The thought of packing up 4 boys, ages 9 and under, in a car for an 8 hour trip brings on a makes me feel like I might break out in hives. The packing frankly, seems less daunting than the drive itself. Depending on the time of day, traveling with high-energy boys long distances could bring any parent to a stress-induced sweat.
Our approach has been to travel late at night so the boys are sleepy for the ride. We also withhold naps for that day (at least for the younger ones) so they are extra sleepy. It seems to work. Of course, a movie always helps too.
We just returned from a vacation on Cape Cod. Be sure to visit later this week for a Family Travel Review on Cape Codder Resort & Spa!
We tried a slightly different approach this time. Instead of leaving after dinner so they would sleep (and we wouldn’t have to drive at night too much) we left at 4:30 am. Let me tell you – not quite the same. I thought they would go back to sleep and we could be on our merry way. Not the case. I had 4 wide-eyed boys in the back of my vehicle. Of course, they wanted to eat, so we went through lots of food much earlier than I expected. Then we watched a movie. Of course, they had to pee too. So we stopped – a few times. Some whining added another dimension to what turned out to be poorly planned. I think I’ll stink with after dinner next time.
The ride home came slightly earlier than we had planned. The hurricane that rolled in on Saturday prompted us to leave early. The Cape is not nearly as much fun on a rainy day and we have to prepare for the start of school. So we left after lunch, which has in the past proven to be the worst time for a long car ride. The weather was awful for the first hour, then we were stuck in traffic, bumper-to-bumper for more than an hour. The boys meanwhile (and I’m proud to say) were champs. Sure there were moments of craziness, but all things considered, they were the least of the problems.
We watched a movie, listened to music, ate lots of snacks, played games and sang a few songs. Traveling by car with boys doesn’t have to be as scary as you might think. plan ahead, be patient, and make sure to stop every once and while to get out and move around. Also, be honest with your kids. At one point when they were getting loud and we could hardly see, we just laid everything on the line. We told them the driving was terrible and for their safety, the need to quiet down. And they did (after a couple more reminders – but no yelling at them to cooperate was necessary).
My boys always complain that they don’t like long car rides, but when we talk about going on trips, the car ride is part of the adventure they talk about. Getting up early to leave, watching a movie in the car, seeing the sights as we drive or finding interesting stops along the way. Plus, some of our best conversations are in the car. These are part of the memories they will remember when they’re older – so try to enjoy them, even if they start whining a lot.
