As my fellow Moms out there know, a family road trip with two young kids can be quite an adventure! :) My kids are adorable...but, they sure can be a handful! I have a precious 2-year old toddler boy and a inquisitive 4-year old preschool girl. Keeping them content, comfortable, and occupied are the keys to road trip success.
With family living out-of-town, we are getting quite used to the family weekend road trip. I know that I always love collecting Mommy Tips. So, I have decided to share my best tips and tricks for surviving a family road trip!
Packing:
I am admittedly the world's worst packer. I tend to over-pack and over-think things. However, I have learned that less really is more when it comes to family packing. Bringing too much stuff along just means that your car is going to be over-packed and then you just have that much more stuff to carry and manage. Now I simply do one bag for each person: myself, my husband, my daughter, and my son. Toys, diapers, shoes, sound machines, snuggle toys...it all goes in one bag for each kid. The only exception is a small cooler bag for car snacks, small bag for car toys, my purse, and my bag with laptop/tech devices. Plus, when it is time to pack up and come home, just toss everything back into each person's bag. It is so simple. I am not sure why it took me forever to figure this one out, lol!
Snacks:
There is no question, handing out small portions of snacks throughout the trip really keeps the kids occupied and happy. No one wants to deal with "hangry" kids in the car! ;) I pack a small cooler bag with straw cups and sippys filled with milk and juice/water. I also add small mess-free snacks like goldfish, cut apples, fruit squeeze pouches, and granola bars. Depending on timing, and if we pack enough snacks and everyone stays content, we might not even have to stop for lunch. Also, I always pack extra wet wipes in our snack bag to clean up fingers and faces after they eat.
Car Toys and Entertainment:
I like to keep my kids engaged in the car by bringing a nice little varitey of toys and activities. Reusable water coloring books are my all-time favorites! They create no mess (just fill the paint brush with water) and the kids just love them. I also like bringing sticker books and pages and giving out just a few stickers at a time to keep them going. My kids also like to bring a few favorite toys. For my daughter it is a few dolls and doll clothes and for my son it is trucks and cars. Last, but not least, I like to bring our iPad and portable DVD player loaded with a few movies. I try to withhold the movies until the kids are tired of their toys and snacks and need a distraction. We also load up our phones with music for the car, too!
Potty and Diapering:
My four year old daughter is potty trained and my two year old son is not. To have a smooth trip, I must make sure that the kids are comfortable as far as potty and clean diapers. I literally have my daughter go potty the minute before we leave for the trip. I give her reminders throughout the trip to let me know if she needs to potty. That way we can stop as quickly as possible if she does. Typically, we plan a stop about half way through our 4-hour trip for potty and lunch (if we decide we need to stop for lunch). I can portable disposable toilet covers to keep her clean and protected from germs when we use public restrooms.
As far as diapers, I make sure that my son gets a fresh diaper right before we leave for the trip. Then, when we stop for potty and lunch, I change his diaper. I have found the key to making sure that there are not diaper leaks are using good quality diapers! I swear by
Huggies Snug & Dry Ultra. They are my diaper brand of choice and I am extremely loyal to them. I used them for my daughter and now they are the diapers I always buy for my son. They never leak and always stay put.
Huggies Diapers Keep my Toddler Dry and Comfortable: (
get a $2.00 off coupon here):
Currently, we are using the
Huggies Snug & Dry Ultra. For this trip, I got a great deal at Walmart! The baby section at Walmart features quality products like Huggies Snug & Dry Ultra at a great price. Huggies Snug & Dry Ultra is exclusive to Walmart. I purchased a pack of 25 diapers and they were only $7.97. This pack contains all the diapers I need for a 4-day trip. Plus, I used a $2.00 off coupon that I printed online. So, this whole pack of diapers was only $5.97 after my coupon!
You can find that coupon here (just click and print). Huggies Snug & Dry Ultra have a unique quilted liner that locks away wetness and keeps your child more comfortable. The trusted Huggies Leak Lock system provides up to 12 hours of protection to prevent leaks. This is great for leak protection over night. I swear, Huggies diapers never leak. Like, never! This is one of the many reasons that I remain a devoted Huggies fan. Be sure to scope out this
Huggies Snug & Dry Ultra deal next time you are at Walmart!
Do you have any trips planned soon? Spring break destinations or Summer trips? I would love to know your tips and tricks for keeping your kids occupied. I know I am always collecting these types of ideas!
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