"When hitting the road with kids, they can get antsy and bathroom breaks are likely. My oldest is 11 and I have twins who are 9. While there are now many music streaming apps, I love Spotify. I have a library of playlists at the ready for when I take my morning runs and need to stay pumped and even when I'm heading to church and want to listen to my gospel faves. As the kids and I were packing and readying ourselves for the trip the day before leaving, I had a thought regarding building a playlist for them. One, I love to hear my kids sing, they are typically totally oblivious to me and will sing as if no one is watching but I also thought it a good way to curb that boredom and "antsy-ness" that kids can sometimes fall into when on the road. So in an effort to engage them in the trip and make them feel even more a part of what we were doing and where we were going, I asked each of them to write me a list of their fave songs and instead of picking the songs myself, I allowed them to pick 6 songs each so it became a project. I set a deadline which was before they went to bed and I would then build the list prior to hitting the road. It turned out to be the best idea!"
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Their handwritten lists ... |
The key to this tip is that I made it a project which kids love. But it will also engage your kids and make them feel as though they have a say in the trip and plans and preparations as opposed to just being ordered to pack this and pack that. You know us Mommies are good at ordering our kids around especially when we are "red" to go :). My kids were so excited at the mere suggestion and diligently planned their lists. It kept them quiet and chill the night before and tempered them being so wired about going on a trip. They were so selective about their songs and upon playing their playlist the next day whilst on the road, it worked like a charm!
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Happy Kids, Happy Mommy!!!! |
This tip is an excerpt from a previously published post. Click HERE to read in it's entirety.
Where are you hitting the road to this Summer, you got any tips of your own?