Crafts & Fun

The family car trip

The dream
Give yourself a medal. Not only have you saved on all those airline tickets — the equivalent of your kid’s college fund — but what better opportunity to bond with the fruits of your loins than over some rousing choruses of 99 bottles of beer on the wall…with your spouse mouthing the words “You complete me” as the raw majesty of the Canadian wilderness thunders past your peripherals?

The reality
Congratulations, tightwad. While you’ve been canoodling with your toonies, your toddler’s dry heaves of outrage at being straitjacketed into a car seat for five hours have turned to the chunky and bilious variety, while your preteen is threatening to impale himself on his iPod from utter boredom.

The fix
Jones: If your child has a meltdown every time you go for a car ride, then a vacation in the car is probably a bad idea. That said, if you find yourself unprepared on a car trip and things turn ugly, even with the requisite snacks, drinks and stuffed animals, there’s not a lot to be gained by telling a screaming toddler to put up and learn to love the five-hour drive. Try scheduling some playground breaks along the way, or stop at the nearest Wal-Mart or dollar store and spend the five to 15 bucks for a child’s book, crayons, music CD or DVD. Hey, you probably don’t think twice about dropping seven bucks on a latte and scone.

Stringer: Car trips have gotten a lot easier for kids with the advent of Game Boys, iPods and DVD players — but not everyone has them. Ask yourselves, “How can we add some game to this?” There are a million games you can print off the Web and play in the car (try momsinvans.com or just google “car games for kids”). And here’s a thought: Have a conversation. What a great time to share stories about when you were young.

Wooding: A long car ride is anathema to most teens because it’s boring. Anything over two or three hours is too much at a stretch, so if you have to drive, put in lots of interesting stops or fun breaks along the way, whether they’re roadside parks, local attractions or a restaurant your teen likes.

Originally published in Today's Parent, July 2008