For many, free time means family vacations.
One family’s idea of fun may be having the time to leisurely stroll through the zoo or museum, while another more adventurous group might consider taking the kids sailing. Or it might be an amusement park, where nervous parents pray that their child won't get sick all over the boy beside them on the Tilt-A-Whirl.
But one common thread runs through all families. ... How do you travel with toddlers in the car.
My trick has always been to pack far more healthy snacks than we would ever need, even if we decided to stay away for an extra six months. The primary reason we needed a mini-van for toddler travel was for my cooler and sacks filled with juices, shelf-stable milk, fruit, cereal, peanut butter sandwiches, cheese, graham crackers and carrot sticks.
My husband and I were blessed with a toddler who thought that constant conversation was a natural part of travel for kids. And I mean constant. Since our everyday lives were already very hectic, we welcomed the time to relax and talk during our journeys.
Here are some additional tips that made our trips even more enjoyable:
Don't travel with a toddler and plan to get anywhere in record time.
Your days of driving 750 miles without a stop because you had to break your cousin's record of 9 hours, 49 minutes to the same destination are over. Plan on reading every historical marker, visiting each rest area on the interstate where a fast food restaurant's logo is visible to your child, stopping to pick-your-own whatever is in season and hitting every yard sale on every back road where a child's bicycle is strategically placed at the end of the driveway.
Pack lots of toddler activities.
Washable crayons and markers really do wash off of everything, even the dog. Stickers are fun and easy to clean up, as are lick-and-stick stamps. I often bought several inexpensive items to surprise our daughter along the way. Paperback books, a fresh pack of washable crayons and a pad are always big hits.
Books are a necessity.
Select books to which you have memorized the words to avoid a major crick in your neck while you strain to read the words in the front seat and show your child the pictures in the back. Lots of large picture books are great for getting your child to talk about the story, without your having to read all of the words. Perhaps an older child would like to show off his reading skills by reading to a younger child.
Audio tapes/CDs are also a hit for travel with a toddler.
Music and books-on-tape can be enjoyable for the whole family. Check your local public library as a great source for free tape/CD rentals. I remember knowing all of the words to our daughter’s favorite tunes, listening to "Make Way for Ducklings," and hearing way too many Disney show tunes.
Talk about the scenery, IF your child runs out of things to say.
It's educational to discuss what's going on outside. Whether it's a herd of cows, a turkey vulture circling above or a flattened opossum, we always got excited about animals. We also counted silos, motorcycles and boats being towed. We discovered that nuclear power plants and prisons make good conversation starters, too.
Wherever your travels take you, remember to relax and take advantage of time spent together. These are the memories that likely will stay with your toddler for a lifetime.