I was a little nervous about the long day on the road ahead of us leaving for Arkansas (about 12 hours including breaks). Isla hardly likes to be in the car for more than a few minutes sometimes. This time, however, we downloaded some shows that she likes and bought a headrest iPad holder, and let me tell you, that thing was a life saver! It really cut down on the amount of time that she fussed, which helped Ross and myself stay sane!

Our trip was going to consist of a lot of going out to eat, which also made me nervous since Isla really doesn’t like sitting still for long. Since we were on vacation and figured all rules were going out the window anyway as far as screen time, we decided to use the iPad during meals as well. I never thought that would be me as a parent, but here we are. She survived, we survived, and we’re all fine and adjusting to our normal routine now that we’re back home (no more iPad for a long time!)

When going on any sort of vacation with little children, it can be hard to find a balance when you’re wanting to enjoy your time as well while balancing tantrums and correcting wrong behavior constantly. Distractions can be helpful but also trying to make sure that your kids are doing plenty of things that are fun for them as well is what will make the time away more enjoyable. This is also coming from a mom of one child who is less than 2. I’m sure when there is a sibling in the picture and she’s a little older, I’ll have more hacks that’ll hopefully work even better!