Family Travel Tips: Avoiding "Are We There Yet?"

From the earliest days of family travel, four small words have resonated through the car-- are we there yet?! If you listen closely you can almost hear those words wafting from the back seat of a Model T. While cars have changed, family travel and that famous phrase have not. So, how do you stop the 'Are We There Yets' (known as the 'awtys' in our family)?

Most cases of the 'awtys' are caused by three factors: the need to move around, boredom, and desire for parental interaction. Here are some tips to help combat this famous method of vacation torture. Mixing the tips to suit your family will work the best!

Children have their limitations. Even the best travelers will need to stretch their legs. Most children can realistically handle about two hours of travel at a time. Plan for a stop every two hours; you could make that a time to stop for meals, gasoline, or just a rest area. Either way, make sure there is somewhere for the kids to get out and walk around safely. As soon as we get in the car, we clip a small, kitchen timer to the back of the front seat so the kids can see it. We set the timer for two hours. They know when the timer goes off we will start looking for the next appropriate place to stop for a break. If you aren't near a rest area, ask the attendant at a gas station where the nearest park is. Oftentimes we will find a nice park not far from the interstate. Pack along some jump ropes, small balls or bubbles to play with. These items are easy to pack along and you will be amazed at the amount of energy the kids can get out in a short time. When you are back in the car set the timer again. Children won't need to ask 'Are We There Yet' because they can trust the timer to let them know when they will be out of the car again.