When you’re going on vacation, you need your car to be everything! The task of going on a road trip with you and a couple of friends is a tumultuous task, but imagine the stress when you throw into the mix some children! It can be one of the most difficult things anybody can endure; either as a parent or as someone who has offered to take the kids away to give the parents a break! So, what do you really need from your car to ensure that children of all ages will have a good journey so that you can too?
Entertainment
It’s vital to have enough entertainment to keep any child occupied. It depends on the child themselves, but if they are keen to have a sing-along, it’s important to have a car that doesn’t just have the standard radio but is new enough to have Bluetooth functions. Nowadays, children require so much more to keep them occupied, from iPads to mobile devices. It’s always best to head off with a Spotify playlist on your iPad that will keep the kids singing for at least 300 miles!
Space
As you are transporting children hundreds of miles across the country, you’re going to need as much space as humanly possible. Hatchbacks are always the best option for transporting a family unit, such as the Honda Jazz, or the Honda Civic. If you are carrying children under the age of 2, they come with so much paraphernalia that it usually would benefit you to bring a spare helicopter to transport all this stuff! But as most of us aren’t in the budget for this, a spacious boot will have to do. If you’ve got siblings prone to arguing at the back, space gives them the opportunity to be as physically far away as possible from each other in this confined space.
Sophisticated Temperature Control
A lot of modern cars have seat warmers and if you don’t and you’re driving through areas that have four seasons in one day; you’re going to have a lot of complaints from the back seat. Having good quality temperature control that makes everybody comfy in the car is going to make for a happier journey all-round.
And while your car may have what it takes to go the distance, your frame of mind can struggle, especially with bickering children at the back. So, provide enough distractions to placate them. This includes snacks, as well as their own tablets to watch something, but also, make sure you have enough breaks to give everybody the opportunity to have some space. Whether you’re a parent taking the kids on their first cross-country journey, or you are the lucky aunt or uncle who doesn’t spend much time with the kids and drew the short straw; the best way to make sure everybody keep sane on a road trip is not just to plan ahead and make sure you’ve got everything to keep the kids entertained, but that the car itself is built to last these stressful journeys.