~Tricks Of The Trade~

OK, I'll pretend as if everyone out there wants to know how I'm coping with 3 boys, ages 4, 7, & 9 in the back seat for long hours and days on end. 

Here's a post on how we do what we do. (warning: this post gets a bit preachy. It was written when I was cold, wet, and hungry. )

First off, my kids have been taking road trips from their earliest memories. When we lived in Northern Va, I had them keep their bags packed for an overnight stay. I would make a plan and pile them in the van with no explanation as to our destination. They became accustomed to long hours when we would go into DC for the day,  hike some few hours South in the Shenandoah Valley, spend the night with Nana and Pawpaw.  Traveling well is something I wanted them to each learn. 

Now I've put what they've learned to the ultimate test.  Cross-country baby!

First thing I had to realize is that my kids are just that. Kids. They are learning to be adults, they aren't there yet. I am constantly telling them that life is about mistakes, we make them in order to learn. Another few  favorite mantras?

 " You won't learn any younger." & " If that's the last time you make that mistake, then you're lucky." 

So, if I had to  give you advise,  realize that you kids are only small people learning to be adults. Chill, parents.  This means, that on a road trip,  I endeavor to work exercise into our trip. When I'm turning into a rest stop, I get them all ready as if for a race, "Alright guys, here we go. Who has their shoes on? Get ready for seat belts. We're gonna run. Who has their buddy? Remember to stay together." 

(OK- another safety soapbox for parents:

                        Rest Stops are the best place for predators to do their stuff. My kids are constantly trained on this fact. They each know that anyone they see could pick them up, throw them in a car with very little effort, and be gone and out of state within hours. After which they would be sold on the black market into slavery. Think I'm full of it? Slavery is much more rampant today than in the days before the Civil War. Check it out. Save your child from being a statistic. 

OK, Safety Soapbox done.)

Back to the rest stop. So I pull up…… to the parking spot farthest from the building. It's then a race (Watch out for other people!) to the bathrooms. I always lose. Always. Not because I don't give it my best shot- gravity just hates me more. So we run in, do our do, then race back. And race back and forth and run to this tree and that, then race into the truck, then race to get belted up, then I floor it onto the highway. (Sidenote to any Police reading my blog. Speeding is against the law. I know. I never speed. Never. Ok, maybe just that once…. just don't ask my kids. I have a V8, it can't be helped, really it can't.) So this is rest stop fun and exercise all in one. 

                                                                                 (taken during a pit stop)

Now what do we do on the long hours? DVD's? Nope. Not really. I have a player in the truck with a small library, I'm just not a tv fan and don't encourage my kids to be either. Here's my logic: I was raised without remote controls for my tv. I had to WALK  just to turn a channel! I think my kids can live without rotting their brains over the miles.  Prior to the trip I asked all mighty Google what he thought about kids games and road trips. I was met with a virtual bathub full of great ideas. I sifted through and took some and went to the closest Dollar Tree. There I bought a small container for each boy and filled it with some toys. They decorated with stickers, put in some things of their own, and we're done! The containers fit under the seats and now there's an answer to the "I'm bored" problem. 

Yes, I have a basket of snacks always available. I'm saving that for another post.

I also love LOVE books on CD! There is so much out there available. I bought a dramatized version of the Bible and the kids ask to listen to it over the hours. One of our absolute favorites is the Jonathan Park series. It's fantastic and 6 hours goes by before they even know it. We've listened to Les Miserables twice over. 

Now for a disclaimer of truth. Yes, I have heard, "Are we there yet? I'm bored! Can we get out?" more times than I want to have heard them. But really, folks, they are kids! I'm bored. I'm tired. I want today to be over. How can I expect my kids to be more patient than myself? My boys like to wrestle in the back seat. If I tell them to stop it one more time I'm gonna lose it. "Do you want me to pull over?!!?" does become a regular out of my mouth as the miles get longer. I'm not perfect. 

But, I'll tell ya what, I'm seeing things in my kids that I never noticed before. Some things I like, some I don't. Some things make me proud, others make me wonder what I can do to train them better. I'm seeing myself as well. I'm seeing lots of things I hate. Lots of things I want to go away. 

If you ever have the ability to travel with your family, do some research, find out what you think will work, and GO FOR IT!! You'll never regret it. This is the most difficult and amazing trek I've ever experienced.