Day Two

ROAD TRIPS
​BY PIA MATTIX DAVIS

​Last Christmas my aunt, my two boys and I drove from Houston, TX to the D.C. area.  The drive was interesting to say the least.   Two days of driving which should have taken 22 hours of driving stretched into 30+ hours of driving. My almost 11 month old was miserable in his car seat which required us to stop every one and half to two hours for him to nurse and walk around.  I did not mind the frequents stops, as my Exclusively Breastfed baby had yet to acquire a desire for solid food. 

 Honestly, there was very little about the drive that I would have changed, but when I, my husband, and the boys took the Tour of Texas over the summer, the trips were almost fantastic, here's why!

We:
1) Left early in the morning between 3 and 5 AM or after dinner.  The boys would quickly fall asleep once the car began to move.

2) Packed snacks.  Even though half the fun of a Texas road trip is stopping at Buc-cee’s, having snacks on hands is great when our Little One who can’t wait 10 more miles for a bite to eat.

3) Stopped every 2 hours to allow the little one time to stretch his legs and to nurse.  Our older son also needed this moment to break up the monotony of the trip.  

4) Kept the back seat free of excess clutter and bags. This allowed our oldest more room to stretch out.  We store bags below the car seat since the Little One does not need the leg room.

5) Encouraged our oldest to bring extra books and we listen to podcasts as a family.

6) We played I Spy, Memory, and watched for out of state license plates.

7) We stayed in Hotels instead of pushing through and driving all night.  Showering, then curling up in a bed was a balm to our tired bodies.

I am sure that everyone has their tried and true driving advice, so Moms, what are your road trip survival tips when traveling with children?  Share with us at Positive Parenting for Black Moms on Facebook.