One of the things I dread most as a parent to young children is a road trip. I’m not sure if it’s the stress of loading everyone and everything into the car or just knowing someone is going to puke, poop, or pee as soon as we leave the house.
I have found that with the right combination of items kept in the car, we get lucky and things run smoothly. Now, I was taught growing up that luck is when preparation meets opportunity. I have learned from past mistakes and now prepare for our trips to make life easier on my husband and myself.
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Here is our list of what we always keep in the car and our road trip must-haves when traveling with our kids. Well, honestly we keep these items in the car all the time and not just for road trips anymore.
- Dramamine(#ad): I try to give this to my kids that get car sick prior to leaving but I don’t always remember. My boys are old enough now that they remind me to give this to them. We don’t travel further than 20 minutes without it! It is also great for amusement parks!
- Puke bucket: for when I forget the Dramamine. A Halloween bucket works great but they are quite large and takes up a lot of space. THESE (#ad) can fit in your glove box.
- Change of clothes: also, for when I forget the Dramamine or for other accidents along the way.
- Travel potty (#ad): I LOVE this thing! I hate taking my kids into public bathrooms!
- Window shade (#ad): to keep the sun out of our littlest’s eyes.
- Extra diapers and baby wipes(#ad)
- Suckers/snacks/drinks: hidden out of sight until a need presents itself.
- Tablets: only for the long drives. I don’t like my kids to have a lot of screen time if we can avoid it. We have three of the Amazon Fire Kid’s (#ad) tablets and they love them.
- Phone and tablet chargers
- Tylenol (#ad): this is for me when the “are we there yets” and arguing become too much.
To keep all of this organized, I recommend Backseat Organizers or a small tote (#ad) for the floor or back of your vehicle. But please don’t pay for a special trash bin for your vehicle. Rolled up grocery bags in the glove box work great to pass around the car at rest stops, then toss in the trash.
Road trips are so much nicer when there is some organization!
I’m hoping this list will help take some of the stress out of your upcoming road trips. I love spending time with my young family and I work hard to avoid a stressful adventure.
Happy travels!