Traveling with Teenagers
10 tips to making the most of time on the road with your young-adult children
by Kelly Kirwan
Spend the time getting to know your older children
What I enjoy most about the long hours on the road is the opportunity I have to spend time with my older children outside of our normal every day environment. Some of the best talks and teaching moments have occurred on the road when the others are engrossed in a movie or asleep.
There is an intimacy that occurs in the front seat of a car hard to duplicate elsewhere. When my husband is with us we have some of our best talks on the road, planning our future or just discussing our family. The kids will poke a head up closer to listen in and we often get to hear thoughts and opinions from them we might not otherwise hear. Day- to-day life is harried with schedules, sports and other obligations and distractions, but driving 25 hours gives you a chance to really spend some quality time with your kids.
Travel “PT” as stress release
I wish I could say every moment on the road was one of familial bonding, but alas, full on boxing matches have occurred in the back seats of my SUV. That’s when the years of military life kick in. We pull over, and I explain with all their energy I think it’s a good time for PT. Push-ups, mountain climbers and jumping jacks usually settle them down. If they can fight, they can sweat. After one on-the-road PT session all it takes is a tape on the breaks and my rendition of “Lets Get Physical” by Olivia Newton John, amazingly enough a truce is called, especially driving through the desert.
Travel Taming Tips
1. Let kids help map out and plan your trip.
2. Get input or help shopping for snacks.
3. Have them read about places you’re driving through before the trip takes place.
4. Let them plan car appropriate activities travel games before the trip. Make sure you know what they’re planning. Finding out on the road can be scary.
5. Give specific tasks in the car like navigator, trash detail or activity director and rotate assignments.
6. Select movies and music you don’t mind listening to over and over and over again.
7. Headphones are a MUST for movies and music that didn’t make the above list!
8. Allocate mad money for pit stops along the way or you’ll be broke before you get to your final destination.
9. Try and stay in hotels with pools. Road weary bodies often need some exercise in order to settle down for the night.
10. Stay calm no matter what! Even red soda can almost be completely removed from your car’s interior.