#5 Reasons Why You Should Road-trip With Your Kids And Some Tips for a Successful Adventure

Many parents look at me in shock and horror when I talk about road tripping with kids. Our longest one-way venture was about 13 hours, with stops. I’m a huge advocate for travel as a family, but specifically road trips.

Road trips cultivate an environment for learning and growth with your family. 

Here are my top reasons why you should choose to road trip with your family, and I’ll include some of our favorite tips for success. 

1. Journey > Destination 

Did you know that being aware and present in the moment over time has been found to decrease stress and mood swings because you have more control over your thoughts? From a young age you can begin teaching your children to embrace the journey of life and be present in the moment instead of having eyes fixated on what is not yet here.

This idea of embracing the journey, being present in the now, is something you can teach your children so that they will be happier adults. Young children already do this instinctively! That is why a simple walk from one place to another often is interrupted by them stopping to look at a weird bug, or because they found the perfect pocket sized rock. 

Some of you are hung up right now because you are thinking that there is nothing wrong about being goal oriented and focused on the future. And you would be correct. But there are many times in life when that hyper focus prevents current happiness. As parents, we hope to teach our children a healthy balance of both. 

Tip: Talk about the scenery! 

I’ll never forget what my daughter said to me last month on our drive through the mountains on our way to Big Sky, Montana. 

She said, “I feel so small…” 

YES! That is it! My mama heart swelled as I watched something click inside my daughter’s being that the world is much grander than her little bubble back home. 

Examples of ways to discuss the scenery: 

“Those amazing mountains in the distance make me feel so…” 

“The plant life is different from ours back home.” (Compare and contrast the plants) 

Keep track of the kinds of wildlife you see. Make a game out of who can spot the moose, bear, deer, etc. 

2. Create Memories

On our last day at the Grand Canyon, I planned for us all to wake up painstakingly early and watch the sunrise before we headed back home for our 13+ hour drive. My younger two had a more difficult time with this as it was especially early but also about 12º outside. It was incredibly cold. Everyone was miserable and it was because of me.

As we stood at the edge of the dark canyon with the wind blowing on our faces, I had a moment of fear that this was a bad idea. My youngest son was bundled up in a blanket and in tears, my daughter had her hoody pulled so far over her face that she could only see through a tiny hole in the middle. My husband stood far behind with the dog (yes we also travel with our bernedoodle named Juniper). But then the sun rose.

We all watched in awe as the tiny light grew and crept along the tips of the peaks and began to fill all the shadows. I remember my oldest being so surprised to see how quickly it actually rises. This was all 3 of theirs first time seeing the sun rise; one they will surely always remember. My daughter turned around and ran smack into a low hanging tree branch (remember I said she was only able to see through a tiny opening in the hoody over her face). Core memory solidified. 

Tip: Set clear expectations for success and safety.

Communicate all your plans and describe the plan as much as possible so your kids have somewhat of an understanding of what they are doing. This is also goes for any important rules and behavior expectations. We had to communicate the safety rules several times with our 5 year old while we were traipsing around the rim of the Grand Canyon.

3. Character Development

We have a saying in our family, “We do hard things.” I am in no disillusion that driving long distances with 3 children, a dog, and a hyperactive husband is what some nightmares are made of. But I truly believe that there is a magnificent benefit to the struggle. During a long car ride, each participant is practicing: patience, self control, creativity, problem solving, etc. 

Boredom breeds creativity. 

We have come up with some pretty silly games in the car to entertain ourselves. Whether it is making up a story and each person takes a turn contributing to the story, or we compete to find the tallest cactus; though no one has a means to measure. Driving through Nevada and Arizona, my oldest son and I got into a deep discussion about why some of the layers of earth on the mountains we were seeing were horizontal, and why some were vertical. This road tripping environment sparks wonder where it may not otherwise be found.

Tip: Embrace the unexpected. They will become your most memorable moments.

One of our most memorable family road trips took place in the City of Rocks, Idaho. Our trip was thwarted by a spectacular snow storm when we found ourselves in the middle of an unexpected wind tunnel. Forced to pack up our camp at 11 o'clock at night during said stormzilla, I nearly got knocked out by a runaway tent pole. Best trip ever.

4. Quality Time

This may seem like a given, but I want to make sure this is mentioned. I had a pastor once say, 

“Kids spell love: TIME.”

My love language is quality time. It’s how I give and receive love most deeply. So this is not a hard concept for me to accept and apply. But for many, time is scarce and may seem inefficient to do things the longer way. We make time for what is important to us. And if we constantly prioritize the rapid experience of a situation, our kids will pick up on that. Quality time is another way of practicing being present in the moment; enjoying the journey rather than the destination.

5. Tradition

One thing our family always does before we begin any road trip is we stop at Barnes and Nobles. Each kid is able to pick out two books for the trip. This has become one of their favorite family road trip traditions. From a young age, we have treated books as a prized possession. Going to the local library or bookstore gets as much excitement as if they were going to a candy shop (almost). My 5 year old would still prefer to eat candy. You can make your own family road trip traditions! You could make it a tradition to…

• Stop at every vista point and take a picture 
• Play “name that tune” with the radio
• Purchase a pin or sticker from every national park
• Collect a mug with the name of place that you visited

    This list will continue to grow as more reasons come to me. I hope you were inspired to try road tripping with your kids. Start with baby steps! Definitely don't begin with a 12 hour drive. Begin with 3 or 4, and then begin to stretch that length of time as you all get your swimming legs. Embrace the adventure and create some memories!

~J