Heading out of town for Memorial Day weekend? Here are a few road trip tips to ensure that your getaway gets off to a good start!
- Pack wipes – and lots of ‘em! Any time we spend more than an hour in the car, someone is bound to barf. Those wipes are good for more than just diaper changes. They work wonders when the projectile vomit hits the back of the front seat and do double duty cleaning car seats and kids too. Stockpile them before you hit the road!
- Bring plenty of Purell. We keep a full-size bottle in the door pocket in the front of the car. Why? See #1! We like to have it handy at all times… especially since the kids seem to so easily transition from puke-time to snack-time. Gross, but true. TGFP! (Thank Goodness for Purell!)
- Don’t forget the sunblock. Ours resides next to the Purell in the front seat because for our fair-skinned clan, even a stop for lunch is an opportunity for sunburn… and really, it would be a shame to sport a sunburn before you even hit the beach, wouldn’t it?
- Time your trip well. Take into account rush hour and the witching hour. Consider meal times, nap times and bed time. Then determine the best time for you and your family to hit the road. Kids hate to be strapped down for hours on end? Maybe a post-dinner departure is best for you; just pop the kids in pjs and tuck them into car seats so they can snooze while you can groove. Kids love adventure? Then perhaps it’s up early with breakfast on the road and a solid rotation of “I Spy” and the “License Plate game.” Either way, plan accordingly and the trip will fly by.
- Keep your go-to items accessible. Do not lock them in the trunk or stow them away in the Thule box on top of the car. Believe me, when you are on the side of the road with a spit-spewing child in hysterics, you don’t want to scramble for clean clothes. Or wipes. Or Purell. You’ll be glad to have these necessities at arm’s reach. The items that we always have handy include:
- Sippy cups/water bottles/snacks and more snacks!
- Diapers
- Books/Legos/favorite blankies (known in our house as "WaWas", don't ask!)
- First Aid kit –a few BandAids, Children’s Motrin and Tylenol, Benadryl and that’s pretty much it. Just the basics!
- Change of clothes – for the tykes and for me. Somehow Des/Dad/Driver seems to survive most trips unscathed while I may find myself wearing vomit, pee, poop, apple juice, rotten milk, smushed cereal bars or any combination of the above. I realized when I smelled worse than the nasty rest stops along the way that it was time to take action and include a change of clothes for me too!
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1 comment:
Even if you are with a baby or not, having those wet wipes with you will be totally useful whenever you feel dry or you just ate something messy. Another tip that'll be useful is to pack light, as unnecessary things just take up space that could be used for something else.
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