Road trip with kids and boyfriend

TiredSoul

Warrior Mom since 2007
My mom used to put a large cooler and pillows and other items stacked all the way up to the roof in the middle seat between my brother and me - so we couldn't see each other. LOL.
 

InsaneCdn

Well-Known Member
How old is the vehicle? It was definitely a problem when air-bags were "new technology". They had to re-design a second-generation approach that used less force. I'm not aware of problems with newer air-bags and people 5 feet tall and 100 lbs... but you could check on-line for that car manufacturer's recommendations and/or check the vehicle owner's manual.
 

greenrene

Member
Definitely depends on the vehicle - my passenger air bags automatically turn off if the person sitting there is below a certain weight (or if all the **** I pile on it is below a certain weight...).
 

Hound dog

Nana's are Beautiful
Seven hour drive?

Leave as late as possible. Personally...........I've had better luck with bored kids falling asleep, even teens, but then mine had early bedtimes. Still.......to cut some of the boredom........we have a good 8 hr trip home to visit family, we always started late in the evening after dinner....usually close to bedtime for the kids. Within an hour or two boredom set in and all 3 were asleep which minimized stops (made the trip faster) and bickering.

Didn't have much bickering like that (and we had a little car)..........that sort of nonsense was cured before they were school age.

Helpful hint: if the "space" issues start to grate? Crank up your radio to music they can't stand but you think is just fine........and I do mean CRANK IT UP 1. you can't hear them and 2. they will stop, if for no other reason than to get you to turn it off.
 

HaoZi

CD Hall of Fame
It's advised that no one under 13 be in the front seat if there's an airbag, unless the airbag can be turned off or has the technology that turns it off automatically if the person isn't big enough. My SO got a new truck and his airbag turns off when I sit in the front seat LOL.
 

Hound dog

Nana's are Beautiful
Personally, I wouldn't trust their sensors, I'd switch it off manually.

My kids never sat in the front seat until they were teens, then rarely. It stopped the whole bickering over who was going to "ride shotgun" thing.
 

Californiablonde

Well-Known Member
His jeep is a 2001 so I don't think it has the technology to turn off the air bags but I will ask. We are leaving after dinner around 7:00. I am going to give difficult child her night time medications at dinner since her Geodon has to be taken with food anyway. It usually takes a couple of hours to make her fall asleep so she should be tired by 9:00. But she has never had to sleep in a car before so I don't know if she will be able to fall asleep easily. With easy child he usually goes to bed around 11:00 on weekends. I am going to give him some melatonin to help him sleep. My Saphris makes me tired and I plan on holding off on taking it till around 10:00. We are going to arive around 2:00 or 3:00 so I will get a few hours sleep hopefully. His parents want to take us out to breakfast on Saturday around 9:00 so we should get a few hours of sleep at their home as well. Hopefully it works out well and none of us are too tired and cranky the next day.
 

DammitJanet

Well-Known Member
If your kids arent experienced long distance traveler's then they may find the lull of the tires makes them sleepy. Now one thing to think about, if they havent traveled much in backseats...car sickness. I think I would get some dramamine and give each one a pill before you leave just to be on the safe side.
 
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