It’s officially summer vacation from school and that means a lot of families are traveling to their vacation destinations for some (hopefully) relaxing and recharging. This very often means long road trips where the kids desperately need to be entertained so mom and dad can keep their sanity just a little bit. With our four kiddos, we have some essentials that we never leave home without when on a road trip.
Here’s a list of some things you can bring and ideas to keep your kids (and you) from losing your mind on the road trip and enjoy yourself too:
1. Road trip playlist. Tunes are essential for us and we usually let the kids pick the songs they want to hear. This can lead to some arguments over whose song is going to get picked, so I recommend having a playlist of everyone’s favorite songs and putting it on shuffle. This way everyone can hear their favorite songs as you drive. 
2. Lots of stops. This is inevitable and you just can’t try and avoid it. When I was little, I remember my family trying to “drive straight through” to our destination and it wasn’t fun for anyone. Especially if you have a baby, take as many stops as you need. You can’t really have expectations for when you’ll get where you’re going. You’re going to get there when you get there, so you might as well ensure everyone’s bladders are empty and bellies are full during the journey.
3. SNACKS. SNACKS. SNACKS. I really can’t say this enough — have all the snacks. We have a backpack cooler that we swear by and we take it everywhere, especially road trips. Even if you’re going an hour or two away, it can be a big money saver to pack food instead of buying goodies at every gas station at which you stop.
4. Portable breast pump. If you’re a nursing mama like me, this will be your saving grace. I have the Willow Go; it has truly been the best pump I’ve ever owned. I can pump while we’re in the car and have a fresh bottle ready for the baby for when we stop or feed him a little bit in the car for a quick snack. Also, invest in some good breast pump wipes to help clean on the go.
5. An extra set of clothes. I’m not talking about the clothes you’ve packed in your luggage for the trip. Instead, I mean an extra bag that you can get to quickly with an extra set of clothes for everyone in the family. It never fails; as a mom, I’m going to get spit up, poop, or some kind of food on me. My kids will forevermore get ketchup or some drink spilled on themselves and that is going to cause a meltdown, so having an outfit change at the ready comes in clutch when that happens.
6. Individual “entertainment” bags for each kid. I’ve done this before and the kids loved it. I got some sort of goody bag from the Dollar Tree or Target and put each of the kids’ favorite candy/treat, a coloring book, crayons, stickers, and some type of fidget toy they can play with. They thought it was so cool that they each got a little bag filled with treats for the ride and it kept them entertained for a bit!
7. Patience. This is probably the single most important thing you need when road tripping with small children. Nothing is going to go according to plan and everyone is going to be just a little bit tense being outside of their normal routine and set schedule. But if you can give yourself and your kids some grace, and remember to have some patience, this will help a ton! 
Ultimately, the goal is to have a great time together as a family and to try to enjoy all the parts of your trip. I know that sometimes that’s easier said than done, but even if things don’t go perfectly and some chaos ensues, it’s sure to make for a funny/special memory regardless.
