Lessons learned: Traveling with two kids under 2 years old

Recently I went on a trip with my family that would usually take 3 and a half hours but took us over 6. Three adults, two teenagers, and two little ones ages 8 months and a year and a half-we all rode in one car. Sound crazy? because it was.

I did a few things right and I did a few things wrong.

1. We should have brought activities for the kids to play with while on the road, DUH. But when you procrastinate and pack last minute, you forget stuff. Note to self: work on being more prepared.
2. We should seriously invest in a car DVD player. I’m not a fan of excessive screen time for kids, but if letting them watch movies for the majority of four hours in the car means them being content and not screaming for their lives to get out of their car seats- Then hey, I’m all for it.
   
3. I’ve learned we must expect random stops because seriously, one year olds were not created to sit still for very long, certainly not even an hour or two at a time. Embrace it, enjoy the stops a long the way.
   
   Let the kids roll down hills and run around to get their energy out, find cute trees that look like they have grown a chair in their stump perfectly sized for babies and take cute pictures, everyone will be much happier this way 🙂 plus babies gotta nurse and diapers gotta get changed.
4. Car diffuser. Seriously, a must. I can’t believe I waited until the night before we left to order one, because we NEEDED it.
   
5. THANK GOODNESS I REMEMBERED MY OILS. My travel bag consisted of: Digize to prevent heartburn and aide in healthy digestion, because I failed majorly by not packing lunches and instead we stopped along the way. Peppermint because not only was it my time of the month, but I knew one way or another I was bound to end up with a headache between the screaming fussy kiddos and the curvy roads. Not to mention I get car sick, and it sucks. I would’ve been miserable had I forgot peppermint! Lavender to relax fussy babies. Let me tell ya, I was like “GIVE THESE KIDS SOME LAVENDER! DAD, APPLY THIS TO THE BOTTOMS OF BUBS FEET” & Thank goodness it worked, I was about to lose my marbles. I wish I would’ve thought of it sooner. Also because we use lavender every night to wind down and get a good nights rest. Lavender is awesome for burns too, and I’m clumsy so I don’t leave home without it! I could go on and on about lavender, it’s good for so many things. Everyone needs a bottle of it in their life! Copaiba for my sweet teething baby. Did I mention we brought my 8 month old baby who is currently about to cut two top teeth? Yeah, I didn’t really think about it either until we were on the way. ha ha. Tea Tree because acne strikes and no one wants a giant pimple to be the center of attention. Also because it offers many other health benefits, and you never know what you may run into when away from home.. Which leads me to Thieves ready to go roller bottles (one for adults, one for kids) that I mixed up and always keep with me, because we could all use an immune system boost! Anytime I’m feeling like I’ve caught something or anytime my family is exposed to a germy environment with sick people we apply thieves to the bottom of our feet. Purification ready to go roll on for bug bites, which always comes in handy. My brother actually got stung by a wasp while we we’re on our trip, and as soon as my aunt applied purification he stopped crying and felt better. (Aunt nonna if you’re reading this we LOVE you and thank you for introducing me to oils in the first place! Talk about life changing and eye opening.) Last but not least-how I kept my sanity- STRESS AWAY! Oh my goodness I owe my sanity to this oil while we were on the road, and also while we were floating the river which was the first time EVER I’ve been without my baby for more than two hours. Talk about worrying, I was on the verge of a melt down while away from my baby with no way of calling him because we didn’t have service & I applied stress away every hour. While driving and the kids freaking out, I stayed calm and happy. They were screaming and I was getting irritated and not focusing on the road (this happened several times) and everytime Kyle would apply stress away to my wrists and I’d inhale the aroma deeply and instantly calm down, I’m not even joking. Within a few minutes of applying the oil I was laughing at the loud ridiculousness of the fussy babies, the several miles left to go, and the car packed full of people all ready to reach our destination. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, EVERYONE needs stress away!! It’s a life saver.

In all seriousness though, I had a great time. I learned ways to make the next trip even better and less stressful, too. I will continue to learn with each trip, because kids keep you on your toes like that. What are your road trip must haves, tips and tricks to keep your sanity and your kids happy? Leave a comment so I can add to my mental list of making traveling with kids a smoother ride. 🙂

As always, send me an email (happyoilertori@gmail.com) or facebook message if you have any questions about oils or anything mentioned in my blog! & If you’re ready to dive into making oils apart of your day to day life, check out my post about the Young Living Starter Kit! It’s hands down the best investment I’ve ever made for my families health and well being, right next to choosing to eat organic. 😉