Five Pitfalls to Avoid on Your Next Road Trip

As a single parent, planning for and executing a long road trip is quite an undertaking. From the planning stage, to the packing, through the actual driving, and all the way through recovering afterwards, traveling alone with your kids is an energy-draining experience. Fortunately, being fully prepared can help you make the most of it and more fully enjoy the time together. If you have a long trip coming up this summer, plan ahead to avoid these top five pitfalls:

1. Hunger. Even a one-hour drive can become torturous if your kids are whining from hunger. So plan ahead and bring with you a cooler filled with nutritious snacks. In fact, if your kids are old enough to safely open their own wrappers and juice boxes, I'd recommend placing the cooler right there in the back seat with them.


2. Sugar Overload This is a tough one. I tend to associate vacations with extra snacks and goodies. However, too much sugar can quickly lead to unnecessary meltdowns that only make traveling alone more difficult. So make sure that, along with the "special" items like cookies and candy, you pack plenty of fruits and vegetables, yogurt, and cheese.


3. Media Overload A DVD player or mp3 player sure can come in handy when you need to entertain your children during a long car ride. However, too much of a good thing can overstimulate your kids' brains and lead to impulsive behaviors and irritability just in time for arriving at your destination. (It's never fun when your kids behave well for the 13-hour drive to Nana's house, and then lose it completely right when you first get there!) Avoid this pitfall by bringing lots of books, games, and activities to balance out your kids' road trip entertainment options.


4. Over-exhaustion As the sole driver, you need to make sure that you're leaving for your trip well-rested, and that you stop regularly to walk around, rejuvenate, and rest. Also, if possible, don't try to drive more than eight hours in one day, and plan for taking a short break at least every two to three hours.


5. Dangerous Conditions Take extra precautions when traveling alone as a single parent. Make sure that someone knows where you are at all times, and stay only in reputable hotels and motels. In addition, make sure that you have your car serviced before your trip, and follow the child seat safety laws in every state where you will be driving.

Finally, remember that taking a long road trip with your kids really is supposed to be fun and memorable. Don't place your driving schedule ahead of having fun. If you can, map out some fun stops along the way, like spending an hour at a park or stopping for hand-dipped ice cream cones. Truly, these are the parts of your summer road trip that your kids will remember longer than any movie they pop into the DVD player.

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