I have been compensated by JOHNSON’S® Baby for this post; however, I am sharing my own thoughts. All opinions are my own
Have the Best Road Trip with Kids
It’s not a secret that our family is on the road quite often. In fact, we started this new year off with a trip to the southwest part of Missouri, and then did a day trip to Bentonville Arkansas. So we knocked two states off at once, and the kids visited spots that they haven’t been to – or remember going. I mean, their lives are young.
Given that we are often sleeping in beds not ours, you would think that we have a hard time settling down. Not so. We tend to bring pieces of home with us to make the transition as smooth as possible, that way, we’re apt to enjoy our trips to the fullest.
Did you know that you can order items on Walmart’s site and pick them up at your convenience. This works AMAZINGLY when you’re traveling out of town and realize on the road that you forgot to pack body wash and lotion to combat eczema. Instead of having to turn around (yes, that has happened) we can order on the road and pick up once we arrive at our destination.
With soap, lotion and other items formulated for the skin of my children – Johnson & Johnson is a go to for our bathtime needs. Lil Miss has REALLY dry skin, and we’ve found that she needs a little bit more than what conventional lotions can offer. She gets to use AVEENO® Eczema Therapy, and has even gotten over the fact that it is targeted to babies. Ha! Seven year-olds these days.
I know when people think of Johnson & Johnson products they automatically think that you MUST have a baby, and that’s not the case. We’ve been using their wash and lotion on our children since birth, and they kind of phase out of it as they approach their tween years. It’s a brand that I’ve trusted since Nathaniel was a newborn, and here I am, 18 years later.
Since they have their must haves for travel, I figured that I would list several of mine for succesful road trips.
Invest in A Car Bucket
Yes – a simple bucket that can be lined with grocery bags. This makes for an easy and efficient way to dispose of trash that accumulates in the car. It’s also steady, so you really don’t have to worry about things toppling over or ripping on the bottom and not being able to clean it up in a hurry. Every time we stop at a rest stop, we empty and replace the bag. We didn’t spend a fortune on our bucket, and we rinse it out after every road trip. DO NOT BRING IT IN THE HOUSE! You will forget it for your next road trip. You can decorate it if you want, but it’s obviously not required.
Have A Photo Buddy
We have Ryder the Aviator Bear. When he goes on trips with us, the kids all want to make sure that we get great photos to showcase how he’s traveled with us. This enables us to not have to fight over posing for photos, and I can get better candids from the kids.
Wear Slip On Shoes
EVERYONE. I’m not sure about you, but I love removing my shoes when I’m on a road trip, and my children have taken after me. We have found that slip on shoes while traveling help us be able to get in and out of the car when we make pit stops. Laces and velcro shoes take up too much time. During the summer, flip flops are the best – even with the annoying sound. My slip-ons are Converse.
Have a Backpack for Each Kid
This way, they can have THEIR STUFF at all times. And no one can be blamed for taking or hiding anything. If it isn’t in the backpack before leaving, they can’t complain about not having it in the car. I whipped these up for the littles a while back, while Nathaniel carries one that we purchased for him.
Take Travel Blankets
I’ve made each of my children a lap quilt. It’s the best idea I’ve had in a very long time. No one argues over who has more of the blanket any longer.
Have Change Available
Our rest stops have vending machines, and we can use physical money or credit cards. I prefer using the physical money so that the kids have something physical to hold and budget. If I buy everything on my card, they think the money is everlasting.
Tell me your best #MommyMustHave while you’re on a road-trip. It may help me out in the future!