plenty of things to occupy |
| getting hungry for dinner, a small snack can hold them | | | | their time. If you can follow all of these tips it is sure to |
| off until you check into your hotel or park the camper.If | | | | be a more pleasant trip for everyone.I enjoy writing for |
| you have a DVD player in your car, take along their | | | | my websites please visit my binoculors for |
| favorite movies, the ones that you know will hold their | | | | birdwatching, mosquito repelent, freesheetmusic pages. |