I told this to my brother before his 7 hour drive to meet us at
the beach for Thanksgiving, but of course, being my "little"
brother, he did not listen. He thought he could pack his wife, two
young children and all their cribs, strollers, snacks, toys, car
seats and suitcases in the morning before they left. As a result,
they didn't get on the road until noon!
Seriously, packing the car the night before a big trip accomplishes
several things. First, it allows you to pack at a leisurely pace
so you are not rushed and panicked, leaving you stressed out just
before you get behind the wheel. You will be able to hop in the
car cheerfully rested and relaxed in the morning with your coffee
in hand, more able to enjoy the journey, and with more patience
to keep the kids happy.
Second, it gives you more time to think about what you have packed
so you don't forget anything, and so you can decide whether you
really need to bring certain things. This really helps alleviate
that "I wonder if I forgot something" feeling that everyone
gets when they are about 30 miles into a 300 mile drive.
Next, it allows you to plan better for games and travel activities
you want to bring, and what snacks to bring. This will save you
money and time on the road if you can bring lunch with you, and
save you sanity if you have planned well to keep the kids busy.
One final bonus is that it might buy you a couple of hours of quiet
time at the beginning of your drive. This is well worth it! Many
times when we have left for long trips early in the morning, we
literally picked the kids up out of their beds, took them to the
potty and put them in the car -- pajamas and all. If we were lucky
they often slept a couple more hours before we had an easy breakfast
break in the car (usually cereal mix or granola bars) and a clothing
change at our first gas stop.
With safety in mind, think about where you keep your car before
you pack it. Since we keep our minivan in the garage, we feel safe
having our stuff in the car overnight. If your car is outside, you
might feel better piling it all up inside near the door the night
before. It will still only take a moment to toss it all in if you've
got it all ready to go ahead of time.
Packing the night before will help you get on the road sooner which
means you'll arrive at your destination sooner!
Laurel
Smith is a former schoolteacher and currently a stay-at-home-mom
who has logged thousands of road trip miles both as a kid and
a mom. If you pass her on the highway, you might catch her singing
loudly in her minivan while her three children sing backup. Visit
her website for more than 101 travel games and activities for
kids at http://www.MomsMinivan.com.
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