What You Should Expect When Taking Your First Family Road Trip

What You Should Expect When Taking Your First Family Road Trip According to Travel Agent Central, 66 percent of Americans plan to travel over the summer months, and of those parents who will be traveling with children, 57 percent feel stressed about the prospect of a family road trip. One of the specific issues parents worry about is finding travel centers, rest areas, gas stations, restaurants, etc. which have fresh food options. More Millennial parents worry about this issue (65 percent) than Gen X parents (51 percent) or Baby Boomer parents (42 percent). Clean restrooms are also an issue for parents who are planning a road trip, as is whether the hotels and restaurants along the way are family-friendly. If you plan ahead and know what to expect on your first family road trip, it is almost a sure bet that your trip will go much more smoothly. Some tips for your upcoming family road trip include: Make Sure Your Car is in Tip-Top Condition—Before you hit the highways, take your car in for a checkup to ensure your brakes, air conditioner, tire pressure, oil and windshield wipers are all in good condition. Just in case, make sure you have emergency items, such as jumper cables, a flashlight, flares, water and snacks, tire repair, a first aid kit, a small air compressor and other necessary tools. Ensure Your Child’s Car Seat is Properly Installed—It is very important that you know your car seat prior to strapping your child in and heading out for a road trip. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommend that children should travel in a rear-facing car seat as long as possible—ideally until they are two years old. Transitioning a child to a forward-facing car seat too soon is a common mistake made by parents as well as having the straps on the car seat harness much too loose (there should be no slack in a car seat harness). Keep the children in the vehicle’s rear seat as long as possible—The American Academy of Pediatrics also found that children under the age of 3 have a 43 percent lower risk of injury when restrained in the center of the rear seat. Follow the manufacturer’s installation instructions to the letter and if you are still having problems, visit www.safekids.org to locate an inspection station close by. Have Plenty of Background Knowledge About Where You Are Going Aside from […]

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