Holiday Road: Road Trip Tips

Now's the time when families tend to hit the road - whether it's to visit Grandma, Disney, the beach, or just to sightsee and get a taste of other communities. It's not the destination; it's the journey, right? Not when you have kids in the backseat asking "are we there yet?" or fighting amongst themselves. A family road trip can start to seem like a very bad idea when the kids start getting hot, hungry, tired or bored. Plan ahead for those events, and you can make the trip a lot easier on the whole family. Allow each of the kids to bring a comfortable blanket and pillow for naps. Small kids might want their lovies or special pacifier - pre-trip isn't the time to try to break a small child of these habits. Pack small, portable toys, board books, and coloring books and (washable) crayons for smaller children. Older children will appreciate iPods, electronic games and books to keep them occupied. A portable DVD player is a godsend for families who travel long distances - they're stuck in their seats, so a road trip is a perfect time to relax TV-watching rules. It's best to map out your route before leaving, noting any restaurants, points of interest and rest stops along the way.