The approaching holiday season means road trips, which often lead to meltdowns for your kids on the road. These are unpleasant and also distracting for drivers and can turn an anticipated relaxing retreat into a stressful ordeal. Be prepared for the inevitable with these four ways to deal with meltdowns in the car this holiday season.
Leave on Time and Be Prepared
A sure way to reduce stress on the road is to leave on time and be prepared. If you’re chasing the clock the entire time during the drive, your anxiety will naturally increase. Your passengers will be feeling some stress due to the time crunch, as well. This not only increases the likelihood of a meltdown or argument but will also make it much harder to take a breath and deal with the situation.
You can mitigate this issue by leaving on time and giving yourself enough space in your schedule for delays. This way, if you’re slow getting out the door, you’ll be spending the time you budgeted just for that purpose. You’ll also give yourself enough time to make your car a more convenient and entertaining space for traveling, which can minimize meltdowns and make them easier to manage.
Organize Your Vehicle
Just like being in a time crunch, traveling in a cluttered, unorganized space will amplify the stress of being in a vehicle for a long time. Clean your car before leaving, and add some organizers to help keep it that way on the road. A garbage bag hanger that goes behind the front passenger’s seat, for example, can keep the vehicle neat and make traveling and dealing with meltdowns much easier.
Schedule Stops to Manage Meltdown-Triggering Issues
If you understand what causes meltdowns on the road, you can better manage them. Your kids may just get bored or perhaps they’re feeling motion sick or cramped. Set aside some time in your schedule to check for these specific issues. For example, instead of eating lunch while you drive, plan for a picnic at a rest stop along the way. This way, everyone can stretch their legs and get some much-needed sunlight.
Picnicking rather than stopping for fast food so you can keep driving also gives you more control over everyone’s diet. It may seem more convenient to stop for a minute at a drive-thru and get back on the road, but greasy foods will leave everyone feeling lethargic and cranky as time goes on.
Add Some Overnight Stops
Another tip is to break your trip into manageable portions, if possible. If your destination is more than eight hours away, turning the journey into a multi-day drive with hotel stops can help everyone get restful sleep and help you reorganize. This can also give you more flexibility in your schedule since you won’t have to travel so far in a single day.
Road trips are stressful if you don’t plan ahead. If you’re traveling with kids, prepare for the inevitable by leaving on time, being prepared and organizing, and scheduling plenty of stops to keep everyone as comfortable as possible.
Photo by trevoronim | Licensed under cc BY 2.0
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