If you get the shakes just thinking of the last road-trip you took with your toddlers or teenagers, you are not alone. It can be tough travelling with kids of any age, for both themselves and their parents! But while you may not be able to turn a car ride into a trip to remember, there are certain damage-control techniques that can ensure you will at least survive the experience, if not enjoy it out right.
Firstly, consider setting some ground rules for the whole family. Decide on certain subjects or even phrases that always seem to get someone's back up, and make it a ground rule that no one is allowed to voice them. Also agree to take turns with setting the temperature in the car, weather windows or the fan is allowed, etc. It's important that everyone be as comfortable as possible during long trips on the road, so play it fair and make sure everyone's voice is heard.
Secondly, invest in a mobile DVD player for your car if you can possible afford it. This might seem like a frivolous expense, but I promise you that if you buy one, you will fall in love with it. Mobile DVD players designed for cars come in a variety of models and screen-sizes, with price-tags to match.
Ideally, your best choice is to go with a headrest DVD player. These players come installed in headrests that you simply swap for your existing headrest, so the screen and player are literally in the back of the front-seat headrests, so they take up no extra space, can't get bumped around or become air-born, and are more easily hidden from potential thieves. Headrest DVD players tend to be a little more expensive than other types of mobile DVD system, but you can pick a single player up for anywhere from $90-$250, and a set of two for anywhere between $200-$500.
Other choices for in-car entertainment include flip-down TV's and DVD players, and portable and in-dash DVD players, but these are far less safe and are much more visible to thieves.
Particularly if you can manage a DVD player per child (if you have two kids, you can buy a set of 2 headrest DVD players for a moderate sum), your road trip will become dramatically easier. Not only will your kids be passively entertained and quiet, but if they each have a player of their own, they won't even have to squabble over what movie to pick! Alternatively, if you can only afford one player or have more than 2 children, just make sure you establish ground rules about taking turns choosing a DVD to keep tempers to a minimum.
You can even keep movie-time educational by occasionally choosing a documentary or historical film, then start a conversation and encourage a family discussion about the subject.
Finally, try to remember to have relax and have fun! So what if you are a bit delayed in reaching your destination. It's worth being a bit late in order to make sure the whole family arrives happy and comfortable. Nothing kills a nice vacation like resentments and family members refusing to speak to each other! So above all, just trust that everything will work out, keep calm and cool, and enjoy the ride.
Firstly, consider setting some ground rules for the whole family. Decide on certain subjects or even phrases that always seem to get someone's back up, and make it a ground rule that no one is allowed to voice them. Also agree to take turns with setting the temperature in the car, weather windows or the fan is allowed, etc. It's important that everyone be as comfortable as possible during long trips on the road, so play it fair and make sure everyone's voice is heard.
Secondly, invest in a mobile DVD player for your car if you can possible afford it. This might seem like a frivolous expense, but I promise you that if you buy one, you will fall in love with it. Mobile DVD players designed for cars come in a variety of models and screen-sizes, with price-tags to match.
Ideally, your best choice is to go with a headrest DVD player. These players come installed in headrests that you simply swap for your existing headrest, so the screen and player are literally in the back of the front-seat headrests, so they take up no extra space, can't get bumped around or become air-born, and are more easily hidden from potential thieves. Headrest DVD players tend to be a little more expensive than other types of mobile DVD system, but you can pick a single player up for anywhere from $90-$250, and a set of two for anywhere between $200-$500.
Other choices for in-car entertainment include flip-down TV's and DVD players, and portable and in-dash DVD players, but these are far less safe and are much more visible to thieves.
Particularly if you can manage a DVD player per child (if you have two kids, you can buy a set of 2 headrest DVD players for a moderate sum), your road trip will become dramatically easier. Not only will your kids be passively entertained and quiet, but if they each have a player of their own, they won't even have to squabble over what movie to pick! Alternatively, if you can only afford one player or have more than 2 children, just make sure you establish ground rules about taking turns choosing a DVD to keep tempers to a minimum.
You can even keep movie-time educational by occasionally choosing a documentary or historical film, then start a conversation and encourage a family discussion about the subject.
Finally, try to remember to have relax and have fun! So what if you are a bit delayed in reaching your destination. It's worth being a bit late in order to make sure the whole family arrives happy and comfortable. Nothing kills a nice vacation like resentments and family members refusing to speak to each other! So above all, just trust that everything will work out, keep calm and cool, and enjoy the ride.
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