Parenting & Family

8 Road Trip Pitfalls to Avoid

Don't Let These Pitfalls Ruin Your Road Trip

By Jennifer Wolf, About.com Guide

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As a single parent, planning for and executing a driving vacation is quite an undertaking. From the planning stage, to the packing, the actual driving, and all the way through your recovery once the drive is over, taking a solo road trip 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 the most common pitfalls, such as:

1. Hunger

Photo © Alberto Coto / Getty Images

Even a one-hour drive can become torturous if your kids are whining from hunger. So plan ahead and bring 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.

More: Create a Summer Routine for Your Kids

2. Boredom

A bored girl rides in the back of a car.

Photo © zamanyahre, 2010

Make sure that your kids bring with them plenty of books, activities, and games for the road trip. Kids older than four or five can pack their own activity bags, although you would be wise to pack a separate bag of extras to pull out in a boredom emergency.

More: How to Entertain the Kids While You're Traveling

3. Sugar Overload

A girl eats junk food and gets a tummy ache.

Photo © Chris Johnson, 2006

This is a tricky one. I personally 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. To avoid this problem, make sure that you balance any "special" items like cookies and candy with plenty of fruits and vegetables, yogurt, and cheese.

More: Save Money on Vacation Meals

4. Media Overload

A young boy is mesmerized by the images on his portable DVD player.

Photo © Levent Konuk, 2010

A DVD player or mp3 player 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. Avoid this road trip pitfall by bringing along plenty of books, games, and activities to balance out your kids' road trip entertainment options.

More: Practical Ways to Limit Your Kids' Screen Time

5. Sibling Squabbles and Poor Behavior

Two kids are fighting over a video game controler.

Photo © Jack Hollingsworth / Getty Images

Before you leave for your road trip, take the time to review some basic rules with your kids, including how they are to get along with one another, how frequently you anticipate stopping, and what consequences you will enforce for misbehavior, such as arguing or distracting you while you're driving. Going over these guidelines ahead of time will go a long way toward helping your kids cooperate during your road trip.

More: Create House Rules for Your Kids

6. Over-Exhaustion

A single mom struggling with exhaustion.

Photo © CEF/Andrew Olney / Getty Images

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.

More: How About the Kids? How Much Sleep Do They Need?

7. Dangerous Conditions

Pack the kids in the backseat for a road trip.

Take extra precautions when traveling alone as a single parent. Print out directions ahead of time and make sure that you have a map in your car, even if you have a GPS. In addition, 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.

More: Travel Safety for Single Parents

8. Overspending

A sad mom expressed frustration over her financial troubles.

Finally, don't let yourself fall into the trap of overspending while you're on vacation. Plan out a vacation spending budget before you leave, and - if your children are old enough - let them know what the spending limits will be at rest stops and restaurants along the way. This will help all of you to hold one another accountable to staying within your budget while enjoying your road trip.

More: Save Money on Vacation This Year

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