Summer means there is a lot of fun activities
planned for you and your loved ones. Some of the plans include traveling
together to visit relatives that may live out of state. You can either choose
to fly there but it’s much cheaper to drive. If you’ve never accomplished a
road trip before, there are a few needed items to make sure you bring along
before you get to your destination. These essentials are put in place to make
your trip more enjoyable and easier on you and your family.
- Snacks - I’m sure many of
us have heard the famous phrase “I’m hungry” coming from the backseat of
the car at least 5 minutes from pulling away from the house. To ensure
that everyone feels full and satisfied, pack a variety of snacks everyone
will enjoy. I’ll have various cut up fruits and vegetables in small
baggies for the kids to pick up and open themselves as well as easy snacks
such as fruit snacks, crackers and a few small sweets. To make sure that
the snacks last a while, each kid is able to have one thing every hour or so.
Of course we do stop for lunch to stretch our legs and keep our hunger to
a minimum but as soon as we are back in the car, the “ I’m hungry “ seems
to last a little longer than we’d like it too.
- Drinks - The same goes for
drinks. I make sure that there is also a large variety of drinks for the
kids and the rest of the family to enjoy. I keep it simple by bringing
small water bottles, empty cups for them to fill what they need and easy
to use juice boxes. My rule of thumb is to have everyone use the bathroom
before they get into the car so it’s not an extra stop along the way the
second we pull away from the gas station.
- Entertainment - If you have
younger children, entertainment isn’t as necessary as when you have older
ones. For younger kids, easy things such as a Tablet or a small DVD player
to enjoy watching a few movies is a treat! As they get older, bring a few
pads of paper, markers and coloring books for them to enjoy. There are
also audio books the kids can listen to if they are prone to motion sickness
and want to enjoy reading their favorite book but can’t stand reading in
the car. Playing games such as “The License Plate” game where everyone has
to find a license plate from a different state can be fun for everyone as
well.
Image: Wellstar Medical Group
- Insurance Cards - Without
the comforts of home, it can be miserable if someone comes down for a cold
and you need to see a doctor. Having your insurance cards handy and
accessible is extremely encouraged when you are traveling. Once, we needed
to see an ENT for our son who had an awful ear infection. We found Wellstar Medical Group, ENT who were
located in Roswell area in Georgia. They took amazing care of our little
boy the second we walked in. From the friendly staff who greeted us and
asked us questions to ensure he would get the proper care, to the doctor
and nurses who explained, guided and was able to give us the correct
medication and relief that our son needed, this was truly the place we needed
to be at while traveling. Not only do they specialize in ear, nose and
throat but they have a variety of services such as
helping you with hearing aids, swallow studies, balancing, facial
surgeries, head and neck injuries and more. Every doctor comes highly
recommended including Dr. Camberly Coe. Dr. Coe graduated from
Auburn University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Communication
Disorders as well as her Master of Communication Disorders Degree in
Audiology. Ms. Co provides comprehensive diagnostic adult and pediatric
audiological evaluation including otoacoustic emissions and play
audiometry. She is a member of the American Speech-Language-hearing
Association as well as the American Academy of Audiology. She’s one of an
amazing team of doctors who are not only comforting to have help you
through some difficult moments in your life, but also listen, care and
encourage you to feeling like yourself again, even when you’re not in the
comfort of your own hometown.
- Chargers - There is nothing
worse than forgetting your cell phone or tablet charger. Make sure that
these are packed where you are able to get them quickly if items begin to
have a low battery life. Believe me, those are meltdowns you don’t want to
have!
- Trash Bags - For everyday
messes with eating and drinking, having a small trash bag in your car is
life changing. Make sure everyone is able to put their items in the trash
bag and when you stop at your next rest stop or gas station, simply throw
everything away easily and efficiently! It keeps your car clean too!
Of course there are
many other essentials to help you have a successful road trip but I believe
that these 6 items are critical for you and your family. Roads trips can be
such a fun and memorable experience for everyone so make sure you are open
minded, keep everyone as healthy and entertained as you possibly can and enjoy
the quality time that you all need together.
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