Are We There Yet?

How many times have you heard that whether on a 50 minute drive or a 5 hour drive?

How about maps for the kids?

There’s a few ways you can do this. Either just buy them each a map and highlight the trip....easy, can be overwhelming for the non-map reader and a bit too much for the penny-pinchers (me!).

When our kids were young, I’d break up the trip putting each hour or half hour segment on a page. Using simple lines I’d draw the road we were traveling on, some cross roads or landmarks to watch for, and label it all, including the page number (in case your husband drops those pages on the way to copying them!) Finish up with a staple in the corner.

Now, perfectionists, every curve in the road does not have to drawn! Simple is best. You could even give this to one or all of your children to do for a school project!

For those of you who cringe at the thought of drawing even a line, here’s an easier way. Use a mapping program to print out the trip, but remember, if your kids have never used a map, this can be confusing. Take the time to ask them questions about it to make sure they can read it.

Include a highlighter and map for the trip then when you hear "How long?" you can say "How long do you think?" or "When’s our next turn, do you know where we are?" It keeps them interested and occupied, and you probably won’t hear those words very often!