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Buckle up everyone. It's family road trip time! Photo: iStock
“Are we there yet?”
“I’m hungry!”
“She hit me!”
A family road trip may be a quintessential part of summer vacation, but that doesn’t mean it’s all one, big Instagrammable joyride. Being in a car together for hours on end certainly has its challenges, especially when you are parenting young children. But is there one particular age when road trips are the most challenging? According to a survey conducted by Talker Research on behalf of Good2Grow, the answer is yes.
The toughest age
According to a survey of 2,000 U.S. parents with children younger than 13 years old, the toughest age to take a kid on a road trip is the dreaded “threenager”: 3 1/2 years old. The common challenges parents cited for traveling with kids this age are boredom (46 percent), tantrums (39 percent) and kids simply not enjoying extended time in the car (31 percent). Over half of the parents who responded to the survey actually reported delaying trips at certain ages because they anticipated these issues.
But take heart, parents of threenagers, relief is in sight! Survey respondents said that the easiest age to take a child on a road trip is 6 years old. There are fewer tantrums and family trips still feel like an adventure.
Daily driving time limit
Survey respondents reported that seven hours is the cap for a road trip with kids younger than 13. In those seven hours, parents are likely to hear “Are we there yet?” 22 times, experience 18 fights between siblings and deal with 14 tantrums. Now I understand why my parents wanted to collapse in the hotel room on my family’s annual road trip to California, rather than instantly take my sister and me to the pool.
Road trip stressors and solutions
Parents who responded to the survey named their top road trip stressors as:
- Packing and planning (46 percent)
- Entertainment struggles (36 percent)
- The drive itself (36 percent)
To help deal with these challenges, parents found that the following strategies work the best:
- Kid-approved snacks (53 percent) — Mess-free, shareable options are ideal.
- Preloaded entertainment (52 percent) — Download podcasts, and try some road trip car games for a break from screens.
- Engaging toys (47 percent) — Think magnetic games, stickers, card games and more.
Tips for road trip success
While 59 percent of parents find trips “somewhat” or “very” stressful, 93 percent describe them as fun and memorable. So if you are planning to hit the open road this summer, here are some tips and tricks to make the journey as fun as the destination.
Age-based planning: It’s tempting to want to show your children the world, but it’s OK to scale back a bit when kids are very young. If possible, avoid lengthy trips with toddlers. You’ll be amazed at how much fun you can have just a few hours from home!
Time management: Keep trips under seven hours. Be sure to stop for plenty of breaks so kids can get their wiggles out after sitting for a few hours. Check your route for playgrounds, children’s museums and other stops that will break up the driving and keep kids (and grown-ups) happy.
Entertainment toolkit: Pack drinks and snacks that won’t spoil or make a mess. It’s always good to offer as many healthy snack options as possible, but sometimes a little special treat is just what you need to make it to the next rest stop.
Make sure to bring a variety of toys and entertainment. If you’ve got a long drive, some screen time can come in handy for sure! But if you want to unglue their eyeballs from their screens for a while, consider getting some special items for the trip. Pro tip: Wrap up new items like little presents and hand them out every hour or so. It doesn’t have to be anything big; a coloring book, box of crayons, sticker set from the Dollar Store or an action figure from Goodwill are all great. I wish I could claim this genius idea, but it’s straight from my mom’s playbook (though I did the same thing, with much success, when my kids were little).
Flexibility mindset: Expect the unexpected! Lots of things can, and will, throw a wrench into the best-laid road trip plans. From a flat tire, to car sickness, to spotting a roadside attraction that’s too good to pass up, your days might not go as you imagined. Embrace the experience and remember that the journey is part of the adventure.
Road trips can be chaotic, but with the right strategy and timing, they can also hold some of the most joyful family memories.
