Driving with kids

[TonyaKY]

How long do you drive with your kids before taking a break and stretching your/their legs? My kids are used to driving 2 hours at a time as we do it almost every other weekend. ( To go visit my parents) I was just wondering what most of you all did. My kids are 5 and 2.

[3princesses]

Well, with all our trips, we do the three hour mark. Every three hours we stop for something to eat, top off gas and use the bathroom. We found it works great for our family, after about three hours they're usually hungry for a snack and ready to stretch their legs. My kids ages are 8,5,1. I hope this helps!!

Wanda

[Bookwood]

We are bathroom, food and gas stoppers and always have been. (actually when kids were small enough for a collapsible potty chair we used that alot). We have done a lot of traveling by car having been stationed in Mass., NJ, Fl., and Az and heading back home to Indiana to see the Gramas and Grandpas. We try to drive as many hours as we can and incorporate as many stops in one as we can. Driving over night with little ones is great, especially in the car seats these days. Let the kids say when they need to get out and stretch their legs, then run 'em all over (bring a ball or frisbee).

Bookwood

[madsmom]

I have also found that a portable DVD player is a big help. Esepecially when little ones can't relate to how long "ten hours" is. I would tell my DD, " We will be there in five movies". I could also say things like "Lunch will be after Cinderella". We make a 17 hour drive once a year to the beach, and this has been a great way to help with the question "How much longer?"!!!! :wave:

[disneylover]

We travel at night with the kids so they sleep.That means less stops unless it's for gas or the driver needs to stop.While one drives the other sleeps.When day does come and the kids(16,14 see we still travel at night they don't get better with age :roll: ) are up the DVD players come out.Yes as teens they have their owm as of this Sep.no fighting over what too watch.

[SusanP]

We try and get through Atlanta the first day-from an hour north of Detroit on the Canadian side. That means about a 15 hour day and umpteen stops. We didn't even get to Detroit before someone had to stop! When you start out at 5:30-gonna happen, I say! Once, in 2 trips ie 4 ways, we actually stopped because we needed gas. It was about 4.5 hours and man were our legs jelly when we got out! Now I know why they recommend every 2 hours! We tend to stop at McD as their bathrooms were always clean and our "Along I 75" book told us which ones had playplaces. A quick bathroom stop and a 5 min climb for the kids while Dad gets gas did wonders. My Dad always says "don't waste a stop by not filling up the tank" They are 13 & 15 now (our drives were in 2001 and 2002) and if asked they would choose to drive vs fly-go figure!