It’s hard to believe that this spring, my oldest will be seven! S-E-V-E-N. Incredible. And I’m just going to tell it to you straight: the first two years of her life were misery. I couldn’t go anywhere because everywhere I’d go, she’d scream until she hyperventilated. People said “she’ll get used to it,” but I certainly wasn’t.
For a while, going on adventures was challenging for us. We are only just finally getting to a place where we can get out and explore with minimal issues, having had three children with motion sickness in a span of 4.5 years. Being isolated during COVID scarred us, and we were determined to get out and explore our community and the larger world. Combine this with three little kids (and one mama) with motion sickness and that meant we had a ton of extra incentive to ensure our travels went smoothly.
If you’re hitting the road with your kids this year – whether you’re headed to a park or across the country – consider some of these tips to making your ride go more smoothly!
Potty (and puppy papers)
Just because your kids have learned how to use the facilities, doesn’t mean that traffic and accidents won’t happen during your adventure. Just the other day, we drove 20 minutes across town to farm school, when my 4-year-old decided she needed to pee *right now.* A few days before that, we were 30 minutes into a 90-minute drive, when 66% of my children decided they need to go in that exact instant. Yes, they had peed before we left. This potty fits on the floor in between the captain’s chairs in my super-cool minivan, and gives enough room (and privacy) for everyone to do their thang. Often, I keep puppy papers to line the potty with. They absorb the liquids and make disposal easier. I feel weird dumping pee in a parking lot and equally gross having it sloshing around in the backseat. Puppy papers fix this conundrum.
Wipes (and hand sanitizer)
It doesn’t matter whether your baby days are over. If you’re traveling with kids, wipes are a valuable commodity. I love to use them for all the things, but especially wiping hands before applying hand sanitizer. Also they work great for wiping butts when someone unloads in the abovementioned potty. Yes, you could hoard napkins and douse them in water, but let’s be honest with ourselves here – it just doesn’t work the same. To make sure I don’t run out of wipes and am then forced to utilize wet napkins, I keep a pack or two in the car and a pack in the top of our backpack cooler.
Plastic Bags
If someone pukes, you’re going to want somewhere to corral the clothing or dispose of the remnants. Trash? Same. Wet clothes? Ditto. Just last week, my youngest decided she needed to unleash the beast at the playground. Why playgrounds don’t budget for bathrooms is beyond me. Not only did this particular playground not have a way for her to relieve herself, but they didn’t have anywhere for me to dispose of the massive mound of feces she decided to unload in our small potty, either. Who wants to smell that on a 45-minute drive home? Not. Me. Recycled plastic bags saved the day! If you typically do your shopping with reusable bags or paper, consider biodegradable doggie bags. They’re better for the environment and they help mask the fragrances of childhood.
Snacks (& snack cups)
We keep an emergency stash of shelf-stable snacks in my middle console. Two of my favorites are applesauce pouches and peanut butter crackers, but we’ve put everything from rice cakes and individual almond butter pouches to fruit leather in that console. Often, I keep big bags of snacks and disperse them in snack cups. It’s much more economical that way, and with three kids and insane inflation, economical makes me happy! But really – bring 8,943 more snacks than you think you’ll need. Even better if you bring a packed lunch along, too.
PRO TIP: Is your kid throwing dropping their snack cup? Use these to attach the snack cup to the O-S handle. Problem solved.
Water
This seems obvious, right? Obviously, you need to take water for everyone to drink on your journey. But I’m not talking about an individual water bottle, here. I’m talking about backup water. We lug around this 64oz container to refill everyone in the event that we go somewhere that doesn’t have a water bottle refill station. Dehydration can ruin a day as quickly as hunger, so we typically pack two water bottles for each kid and the massive one for refills. This is probably why my kids need to pee 30 minutes after leaving the house.
First Aid Kit
I have been horrified intrigued by the lack of preparedness of many child-friendly venues. The first-aid kits are typically scant, rarely contain ice packs and never contain anything even remotely naturally-minded. I really don’t need or want to get an employee involved for a splinter, a tick, or scraped knee. Carrying my own First-Aid kit ensures I can take care of business and get on with our adventures.
Dramamine
Y’all. There’s a time and a place to be a hippie. I get wanting to keep things as natural as possible. Pharmaceuticals are scary business. A road trip with three kiddos suffering from motion sickness, however, is a time I pull out all the stops. We’ve done all the things, but the only thing that works for my crew is Dramamine. And I will happily give them Dramamine at the beginning of our trip, as well as on the way home, if needed. Because motion sickness doesn’t always stop when the vehicle stops moving. It often will result in a headache or nausea for some period of time afterward, which can set a rough day in motion.
Ear Muffs
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