Traveling by car with toddlers can feel like a wild rollercoaster ride—thrilling at first, but quickly spiraling into chaos. I learned this lesson the hard way a few summers back.
In the spring of 2009, we decided to turn a job interview into a family getaway. Trust me, this was not the best choice, no matter how budget-friendly it sounded. We embarked on a grueling 12-hour drive with my then 4-year-old and barely 2-year-old. It was every bit as challenging as it sounds.
My sweet girls, who usually loved to play, were not fans of being strapped into their car seats, even for short trips around town. Imagining their reaction to a lengthy journey was like predicting a storm. I often thought the parents who complain about long drives simply lacked patience; however, I quickly discovered how maddening that incessant “Are we there yet?” can truly be. It can push any well-meaning mom to the edge of sanity, especially when it’s asked every 20 minutes.
While my oldest continuously bombarded me with the “Are we there yet?” question, my youngest was losing her mind over what I can only describe as the most terrifying gnat ever. Yes, a gnat! The pitch of her screams echoed through the car for what felt like three hours.
To summarize, my 4-year-old relentlessly asked if we’d reached our destination every second, while my 2-year-old was in a panic over a tiny insect, making it sound as if the world was ending. I was on the verge of losing it, and my husband—bless his heart—was contemplating a stop at the nearest gunsmith.
I attempted to salvage the situation with every trick in my arsenal. I brought along a stash of 1,200 DVDs, but none seemed to capture their attention. So we resorted to coloring and singing rounds of “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star,” “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” and, of course, the Subway jingle that my toddler adored. That catchy tune played on repeat, which was charming the first few times but quickly became overwhelming.
After what felt like an eternity, we finally pulled into a Wendy’s in West Virginia to stretch our legs. Not exactly my favorite stop, especially after seeing Wrong Turn, but we were desperate. We ordered food, but of course, it wasn’t cooked right. While I waited for the kitchen to fix our meal, a fly swooped down and chaos erupted. My toddlers were leaping around, screaming and crying as if they’d just encountered a monster. I had to take matters into my own hands, literally, and squashed that pesky fly with my flip-flop right there in the Wendy’s.
Just when I thought things couldn’t get worse, my youngest yelled at the top of her lungs, “EWWWW, FAArTED. Stinks!” Mortified, I fled the scene with my girls in tow, only to discover that she hadn’t farted at all—she had merely blown out her diaper.
In the end, we might have been a bit worse for wear, but we made it to our destination without needing to stop at any mental health facilities or gun shops—except for that poor fly at the Wendy’s.
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Summary
Road trips with toddlers can turn into a chaotic adventure filled with endless questions and unexpected meltdowns. Through patience and a bit of humor, families can navigate the challenges of travel, ensuring everyone arrives at their destination—albeit with a few battle scars along the way.