3 Tricks to a Successful Road Trip With Kids

This post is brought to you by Pfizer Consumer Healthcare, 

Working together with parents to tackle those #SickJustGotReal moments wherever they may hit.

How do you prepare to travel with your kids? Do you start packing weeks in advance, curl up into the fetal position at the mere mention of a "family vacation," or are you confident enough in yourself and your family that you can "get by" with whatever finds it's way into the car the day you leave? 
It's no secret that traveling with your kids can be scary, stressful and overwhelming and certainly nothing like the vacations you were used to taking before you had kids. These feelings, however, shouldn't stop you from hitting the road and exploring the world around you with your kids, even if it means a taking stay-cation right in your own hometown. 
While we don't travel nearly as much (or as far) as we once did sans kids, both my husband and I believe in the importance of getting up and going whenever and wherever we can with our three boys. We've flown across the country, driven up the Eastern coastline and even tackled New Orleans with an infant and toddler. Sure some might think we're crazy but we've chalked it up to "making memories." 
As much as I'd like to be spontaneous in our road tripping, that's just not realistic when I'm traveling with my family of five. I know that I need to research, plan and check and double check accommodations, activities and packing lists even before I can think about leaving the house. If you, too, find yourself overwhelmed at the thought of taking your family anywhere for even a short getaway, then you might find comfort in these 3 tricks to a successful road trip with kids list that I've put together. 

1. Set low expectations. 
Not only does this apply to road trips but to motherhood in general. I've learned, after having 3 kids so close in age, that expecting too much from them at their young ages not only sets them up to fail but sets me up for failure as a mother, too. While the destination is what makes it all worth while, road trips are often wrought with antsy children tethered down for too long. While their little bodies are designed to move, it's not always the right time during a long trip to pull over and let them stretch their wiggly bodies. Keep your expectations low and your travel bag full of age-appropriate activities for them to partake in. Some suggestions include mess-free markers, "Water Wow" activity pads, educational workbooks, Wikki-Stix, magnetic toys and an Eye-Spy type card game. (Are you wondering how to store it all? Check out this awesome backseat organizer!) Be sure to include some fun music for those traffic-stop dance parties! 

2. Be prepared for everything.
And I mean everything. There's nothing worse than a sudden "Mom, my belly hurts," spoken from the third row seats. To combat those Sick Just Got Real road trip moments, the first bag I always pack before hitting the road is my children's medicine Go Bag. Not only does it include any prescription medications they may currently be taking such as asthma inhalers and allergy tabs but it also includes medicine for all of the lumps, bumps, aches, pains, itchies and ickies that so often find themselves unwelcome guests on our family vacation. 
When sick gets real, the pediatric brands of Pfizer Consumer Healthcare are there with 3 solutions Children’s Advil®, Children’s Robitussin® and Children’s Dimetapp® – to tackle the ickiest of symptoms. Whether it's a headache, unrelenting cough or a runny nose, Pfizer with their variety of age-appropriate formulas wants to make sure those symptoms won't put a damper on the family vacation.

Be sure to check your medication bottles of expiration dates and never use an expired medication.
Also, be sure to ALWAYS store your medications safely up out of the reach of children. 

• Ease those aches and pains, while reducing a child’s fever fast with Children’s Advil®*, a great solution for kids as young as 2 and up to 11. Children’s Advil® comes in several great-tasting flavors, including: Sugar-free Dye-free Berry, Bubble Gum, Grape, Blue Raspberry, Fruit and Dye-Free White Grape flavors. There’s also Infants’ Advil® White Grape, which provides unsurpassed fever relief (among OTC pain relievers) with a syringe for easy dosing for children 6-23 months.
• For your child’s cough, trust Children’s Robitussin® Extended-Release 12 Hour Cough Relief to control and relieve symptoms all-day or all- night. Available in grape or orange flavor, for children ages 4 and up. Please note, certain Children’s Robitussin® products are only suitable for children ages 6 and up.
• Children’s Dimetapp® Multi-Symptom Cold Relief Dye-Free eases your child’s stuffy and runny nose, while quieting a bothersome cough. All in a great-tasting grape flavor that’s dye-free, for children ages 6 and up.

3. Keep a master list. Keep a master list of everything you might need for a successful stay away from home. During the summer months, it's easy to use and re-use the same list over and over again as most of our destinations include sand and water fun. This makes it easy for me to keep a printable check-list on my computer at all times to print off and utilize at a moment's notice. As the boys get older I can easily edit the list to swap out things like "pack and play" for "pillow and blankets." If the destination allows, ship some of the bulkier items ahead of time such as a box of diapers and wipes so that they're waiting for you upon arrival.  

Above all else, stay safe and have FUN! What are some of your best summer travel tips and tricks? I'd love to hear them so be sure to leave them in the comments section below or on Facebook!

Finally, wherever your travels may take you this summer, don't forget to be prepared. My friends at Pfizer want to help make the most of your time on the road by offering one lucky reader this awesome prize pack! Be sure to enter below using the Rafflecopter widget. 

Your prize pack will include:

• $25 virtual visa gift card
• (1) Children’s Advil® Suspension, Grape
• (1) Children’s Robitussin ® Extended-Release 12 Hour Cough Relief
• (1) Children’s Dimetapp® Multi-Symptom Cold Relief Dye-Free

Giveaway is open to U.S. Residents, ages 18+ years of age. Must have valid U.S. mailing address to win.

The giveaway ends on 07/02/17

a Rafflecopter giveaway