There are four words every parent dreads hearing: “Are we there yet?”
Yes, those little words hold enough power to bring despair to your heart … especially when you are five minutes in to a 9-hour drive.
“No, not yet.”
“When will we be there?”
“Not soon enough,” you say again through gritted teeth under your breath.
Yes, nothing quite says summer like a good family road trip — setting out on the open highway for a change of scenery and new experiences.
But taking car trips across the country with your kids can be an adventure in and of itself. The screaming, the crying, the multiple rest area stops, dropped toys, and food fights … yes, it’s a time that brings everyone together … perhaps a little too together.
But, just look at it as a time to bond … an opportunity, really. (Because after all, the alternative options are rather limited.)
Yes, I’ve just survived a 9 ½-hour, one-way-trip with the kids. All I can say is, I’m still here; we made it.
Yes, there were moments I simply wanted to pull my hair out when all I heard was, “I wanna go home,” and “When we will be there?”
But I just turned up the music a few times to tune out a bit of the excess white noise.
It’s always amazed me that children have a way of finding something fun to do, no matter where they are. But, yet, this ability disappears immediately when you tell them you are going on a road trip.
They suddenly have nothing to do, are plagued with boredom, and they do not request, but more demand, to be entertained.
You may want to just go ahead and prepare a song and dance ahead of time. (You will need it.)
But, if my children have taught me anything, it’s when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. They just love lemonade. So look at it this way … being stuck in a lunchbox on wheels really isn’t all bad. At least you are trapped with those you love most.
As we finally reached our point of interest, I yelled, “We’re here!” only to realize my two boys were passed out cold in the backseat. Yes, we drove over 500 miles with two kids wide-awake and full of life until the final moments.
But this made me realize in life we tend to focus on getting from Point A to Point B, and often forget about everything in between. No matter where life takes you, just remember it’s really all about the journey, not the destination. So make it a good one.
