Caravanning with young children is an incredibly rewarding experience. Your kids get to see nature that their peers would only dream of, and you get to spend quality time with your family in an era where that sort of thing is increasingly rare.

Keeping sane during the whole process is another story, however. So here are some tips to make sure that your family stays happy and healthy during their caravanning trip.

Pack a Caravan Box With The Essentials

Expect the best but prepare for the worst. It’s a great bit of advice for life in general, but works especially well when you have kids.

You’re going to have a great time caravanning with your family. But you need to have an emergency box to handle any situations that may arise. Include anything and everything you think you might need: nappies, baby wipes, emergency snacks, soap, a first aid kit. The list is really up to you.

Find Family-friendly Campsites

There are plenty of family-oriented campsites around the country that have electricity, club houses, play parks, swimming pools and anything else that a kid might like. A lot of them are located near the ocean or forest or anywhere else that may captivate a kid’s attention.

Some campsites are going to be catered towards adults, and others will be more kid-friendly. It’s up to you to make the differentiation and ensure that your youngin’s will enjoy themselves.

Get Their Education on Track

When your children are coming with you on your caravanning adventure, you’re making some sacrifices. They’re going to be taking a break, unfortunately, from the classroom-based education that most kids have.

That doesn’t mean that their education has to suffer, however. It’ll come down to your and your partner to make sure that they have a well-rounded schooling while on the road. Join Facebook groups for caravanners and ask other parents how they’ve done it. Reach out to education experts for tips on how to bolster your kids’ education. This is a whole process in itself and something you can’t skip on.

Relax

Being in close proximity with your kids for nearly every waking hour of the day is difficult. Children are temperamental, and long stretches in the caravan can bring them to their breaking point if they become hungry, tired or uncomfortable.

This is inevitable, but how you and your partner react are going to set the tempo for the trip.

If you’re losing your mind every time a kid is being difficult, it’s just going to compound the frustration. Make sure you and your partner are getting plenty of alone time: go to the spa or have a beer while the kids are being watched by someone you trust.

Don’t forget the old adage: you need to take care of yourself before you can take care of others.

Listen to my entire conversation with Justin here.