Although RVing with kids is a great way to have fun with your children, it can also be tiresome and stressful. However, there are several ways to counter the stress and increase the enjoyment while exploring. Driving on an RV is a beautiful way to let your kids experience the greatness of the world first hand. However, inadequate preparation can render tired parents and cranky kids during road trips. Before you go for the next RVing session, there are some essentials and ideas to keep in mind for the trip to be enjoyable. The following tips will help you when RVing with your kids.
1. Don’t forget a doormat
A doormat and an area where you can place your shoes either outside or inside the RV will help you in maintaining cleanliness and a better organization in the vehicle. Shedding coats and shoes at the door helps to keep a big chunk of dirt, mud, and water away from the RV.
2. Older kids should do the packing
If you have kids old enough to do their packing, it is an excellent chance to allow them to practice responsibility. However, you should also be prepared to lend them a hand since they can forget some items while packing. As a precautionary measure, carry additional coats, blankets, necessary medications, and sunscreen. Although the weather might sometimes seem predictable, a warm day can have extremely cold nights while the same time a chilly day can turn to have skin-damaging sun.
3. Set expectations
It is a good practice to set the rules governing the entire trip. Before you embark on the journey, sit down with the kids, and discuss matters like whether electronics will be allowed in the trip. If they will be, what is the time to operate them? You should also determine how they will help in setting up the camp and the person responsible for every duty. The kids should even understand the accepted code of conduct and the expected behavior from them.
4. Define personal space
If you plan to go for a long trip, it is crucial to identify how each person will have their own space. It will be good to allow every individual on the trip to have their private time. Whether your teenager decides to have a tent outside the RV during the night so they could be alone or you need to get extra space for the kid to escape and recharge when the entire family is using the pull out bed as a seat, consider to have enough personal space.
One of the advantages of having a travel trailer with bunk beds is the added space, especially for kids. The bunks can provide a bit of sanctuary during the day and let them hang out away from the other living areas. I wrote an article with what I consider to be some best travel trailers with bunk beds or bunk house which might want to check out.
5. Be organized
When you have kids, getting organized is the biggest favor you can do to yourself, especially when you are on the road. As part of setting expectations, you will have to create organized spaces for your kids to keep their toys, books, or any other material they decide to bring along. It serves as a convenient place to store these items whenever they are not in use. If you don’t assign appropriate space for everyone, you risk the RV getting cluttered very quickly.
6. Be creative about entertainment
Most of the kids’ energy is directed towards entertainment. Campgrounds, national parks, and public lands provide excellent programs for teenagers and kids. For rainy days, you should have planned for indoor games like bubbles, coloring books, board games, and play-doh. You can even plan on watching a movie on a specific day. RVs can be combined with modern conveniences with excellent outdoors.
7. Enjoy being together
Although setting rules, getting organized, and giving each other personal space is essential, do not forget that the essence of the trip is to enjoy one another. You should allow the kids to do kid things and marvel the way they perceive the world. As part of the trip, consider doing childish things like lying on the ground and enjoy the look of the stars or enjoy a S’mores together.
8. Do not forget board games
Board games offer a great opportunity for families to bond and spend quality time together. Mindful Games Activity Cards is one of the games to consider while RVing with kids. These games help your kids to improve on their kindness and sharpen their attention skills.
9. Pack a baby gate
If you have young campers and babies, you should include a baby gate or a pack and play ideas to ensure everyone is secure around the campfire or in the RV.
10. Break out the map
You should let the older kids help you in getting to the next destination without using google maps. Break out the map and have the kids read it with you so you can identify the best route to the next stop-over or destination. This exercise provides a great way for the kids to learn how to read a map and key and also aids them in understanding geography.
11. Buckle up
During traveling days, you can allow the kids to watch a movie from tablets while buckled in. Regardless of whether your vehicle allows for all comfort while traveling, when using rv, ensure the children always have their safety belts fastened whenever it is in motion. There is no shame of observing this fundamental rule if it helps keep your kid safe as you travel to different points.
RVing With Kids Summary
RVing with kids is one of the best ways to bring unity in the family and engage freely with one another. Spending time away from home breaks the norm and strengthens the family bond. While RVing is unarguably a first choice for many families that need to spend time together, planning for the vent is as of great significance as attending it.
Some of the critical issues to consider when planning for RVing is to set rules to ensure everyone knows the boundaries. Also, you devise ways to keep the team lively by choosing creative games, allocating duties before the trip. While getting organized is vital for the success of the activity, remember the core aim of the trip is to enjoy. This trip should provide your kids with an opportunity to learn, interact, and enjoy.
