Travel Feature: Take the bumps out of road trips with your children
Posted Mar 20, 2017 9:45 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
For families with kids in Calgary schools, spring break is just around the corner.
If you’re dreading that road trip, travel writer Jody Robbins has some advice to make it a smooth ride.
“The most important thing is planning. So, if you are going with kids, bring them into the fold.”
The author of 25 Places in Canada Every Family Should Visit says, get the kids involved in drawing up that plan.
“They’re more interested in the trip, because they’ve researched attractions along the way, and you’ll get their buy in on where and when to stop. So you can avoid those ‘how much longer is it’?”
Rules are also important, and should be set ahead of time.
“Some good ones are: whenever you stop at a rest station, even if you don’t have to go to the bathroom, everyone tries. Some families have other rules, such as we don’t stop for food, we stop for burning off energy, so they map out green spaces.”
It’s also a good idea to get packed up the night before you leave.
“Have your roadside emergency kit in the car, have surprise bags for the kids with dollar store items. All of those things can be ready to go and then in the morning you can just wake up, pack some food and hit the road.”
Oh, and let everyone have their turn at picking the music, because no one wants to listen to The Wiggles for 8 hours straight.
Go to Jody’s website for more great tips for family vacations http://www.jodyrobbins.com/
You can also get her book here: https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/25-places-in-canada-every
