Economist Writing Every Day

My family regularly takes long trips up and down the east coast of the US. It takes us about 6 hours just to travel through Florida. We have several kids between the ages of 1 & 7 and we’ve got it down to a pretty good science. Here’s some great advice for travelling with children. A lot of it is OK advice if you cherry pick, but together their benefits compound.

1) Depart Early

It doesn’t matter if it’s a 3 hour trip or a two day trip. To us, ‘early’ means that our target departure time is 5 AM, but ‘early’ may mean something different for you and yours. Benefits include:

• Kids may remain or resume sleeping for the first portion of the travel. That’s time that they are occupied.
• Earlier arrival at your destination gives kids time to burn off some energy and adults time to decompress. For multi-day trips, we like to stop at a hotel that has a pool.

2) Carry-on Backpacks

Just as you would have a small personal item on an airplane, such as a purse, give each child a backpack that contains car-ride content (make sure that they put away one thing before beginning the next). Maybe ensure that each kid has a different color. This puts their stimulation in their own hands. The idea is not to avoid interacting with your kids. The idea is to help them take care of themselves. Here’s what to include:

• Snacks: Our kids have a gallon size Ziploc bag that contains their snacks for the day. There is a variety of sweet, snacky, and shelf-stable healthy things. Make a big deal early in the trip about *them* checking *their* snacks. We tell them that they don’t have to ask and that they are in charge of self-rationing. This is one less thing for them to ask us during the car ride. The power is in their hands.
• Stuffed Animals & a Muslin Blanket: If they get cold or tired, then they can address it themselves.
• Books & Drawing Paraphernalia: While we also have a small common container of books for the kids, their backpack also includes a book that is specifically intended for them. Maybe take the opportunity to surprise them with a new book or get them to choose a new book ahead of time. We also have good luck with standard pencils and colored pencils, small blank note books, and stickers. Crayons tend to break and more easily fall between seats given their small size. Crayons may also melt if the car gets hot. Pens usually end up drawing on bodies, so we try to avoid those. We also like the “Color Wonder” markers that only color on a specific type of paper. A downside of pencils is that they need sharpening. Save that for the destination or prepare for pencil shavings in your car. Crayola also makes some “Twistable” crayons that are more durable and aren’t as likely to break or get lost. Finally, make sure that you put only a few of these in a zipper pouch so that they are less likely to spill. Only include a few so that any spills are smaller.  
• Devices: Obviously, this depends on the norms of your family. My children *never* use tablets at home, but they can use them on long car rides. Even then, we make clear from the beginning that the kids can’t use them until “Tablet Time”, which is absolutely no earlier than noon and can be later if we get a late start. The benefits of delaying Tablet Time is that the kids don’t burn out early and they have something to lose until tablet time arrives.  If we have a behavioral issue in the car or at a stop, then we remind them that they can lose 5 minutes of Tablet Time (or More!) such that they gain access their tablet after their siblings. As a consequence, their pre-tablet behavior is easier to manage.  Remember, departing earlier means that Tablet Time is further away. If you don’t prefer tablets, then I also strongly recommend a “Yoto Mini” (with a cover). This is definitely an investment – but can also generally be used at home. A Yoto is an audio device that reads a plastic card and can play stories, music, or podcasts (we require headphones in the car).  We let each kid pick a set of 5 Yoto cards before each big leg of travelling.

3) A Foldable Claw

What’s worse than a small frustrated child in a car? Answer: A small frustrated child in a car who dropped something that nobody can reach. In our car, unbuckling for anyone is a big no-no. Solution: I finally purchased a claw for our car. I can unfold it and probably reach the dropped item. The kids find it amusing too and enjoy asking to use it. We definitely keep it in reach of adults only though. They have to ask to use it. Otherwise, we’re setting them up for conflict.

4) Individual Suitcases & Packing Cubes

We give each kid their own wheeled duffle bag with a fun and colorful pattern on it. This is more for the destination than the car travel itself. The kids like to pull their own bags, so the adults have less to carry. I recommend duffel bags or something less rigid. Kids don’t take up much space, so the duffle bags can be compressed and flattened. Insofar as the contents, I strongly recommend that clothes be packed in “packing cubes”. These are smallish bags that come in a variety of patterns and colors. These include a zipper, a mesh portion, and a translucent plastic window that can be labeled in permanent marker with a child’s name.  Clothes can by rolled/compressed and tightly packed in these so that they always know where their clothes are. We keep the organization minimal in order to allow for greater flexibility. But the bigger kids might have undergarments, pajamas, and swimsuits in a separate packing cube.

5) Travel Further Sooner

If you have a multi-day car ride, then I strongly recommend that you travel more on the first day. Both you and the kids will have a lot more patience on the first day. We find that they start to ‘lose it’ if travel on the second day takes too long.

I feel like I’m forgetting a bunch of things. Please drop any other advice in the comments!

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EDIT: When you make a stop for gas or for a potty break, then it should go without saying: EVERYONE must try to go potty. There is no choice on this margin. If the average time that someone can ‘hold it’ is hours, then you want to make sure that those 2.5 hours all start and stop at the same time.