Photo by Damon On Road on Unsplash
AAA reports that this summer people will be traveling mostly by car, 97% of summer trips will be on the road which is up by 10% from last year. Which means, parents are going to be trapped in the car with millions of kids who are asking “are we there yet” and complaining that they are bored and need to use the bathroom, even though you just stopped and they didn’t need to go ten minutes ago. Beyond the license plate game, reading books or letting kids watch movies on their tablets, parents can give kids a sense of purpose and create a sense of routine by assigning them chores to do before, during and after summer road trips.
If you are a family that already has a chore routine, road trip chores can just be incorporated into the normal daily routine. If you’re not a chore family, there’s no reason why you still can’t give kids responsibilities on the road. In either case, parents can motivate their kids to chip in at home and on the road by paying them for certain tasks. Not only does this give kids their own money that they earned to spend on the trip so they are not treating mom or dad like an ATM, it also makes them think about where their money is being spent since once it’s gone, they would need to earn more.
Pre-Trip:
Before you hit the road, kids can:
Pack Themselves – Have them select, organize and lay out what they will bring so you can approve it before they put it in the suitcase.
Help prepare the house for being empty — assign tasks like turn up A/C, mow the grass, take the trash out from kitchens and bathrooms.
Help prepare the car — older kids who are about to or are driving can benefit from learning how to check the oil and tire pressure and can take responsibility for cleaning the windows, vacuuming, packing snacks, downloading movies and securing headphones for parents and siblings.
During the Trip:
Have your kids buy their own souvenirs and with spending money you give them for the trip before leaving home. Tell them, this is what you have to spend, but you can always earn more by helping out or completing certain chores during the trip like:
Bug duty - at every gas stop, wash the front window and headlights.
Fill’er up - Older kids can fill the car/RV with gas and can even help by using a gas app to find the most affordable prices along your route.
Dog duty – at every stop, walk the dog around and clean up after.
Empty Trash — instead of having a wrecked back seat and door pockets full of debris, have kids collect and make sure all trash is thrown out at rest stops or your destination.
The BusyKid app can help keep kids’ daily tasks organized and gives them a way to keep track of their money and spending.
Post-Trip
After a trip, kids can help with transitioning back into normal daily life and keep the vacation vibes going by:
Unpack – have kids take responsibility for unpacking their clothes and putting them away or in the laundry.
Maintain Good Vibes – After a vacation you don’t want your relaxed state to be instantly erased by bickering so motivate kids by offering them a bonus for consecutive days without sibling fighting. Older kids could also babysit younger kids giving mom and dad a night out or an hour of quiet.
Gregg Murset is the CEO of BusyKid and a father of six who has driven cross country in an RV with his kids over a summer.