This post is sponsored by Ibotta, but all thoughts and opinions are my own. All offers were valid as of publish date. Don’t forget to check your app for details as offers change frequently and may not be available in all areas. Hi, my name is Cheryl, and I’m a self-proclaimed family road trip BEAST. Seriously, after I-don’t-even-know-how-many trips with kids, without kids, with one kid, with two kids, with extended family, without extended family – you get the picture – I feel like I’ve got this whole traveling thing down to a science. No matter where we’re going or how long a trip we’re taking, this is my finely-tuned, pre-trip routine that gets everything (mostly) off to a smooth start.
Don’t Forget – Charge Your Devices!
Can NOT stress enough how crucial it is to make sure everything is charged up and ready to go the night before. A tablet dying 15 minutes after hitting the road is not how you want to start the day. Charge everything up the day before and then (this part’s really important) leave them off until you’re in the car. That keeps the battery that you know you just charged from running down before you actually need it.Also, bring your chargers.
7:00am – Hit the road, have breakfast in the car9:00am – Snacktime11:30am – Stop for lunch12:30pm – Try for naps
We’ll play some family road trip games in between, or they’ll watch their shows, or play with toys, or whatever. For lunch, we like to find somewhere we can sit outside (like a park with picnic tables). That’s really great because everyone can stretch their legs and get some fresh air, and you get to explore a little. It takes a little time away from driving, which makes the overall road trip a little longer. It’s worth it, though. Not being cooped up in the car the whole time keeps everyone happy. The kids can run around and burn off some energy, and usually they’ll be ready for a nap not too long after.When it’s nap time, we’ll make a point to be really quiet. We turn on some of their lullabies that we use for them every night at home to calm them down. We also make sure to bring a blanket or a lovie or a stuffed animal or whatever their go-to comfort item is, so they can cozy up in their car seats and snooze. White noise sounds are another good option to play on the car radio during nap time. Usually the grown ups can still whisper over white noise more easily than over lullabies!
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