Road Trip with Children: "Are we there yet?"

[diznee25]

Every morning I listen to a national radio show, and a woman wrote in disscussing her road trip to WDW. (The hosts of the talk show were talking about tips for vacations.)

She decided to give each child $20 in one dollar bills. (Yes, they were disney dollars!) The children could spend the money however they wished at WDW, but the catch was this: everytime one of them asked, "Are we there yet?", that child would lose $1 and fork it over to mom. Surprisingly enough, each child made it to WDW with at least $16 or more to spend. Children don't like to lose their money!

So mom got a nice quite drive to WDW, and the children were able to keep and spend most of their money.

Anybody else tried this or have simular ideas to pass along?

Diznee25

 

[Camping Griswalds]

Great Idea!! Wish I had thought of that. We usually lie to the kids and make the time go quicker by saying "we're 2 hours away" when we're only 45 min. Also we take lots of movies, so we use that as a time fram...ie 2 more movies and we'll be there

 

[patchchild]

My parents always measured time for us in TV shows. "We'll be there in 2 Seseme Street's and a Mr. Rogers." It gave us a frame of reference.

 

[babytrees]

I saw a bit cheaper way......they did it in quarters....probably the way we will go...although with the Disney Dollars I might be able to get a souvenier for myself with the whine money.

I should have put that my children are older....10 and 14 at time of trip.....and the 14 year old is a whiner!!! They certainly can keep track of quarters.

Looking forward to spending my "whine" money at the Mouse House

 

[diznee25]

Yea, quarters are cheaper than dollar bills, but they are heavy depending on how many you planned to give your child. Even a small amount like $5 would be easier to carry around in dollar bills than coins.

Another idea: If your child is of the age to learn how to tell time, this might be a perfect time to buy them a (cheap) kiddy watch. You can teach them how to tell time on the road trip, it'll keep them busy, and it's educational. They can then use their watch as a guide for the length of time your on the road, instead of asking you all the time!

Diznee25

 

[newtowdw1]

I went REALLY cheap! I told the kids that only I (and DH) would know when the last hour of the trip for that day was. Anyone good during the last hour would earn a disney dollar. We went to Lake Placid this week (5 hours) and both earned $2.00. We'll be travelling for 6 days before (visiting) and 3 days after (beaching). We leave Saturday at 5am. SO excited!!

 

[dyna]

I used a very cheap trick when mine asked ARE WE THERE YET? Took next exit usually in a very remote unpopulated area with nothing in site for miles at the 1st safe spot to pull off the road I pulled over sat there said OK we are here now Mine didn't ask EVER more than once in there life are we there yet.

I made up a bag for DD when she was toddling around with quiet things to pass the time with used that anytime we had to go to funeral home or long car ride etc to entertain her. As she grew I took stuff out added older stuff it worked GREAT. Only time she ever got that bag was when I needed her entertained quietly for an extended amount of time. There was alway things in there that she didn't have all the time at home and a few small versions of favorites she did have at home all the time.

Also when driving on long car rides several hours or in the case of disney 16 hours totally driving time I threw a jump rope and ball in the car for DD to play a few mins in an open area at the rest parks.

Lunch we stopped at a fast food resturant with a playground. DD played while we ate then she ate in the car while riding. This too was a treat as we usually didn't do the playground MickeyD's etc nor did she get to eat in car other times. Surprising what a few mins of gettirn rid of energy can do. At the rest park DH and I walked or played ball with DD the trick there was to throw ball to hard and she had to run and get ball lol

DD had one of the lap table tray things believe it or not an ET one handed down from her older sisters from like 1982 lol. It was great for eating and she could color with markers colered pencils no crayons tho they melt in heat. Paper dolls was a favorite. Her own cassette player with headphones and tapes was always a favorite. Books on her age level.

We never played games in the car never had movies playin in the car DD rode great which is wHY we have taken as many road trips with her as we have. Got to admit tho it's easier with 1 than 2 or 3 been down that road too. The worst was when lil sis plastered gum into the back off big sis's head and big sis had beautiful long hair down past her butt. 90+ degrees and young dumb mommy had no ice no peanut butter no goo gone and sat for hours picking hair out of gum in the hot sun at a rest stop. never again did I take pity among the DD's when we was traveling thru mountains lol