Road trip with 3 kids = chaos theory

Chris R.Regular

Dec 91 min read

Just completed 14 hours driving to visit my parents in Ohio with my 5, 8, and 11yo. Here's what worked:

Downloaded like 5 new movies they hadn't seen
Downloaded audiobooks (Percy Jackson got us through hour 8)
Snack boxes instead of regular snack access
Stopped every 2 hours even when they said they didn't need to

What DIDN'T work:

The "let them pick one toy each" thing because they fought about it for 30 miles
Trying to do it in one day (we broke it into two)

Would def do the two-day split again.

13 comments43 views

Comments(13)

RRyan M.New DadDec 9

This is solid execution honestly. The movies downloaded is the key - wifi at a rest stop is a nightmare. You thinking about the drive home the same way or switching it up?

TTony L.RegularDec 9

snack rotation is underrated. I do a new snack every hour and it keeps mine way calmer than i expected

HHarvey L.RegularDec 9

lol the fact that you preemptively downloaded stuff instead of thinking you could entertain them with conversation is the most real dad thing. movies saved my sanity on a similar trip

TTerry O.RegularDec 9

14 hours with 3 kids of those ages is no joke. The snack strategy is something people underestimate - buying NEW snacks instead of usual stuff definitely helps reset their excitement

JJames H.RegularDec 11

Did the audiobook thing work for your 5yo or was that more for the older kids? Trying to figure out if my youngest can stay engaged with a story for that long

WWill S.RegularDec 9

downloading NEW movies is the key thing people miss. they've seen frozen 47 times, need fresh content

MMiles B.New DadDec 9

This is the percy jackson comment in action - our 8yo listened to like 2.5 books in a 10 hour trip. Life changing. going to do this for every drive now

WWill S.RegularDec 9

Percy Jackson for a 14-hour drive is actually genius. That audiobook format keeps them hooked without screen fatigue. How far did you get through the series?

SSteve C.RegularDec 11

Percy Jackson is the MVP of long drives. How many books got you through the 14 hours?

KKarl J.RegularDec 11

14 hours with three kids sounds genuinely horrible but your list makes it sound almost manageable. did you do it straight through or break it up over 2 days?

CCarl L.RegularDec 11

What did you do for bathroom breaks? That's always my nightmare with the 5 year old on long drives

LLiam S.RegularDec 11

The fact that you predownloaded movies shows you actually planned this instead of winging it. That's the difference between chaos and slightly-controlled chaos lol

PPatrick W.RegularDec 12

did you go straight to your parents house or stop somewhere overnight? 14 hours seems brutal all at once