The great thing is in this day and age travelling in the car you can take nearly all the comforts of home with you on a road trip. Unfortunately kids will be kids ad still seem to complain regardless of DVD players, DS, and ipods to keep them occupied.

Food Keeps Them Occupied

No matter where you are travelling in the car, take more than enough food than you will need. If you get stuck on the side of the road you can feed the kids and worst case scenario if you don’t need it you can bring it back home with you.

Car Food Suggestions:

• Fruit- Always good food practice to take with you.
• Biscuits- Don’t make the mistake of choc coated ones, not pretty. There are plenty of whole-grain healthier options available.
• Muesli bars- home made or pre packed.  Watch the sugar-content!
• Popcorn - you can buy big packs and put in individual zip locks for the trip.  Cheap – and healthier than potato chips.
• Pop tops – these are great for traveling. Take one per child and then refill with water.

When you pack your own food and drinks for the duration of the trip, you don’t need to buy more (or be whinged at to buy more) when you stop for petrol, so this saves time and money.

Entertainment

Little children with an attention span will watch DVDs over and over for hours. You have the option depending on how many children you have to have a central car DVD or to buy individual player for each child. An even cheaper option is to try and hire or borrow one for the trip.  Older children will not want to watch Hi 5 or ‘In the Nightgarden’ for hours.

There are hand held games for the older children to entertain themselves and will give you some quiet time while they have their headphones on and are in their own world.

As for the biggest child of them all make sure you have hubby occupied with his favourite music or a book. These days you can get your favourite book on CD – so you can both enjoy it together while you drive.  He is the last one you want to worry about.

Going on a Airplane

This is generally a painless experience. Children love to fly and most flights around Australia are thankfully no more than three or four hours. Between the colouring packs, in flight entertainment and the food my children are entertained thoroughly.

Flying with babies needn’t be painful either. If bub if breastfeeding or bottle feeding then a feed on take off and landing will help with the pressure change problems. The flight attendants are more than happy to help you if you need anything and will take bub for you while you eat if necessary. They do get clucky over little ones.

All in all a well planned trip with the kids is what it is. You can’t spend the next 20 years not going anywhere because the kids don’t travel well. Go with the flow enjoy and remember you will be home again before you know it.