Focus on the Family Magazine - June/July 2020

KIDS & TEENS / SUMMER FUN
A little farther
down the road
Ah, the family road trip—a good
idea in the planning stages, but after
the first few hours on the highway,
you’re wondering what you’ve gotten
into. Yet it costs less than flying, you
have a vehicle to use, there’s more
room for packing, and you aren’t
dependent upon airline schedules.
There’s downtime, too. As I write
this (two hours into our 12-hour
drive), my 13-year-old son popped
up from his makeshift bed in the
seats behind me. I asked him what
he likes about road trips.
“The time to myself, to think and
listen to music,” he said. “And the
snacks!”
The point of these family adventures
is the together time, but don’t
underestimate the break in routine
that kids need, especially as they
get older. A change of scenery can
help kids process life and new ideas,
and maybe discover something new
about themselves.
Don’t just wing it. You’ll drain
your adventure funds quickly if you
don’t plan ahead. First, decide the
purpose for your trip and set a realistic
budget. Next, get a map and
start outlining the route and its costs,
including where you’ll likely stop for
food, fuel and lodging. If you decide
you want to cruise a scenic highway
during the change of seasons, then
the drive becomes the event. If you’d
rather visit a festival or big community
event, you’ll allocate more
resources to the destination than to
road expenses.
We took a few road trips last summer:
one to see family, one for a baby
shower and another for a motherson
event. Our budget looked very
different for each trip. Avoiding the
need for lodging allowed us to spend
a little more on meals or admission
to different attractions.
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FOCUS ON THE FAMILY
June / July 2020