The Lazy Genius Podcast - #129 - How to Holiday Road Trip

Episode Date: October 28, 2019

It’s about that time. Grandparents in faraway states are waiting, but getting in the car with all the stuff and possibly all the children can feel daunting. Hopefully, this episode will help that, but please note, this episode only covers being in the car, not packing or being on vacation or leaving or coming home. It’s just for being in the car, which is really the most exhausting part. Stuff Mentioned See how other Lazy Geniuses tackle road trips with Road Tested Road Trip Tips, a round-up of the suggestions you shared with me on Instagram recently. Speaking of Instagram, you can find me on the app @thelazygenius. I’m usually there every Thursday around 12:15 pm EST, but this week we’re holding that commitment loosely because of some family medical appointments. I’ll post about it on the feed if I can make it. My travel guru is Tsh Oxenreider who says the more your kids travel, the better travelers they’ll become -- which is true of just about anything really. Join the VIP mailing list to get my monthly newsletter affectionally called the Latest Lazy Letter. Y’all, I take great pride in making that letter something you look forward to. If you’re not on the list, you can put your name on this list here. Download a transcript of today’s episode This podcast is hosted by Kendra Adachi and executive produced by Kendra Adachi, Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Don't miss what the movie blog calls something you need to watch. Saving those children is how we all go home. From binge all episodes exclusively on Paramount Plus. Hello, lazy geniuses. You're listening to the Lazy Genius podcast. I am Kendra Adachi, and I'm here to help you be a genius about the things that matter and lazy about the things that don't. Today is episode 129, how to holiday road trip. It is about that time, you guys. Grandparents and faraway states are waiting. But getting in the car with all the stuff, possibly all the children, can feel really daunting. Hopefully this episode will help you with that. Okay, so a couple of things before we start. This episode only covers being in the car, not packing or being on vacation or leaving or coming home. It's just about being in the car, the road trip part. I will say one of my favorite trip tips is leaving a clean house. Coming home to a house in even moderate chaos is kind of a tough ask. So that's just my favorite.

simple tip that has nothing to do with the actual road trip. Come home to a clean house if you can. But in this episode, it's all about the road trip. And we'll talk about the three E's expectations, entertainment, and emergencies. Okay. I also asked for your favorite road trip tips on Instagram and we have collected those and put them in a blog post, you guys. It's basically the best thing ever. I will share some of my favorites in this episode, but there will be a link in the show notes to that post or you can go to the lazy genius collective.com slash blog to find that post and any others. Okay. So let's start with our first E with road trip expectations. Being in the car is a different thing than being in your house. That's obvious, but sometimes kids forget

that. Frankly, I can too. I think some great ways to deal with road trip expectations are the following. Number one, say them out loud. Ask everyone who will be. in the car what one thing they're looking forward to the most about the trip and then make those things happen if you can now if one kid says they're excited to stop at Disneyland on the way and that's definitely not in your road trip plans maybe instead you can find a like a Mickey Mouse or a favorite Disney toy at the dollar store or a coloring book or something to acknowledge that expectation and love on that kid without just saying like no weirdo we're not stopping at Disneyland so say your expectations out loud. Number two, give yourself as much time as you can. If you are traveling with kids,

stop often. Don't have the expectation of making the best time. So let's just leave our expectations of efficiency when it comes to road tripping at home. Now, if they happen, great, but don't expect a seamless trip. Now, a quick note, though, about frequent stops on the other side. If you have tiny babies or toddlers, it might be that frequent stops are actually a terrible idea. getting them back in the car seat after a 15-minute stretch break at a rest stop, it causes more trouble than just powering through. So do what works for you, and if frequent stops don't, don't do them, but give yourself margin for whatever you need regardless of what the need is. Number three, this one is from Kim and Cardell on Instagram. Everyone gets to have one fit,

like one little tantrum. Consequences. free. I think that's absolutely brilliant. We forget that kids, especially kids who aren't used to traveling, they don't know how to regulate being bored or uncomfortable or stuck in a car with their siblings who are being loud or too quiet or whatever it is, rather than reacting to every single sign of disrespect or tantrum with consequences and instruction, operate with understanding and give everyone a free pass. Even you and the other adults maybe. I know I need a consequence free pass. I know I need a consequence-free pass sometimes. I love the grace in that idea. So I just, I love that idea. Okay. Four is from, it's actually from another Instagram account. Kristen Heary says,

Don't give up. My kids all had to be trained. And now they do a 10-hour trip to grandma's like a boss. I have heard Tish Oxen Rider, who is my travel guru, say that the more your kids travel, the better travelers they become. Which means if they are not used to traveling, show them some grace. It's tough to be in the car for hours when you're not used to it. If your road trip is the absolute worst, or maybe your first one was like last Thanksgiving and you're wondering if you should even go again because it was so bad, don't give up. The more you practice, the better everyone will get. And finally, number five, this is the most brilliant tip from Farmgal 22. She says to use a piece of like twine with a moving clothespin as a visual for are we there yet genius one of the expectations

of any road trip is that you'll actually get where you're going but the like incessant are we there yet is a stereotype for a reason so this is such a fun visual move the clothespin at every stop or every hour or whatever makes the most sense but having a visual is so so smart so for our first E of expectation. We have five points. Number one, say your expectations out loud. Two, give yourself as much time as you can or as much margin as you can if time is not as much of importance. Three, everyone gets a free pass for losing it. Four, don't give up on travel. Every road trip builds on the next one. And five, have an are we there yet visual. Next up, our second E, entertainment. There are lots.

of tips about this, but I want to start with one overarching principle of road trips, mostly with kids, but really with anyone. It's not going to be amazingly entertaining all the time. The first time we traveled somewhere when the boys were little, I gave them all their toys at once and snacks almost immediately. I started playing an I spy game, and it wasn't an hour into the trip before they had used up everything and were bored of every game, and it was just bad. So we need to spread out the entertainment and remember that one thing at a time might not be like the most stimulating, amazing, exciting thing, but it's also the smartest way to go about it. It's just really, it can be really complicated if you try to make every minute of the road trip

super, super exciting. That's just not realistic and hard to sustain. Somebody on Instagram said, it was, let me look, H. J. Jelmore said if you have little kids, and everything is peaceful and quiet and going well, don't point out something outside. Chaos. And I actually totally get that. Sometimes it's worth letting one entertaining thing slide for the sake of the whole group needing quiet in that moment. Not always, but it's worth considering for sure. Just remember that a road trip doesn't have to be super entertaining all the time. Okay, so let's run down some tips for entertaining. The first one is about snacks. Snacks were the main attraction in the comments and for good reason. snacks in the car for a road trip are vital for many, many reasons. They're fun and entertaining.

They pass the time. They nourish and all the things. And there's something about eating on a drive that feels like a little extra special. Eating in the car on the way to work feels different than like eating in the car on the way to Minnesota. So some snack ideas. A lot of tips were about packing a variety, packing more than you think you need. And snack. And snack. And snack. And snacking rather than stopping for big meals, at least for kids. K-8 Rhea suggested packing snacks in a craft storage box that you use for, like, beads, so that it's fun. And there is a ton of variety because of all those little containers, but it's contained. Aw, isn't something we need to travel for.

It's something waiting for us in everyday life, whether in a city street or a moment with a work of art. I'm Dr. Keltner, host of the Science of Happiness podcast. join me for Cities of Aw, a special series on how our public spaces can spark awe, wonder, and enhance the quality of public life. You can find us wherever you listen to your podcasts. There were also a lot of comments about putting snacks in individual bags and then putting those in a bigger bag and letting kids choose like a tiny snack bag every hour from a big bag or kids have their own big snack bag and choose anything whenever they want. For our family, we really love a gas station snack run. I know it's more expensive, but about halfway through any trip, we stop at a gas station and everybody gets to pick any one thing they want. The absurdity of it just blows my kids' minds. They're like, anything? Even if it's 10 in the

morning and I can get an ice cream bar or a bag of chips? Yes, yes, you can. It is one of our favorite ways to have snacks be the entertainment. The kids talk about what they'll choose on the way home and they compare and list out what they almost chose, but they didn't. It's like a whole thing and I love it. Okay, so before we leave snacks, I want to mention these two tips from a mommy's place, both of which feel very smart. One, she suggests that when you stop for lunch or whatever you stop for at a fast food place, let the kids play, like in a, you know, like the play place, while the adults eat and then take the kids food in the car. That way, they get out energy. The adults get to eat and rest without having to like open ketchup.

packets for children, and then the kids pass some time on the drive by eating their own meal. Really smart. Another idea from her was if you see an IKEA to stop at it, adults get free coffee and the kids can play for free and that kids play place. And my addition to that tip is to get a container of cinnamon rolls for the road or for breakfast the next morning. Okay, let's move on from food as entertainment to a few other entertainment tips. There are the obvious forms of entertainment, books, audiobooks, podcasts, movies, art, license plate games, all the things. I think a great way to approach this, like a lazy genius, is to consider not just the kinds of entertainment you can pack for your kids and yourself, but the relational energies of those

types of entertainment. Think about things that everyone can do alone. You can do as a group, as a group of kids, a group of adults, screen-related things, out-the-window-related things. consider that the energy of your road trip is going to vary. Everyone will be talking and then suddenly everyone will go quiet. It's kind of funny how that happens. So if you have a kid who doesn't like to go quiet, make sure that kid is equipped with a couple of quiet solo things when the family introverts need to just kind of tap out. So consider relational energies and choose some entertainment ideas accordingly. Some specifics. Rache Goal suggested glow in the dark bracelets and glow for kids when you're driving at night. I love the fun of that one. Victoria Harder keeps all of the

happy meal toys and like birthday party goodie bags exclusively for road trips. That saves the trip to the dollar store for those little wrapped up treats that a lot of people suggest and I think that's so brilliant. I'm not sure how I would get my kids on board with like taking their happy meal toys right away, but I'm guessing if the expectation is there for like this goes in the trip to grandma's box and you'll get to play with it then or something. It'll likely work just fine. But I love that idea. Emily as Farmer suggests printing out the trip route for your kids to follow. We usually get a map at a rest stop. Those are all free, by the way. So stock up in like brochures and stuff when you hit a rest stop, especially the ones at a state line. Those are usually the best.

And our oldest son was obsessed with following the map the last time that we went on a trip. Such a great idea for certain kids. And then Adrian Schenke suggested a lap desk. for kids to write and draw and like hold snacks on and stuff, which is such a great idea. Again, a huge list will be on the website, so be sure and check that out. And the link will be in the show notes. Okay. And our final E, emergencies. Now, I'm not talking about medical emergencies, but like minor traveling emergencies, diaper blowouts, a car that feels like a dumpster, spills, that kind of thing. I think my short list of essentials for minor emergencies are old towels, which can serve as picnic blankets, wiping off

wet slides at the rest stop playground, diaper blowouts, spills, all the things. Other essentials, baby wipes, tissues, quarters for tolls and for vending machines, hand sanitizer, and obviously snacks. I also think that bringing along a gallon or two of water is really smart for when water bottles or lunch drinks are empty, but everybody is still thirsty. Or you can have like water bottles themselves in ready supply, but I do kind of like the idea of having gallons. It's cheaper and a little bit easier. Okay, Stacey Renee 1228 suggested packing a separate hotel bag for overnight stops if you have a longer road trip so you don't have to unpack everything, which is so smart. Similarly, an emergency is when you can't find something you need. So when you pack the car, try and put the completely

unnecessary stuff on the bottom and in the back of your car so you don't have to worry about moving every suitcase to get to that one duffel bag that has the extra books in it. Another emergency tip make a list before you leave of the things that would destroy your family if you left them behind at grandma's seven states away. Things like beloved stuffed animals, prescription sunglasses, wallets and keys, your phone, that kind of thing. Make a list. And rather than doing that general like, did we get everything? You know, when you sort of scan a room, make sure you at least got those things. If you got those things, you'll be fine if you left behind a random t-shirt or a towel or something. A couple more tips. This one from Leanne Noland is so smart. Throw away trash at every stop.

Even if it's just a candy wrapper, throw away trash at every stop. So your vehicle does not become a dumpster four hours in and make you crazy, which is its own kind of emergency. And finally, there were several tips to bring a potty with you for tiny little butts. If your kid is up for it, pee in a jar, pee in a potty, and then stop to dump the pee out on the grass on the side of the highway. I'm guessing those people gave that tip for a reason and at one point had to use some of those emergency towels I mentioned because there was no place to be. I will say that the most important E here of those three is expectations. Road trips aren't magical or easy or amazing. Always, right? There can be amazing parts. There can be magical parts. There can be easy parts. But if you have little kids,

it's kind of a situation. Keep your expectations realistic. Have fun. Don't get too worked up about timing or healthy snacks or too much screen time, remember that a road trip is a different beast. It's meant to look different than home because it is. Make it special however you want. And remember that the more you do it, the better everyone will become at making it work. Okay, that's it for today. Check that link in the show notes for the post with all those tips. And if you don't want to miss when new blog posts come out or new episodes are ready for your ears, please join the VIP list where you'll get a monthly email from me with all the things. It's like a lazy genius wrap up called the latest lazy letter, say it three times fast.

And I really do take great pride in making that letter something you look forward to. If you were interested in joining that list, head to the lazy genius collective.com slash join. Also, at the time I'm recording this, I might have a kid having minor surgery done this week. So we're holding loosely to the Instagram live. Follow me at the lazy genius. And if I'm able to be there live this week, I will post about it there for sure. but we're not quite sure. He's fine. He will be fine. It's minor, but it's still like going to the hospital for the day, so we'll see. All right. Thank you so much for listening. Until next time,

be a genius about the things that matter and lazy about the things that don't. I'm Kendra, and I'll see you next week. You ever felt like you were living just a B or B plus life? It's so dangerous to live that more dangerous than a B minus or a C plus life because when you're living a B or B plus life, you don't change it. You think it's good enough. Is it? I'm Susie Welch, I host a podcast called Becoming You. People think, okay, an A-plus life is not available to me, but there is a way. We are all in the process of becoming ourselves. Listen to Becoming You, wherever you get your podcasts.