1 mom, 4 kids: How to survive a 7-hour car ride

girl in a toy car

Want to know my number one tip on how to survive a 7 hour car ride with four small kids? Do it alone.

I mean it! Does that make me sound like a mean wife? I know it sounds absolutely crazy but my husband and I are happiest on trips to visit my family when I drive our four kids myself and he meets us by train a day or two later. I spend the whole car ride focused on the kids, listening to pop music, kids' music, or a Disney DVD. The kids are happy and don't whine because the music entertains them and I'm paying attention to them.

I load up the passenger seat with their activities so I can pass them back as needed. I stop for a full hour halfway way there for everyone to eat a good meal, use the restroom, and stretch their legs. My husband is happy because he can work a few extra hours on the train and shows up at our destination ready to relax.

If we all drive together it never seems to go well. My hubby is so focused on "making good time" that he doesn't want to stop for an extended break and is constantly looking at the map to decide which route to take for the quickest way to our destination. We ignore the kids as we get wrapped up in front seat conversation, and we always listen to CNN. We don't mean it, but the ride stinks for our kids when we ride together and everyone ends up whining or feeling cranky.

I love my husband so much but long car rides with the kids are for me to take alone!

Anyway, now that I've let you in on the details of my life, let me share some tips for surviving a long car ride with small children. I do it often enough that I feel like I've become an expert. Keep in mind that as a rule we do not allow food in our car so you won't find snacks in our car. Yes, even for a 7 hour car ride.

How to survive a 7-hour car ride with small children:

7 hour car ride

  1. Think of the car ride as part of your trip and not just as a way to get where you're going. We blast the music, play I Spy, and practice learning the lyrics to our favorite pop tunes.
  2. Save the electronics for the last fourth of your trip. Our general rule is no electronics until we've been in the car at least four hours. After the four hour mark all bets are off and I'll play a movie on the DVD player or let my children use their tablets. If we let them use the tablets from the start, the car ride feels like it lasts forever.
  3. Stop at a restaurant or market instead of a rest stop. I treat our car ride break like we're going out for a real meal. We time it around lunch or dinner and usually stop at a Shake Shack five minutes off the highway. We eat a really good meal, everyone stretches their legs and uses the bathroom, and we're ready to continue our ride. It takes us an hour, but it allows us to get back in the car feeling refreshed.
  4. Bring activities for your kids to do. I pack pencils and notebooks so the kids can draw or write. My son usually brings a little Lego man, and my daughters bring dolls and a book to play with on the car ride. Bonus: the books can double as bedtime books on your trip.
  5. Don't forget a wet bag! Wet bags are so useful, but on a car trip they become a necessity if someone spills a drink or gets sick in the car. I keep one in the glove compartment in case we need to store wet clothes or blankets until we can wash them at our destination.
  6. Let your children pack their own backpacks. I used to pack each child a blanket, stuffed animal, toy, and book for our long car rides. Now I let them pack their own! I noticed when they packed their own they tended to play and use those items more. It's risky business with little ones, but try it! On our last trip my 2-year-old packed 4 pairs of socks, a book about socks, and a Curious George stuffed animal. Would you believe she spent the whole car ride putting socks on the stuffed animal and taking them off?
  7. Chill out. Staying relaxed and taking each moment for what it is truly helps on a long car ride. I have so many crazy stories about our car rides, from the time my son threw up for two straight hours but I was stuck on the GW bridge and couldn't pull over, to the time one of my girls had to use the bathroom and couldn't wait for a rest stop so we pulled over on the highway (don't judge me!), to the time we left in shorts and drove through a surprise April snowstorm that doubled our travel time. If you stay relaxed, your children will too!

Traveling with kids isn't always easy, but by keeping a positive attitude and being prepared, you will all have a blast. Happy travels!

Sabrina is the writer behind the healthy living blog RhodeyGirl Tests, where she shares her passion for food & family through her healthy recipes, creative menus, and fun with her son Raffi (born September 2011), daughter Alessandra (born April 2013), daughter Valentina (born May 2015), and baby girl Daniela (born January 2018.)
Opinions expressed by parent contributors are their own.
advertisement | page continues below
Log in to continue

blue background
Track your baby's development
Track my baby