Best behaved children, are not best behaved all the time! Remember that, most children behave most of the time they are with others but when they are at home or in the car with you they feel safe, secure and loved meaning they can and most likely will act up!
A car journey over a certain time frame(this is dependent on your child's age) is likely to be a flash point! I know from experience a journey which google maps predicts will be 5/6 hours with children is likely to take 8, 9 or even longer! Ours was a '6' hour journey in 9 hours!! They can be hellish, with all the food, loo and walking/playing breaks! Especially when research suggests breaks for small children now being every 30 minutes! So what survival techniques or items are vital on that fateful journey! Here's is my top ten!!
1. Snacks for snack time! Use a compartment tray a bit like a tool box with small amount of lots of different items for those stoppages! Make the experience more fun!
2. Make sure they are in only one more layer than you! Warm the car and/or a blanket before you start out on a cold winters day! A blanket will easily be thrown by them (or a hand from you) once when don't want it!
3. A box of toys! Seems simple but consider things like throwing damage etc as well as length of time they are entertained! I have one permanently in my car to try and contain the entertainment and stray coats, blankets, tissue boxes!
4. Plan short stops then if you miss one or the time in between becomes longer you are onto a winner and may even arrive early!
5. Plan breakfast, lunch and tea breaks for yourself as much as them. Take them as longer breaks even if no one wants food! Try to research better locations for stopping but don't stick to it as we must be here by such and such!
6. Don't stress this is a hard one but it makes a difference try your absolute hardest to not stress over traffic, running late or taking the wrong turn! Life is too short and as they say it's better to arrive late than not at all!!! Traffic could mean a family is about to receive some devastating news (try not to see it as an inconvenience), running late due to extra stops just means you won't be as tired, taking that wrong turn meant you explored a different area or maybe ate at a different restaurant!
7. Time leaving for nap time! In a perfect world this means the your child/children will be asleep for some of the journey! They may even sleep for longer with the car motion and all that.
8.Take extras of everything snacks, drinks, clothes for you all, nappies and wipes! This could mean just making sure that a few extras of these items are 'on top' so should the worst happen and little one is sick down your back you can change without unpacking the car!
9. Take children's music! Doesn't have to be nursery rhymes might be Disney or Moo Music! But try to make sure you get some enjoyment out of it, if you have older children plan a sing a long!
10. Consider splitting entertainment duties and driving between all adults traveling! If you have space, sitting with the children in the backseat can make things easier rather than having to 'turn round' or guess where things are.
Hopefully these tips might just make that dreaded car journey more enjoyable. Just remember the car journey is probably leading to somewhere or something enjoyable!