Are we there yet?

Whinging, screaming, can’t settle your child? Better yet there’s still another 5 hours to go.

Yes, road tripping with a toddler has its downsides and as a parent, almost everyone’s been there. Emma Barr founder of iLeads and the road tripping queen of Australia knows the good bad and the ugly when it comes to hitting the road with your little one,  but believe it or not its actually not as bad as you think.

Emma has put together her top tips on road tripping with a toddler to help you and your fam survive your next trip.

Unsettled, no problem – If you have a child who gets unsettled easily and is constantly running wild during the day – use this to your advantage. Start your road trip later in the day, or around their nap time. Run your child wild during that day/morning before you leave. Feed them and start your trip before their usual time of rest. Night is usually best for those who are particularly bad in the car as they cannot see much around them with no distractions of the sun and of course they will be tired.

Use your time wisely - As adults we can get irritated with the long road haul and even though we have more patience children do not. If this is your first road trip with a child/children start small and work your way up. Don’t overdo it all at once, you want your children to remember the experience in a positive light rather than a negative. If avoiding a long road trip is unavoidable use music. Most children respond well to music and make you can make it a family activity for everyone to get involved.

Regular stops – You can fill your kids with movies and snacks galore but there is no doubt you need to make a conscious effort to take regular pit stops. Even if the kids are not complaining yet, ensure you take regular stops to avoid the distress of a melt down because boy do they happen.

Emma Barr is the founder and director of iLEADS who decided she wanted to live her best life with husband Cam and son Flynn on the road. Emma has been on the road with her little trio since September 2018.  Check out her Instagram page.