How about traveling with kids, from parents who live on the bus all year round
Road trips with kids can be challenging, but following this family advice can make things easier.
Will and Kristin Watson have been living and traveling across the country on a renovated bus with their 3-year-old daughter, Roam, since April 2019, making them experts at traveling with children.
“It’s really important to be realistic,” Kristin told Fox News Digital about parenting while traveling. “Sometimes we go over the edge. We’ll be like, ‘Let’s do this six mile hike’ and hope Roam is an angel for the six mile hike… Just know that there might be a meltdown in the process at some point.”
Will and Kristin Watson have been living and traveling across the country in renovated buses with their nearly 3-year-old daughter, Roam, since April 2019, making them experts at traveling with children. (Courtesy of Will and Kristin Watson)
“If they need to slow down and get in their pace then you have to be realistic and slow down with them and just be compassionate,” Kristin added. “Work with them and they will work with you. Kids are very adaptable.… They want to do the things you do.”
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Another thing that can help with the “bust” is an entertainment kit, which the Watsons always have on hand when they are out and about.
Kristin told Fox News Digital they have toys that Roam can play with in his car seat, a coloring book and, as a last resort, an iPad for when “nothing else works.”
“Usually before we do that, we’ll give him a snack,” Kristin said. “Snacks are a must have.”
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Kristin says they scheduled the drive around Roam’s nap time, “so that way, at least an hour of commuting time is him taking a nap.”
Families also limit their driving time to a maximum of four hours.
Watsons also travel with their pitbull Rush. (Courtesy of Will and Kristin Watson)
“We stopped many times in those four hours to get out and stretch our legs, and have a snack and go for a run, and stuff like that.” said Kristin.
He added: “You have to go slow, enjoy the ride and that’s the way it is with the kids. You’re going to be working around them.”
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Kristin says the Roam is actually “pretty good” – though, of course, she’s used to traveling by now.
“We moved on the bus when he was 6 months old, so he didn’t know anything different,” says Kristin. “This is her whole life, and she is a very happy, very kind and bright child. We have no complaints.”
The Watsons’ renovated family bus – which they named Juan. (Courtesy of Will and Kristin Watson)
“We actually always tell people that we think it’s harder to have kids at home,” adds Kristin, saying that whenever they visit friends or family, they always look for Roam.
“He couldn’t leave our eyes on the bus, so it was actually easier to live in a small space with a baby,” says Kristin.
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If you want some suggestions for places to hang out with your kids, here are some recommended places by Watsons.
Casey, Illinois
Casey, Illinois, is famous for being the home of the 12 Biggest Things in the World — including the world’s largest rocking chair — and other “Big Things,” according to the city’s website.
“Roam had a great time there,” said Kristin. “We had a lot of fun there too. Very cool little town.”
Cave City, Kentucky
Cave City, Kentucky, is notable for its proximity to Mammoth Cave National Park, which has “53,000 acres of nature reserves and the world’s longest cave system with more than 4,000 miles of passages and 400 miles of mapped passages,” according to the city’s website.
Kristin says it also has “a lot of really cool outdoor activities,” like horseback riding, kayaking, and a zipline park.
Kristin told Fox News Digital that the important thing to know about traveling with kids is that you have to be realistic with your plans and kids have to go slower sometimes. (Courtesy of Will and Kristin Watson)
National parks outside the West
Will said when they left the West, the family would go to Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming and Glacier National Park in Montana, where they spent a lot of time outdoors.
“The nice thing is there’s a dedicated swimming area and a place where we can all hang out in the water as a family,” says Will. “Those are a lot of our favorite little things we can do that don’t cost a fortune.”
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In the end, Kristin said the goal didn’t matter.
“We make jobs anywhere,” he says. “We go to Chicago… with Roam, and we walk around and do all the Chicago things and he loves it. Most places have gardens, so we’re always jostling in the park or something for him.”
“That way we can do the things we want to do, and he can do the things he wants to do,” the mother added.