The minivan's loaded; everybody's piled in; the miles are flying by; and somebody's hungry.
What to do? Here are five strategies.
- bring along lots of snacks and drinks. You'll have much more control over when and where to stop, if you can quench a thirst on the spot, or postpone a meal.
- Stop at a fast-food place with a ball-room / indoor playground. Let the kids play around and burn off some steam; then take their half-eaten, or untouched meals, to the car so they can eat later. (Tip: bring along some plastic food containers from home, to neatly store any half-eaten meals.)
- Stop at a restaurant where Kids Eat Free!
- Stop at a grocery store and head to the deli to buy fixings for a picnic. Then find a park, and let the kiddies run around while everyone takes a break (and bring along a frisbee or ball, to play with in the park.)
- If you really have no time to stop, do a drive-through at a fast-food restaurant and pick the non-messy items. This has actually been studied! Click for best picks.
