Surviving A family Road Trip

For those of us that live in the fast paced world of cell phones, TV and iPods finding family time is quite the task. Anyone with kids knows that the family dinner hour has turned into eating a sandwich on the way to soccer practice and ready-made-meals after 9pm. Our society has lost it's leisure. The ability to slow down and smell the roses so to speak.

This is where a road trip can benefit a burned out family. Planning the trip is half the fun. Have a family meeting and get everyone's input about destination and activities. Make sure you include the little kids, they deserve an opinion too. Once on the road the fun begins. Turn off the radio and the DVD player and talk about what's going on in the world, at school and at home. It's hard for kids to avoid conversation when they can't walk away. You'll be surprised at how people open up when given the chance. Singing songs and telling stories is also a great relationship builder. Take pictures too. This may be the last time the entire family travels as a group what with kids leaving the nest and going off to college.

Remember a road trip may not outwardly appear as exciting as a flight to Hawaii but in the end you'll treasure the memories of being on the road.