The holidays are upon us, and for many families that means traveling season has arrived. Guest blogger Kimberly Drew is back with advice about how to travel with kids who have special needs.

Special Needs Travel: Just Do It

Travel? YUCK!

Twelve and a half hours in a car, approximately 6 children’s movies, 4 stops, 2 meals, countless snacks, and 600 plus miles of road stand between me and the house I grew up in. When my husband and I started dating during college, we could do the trip between Indiana and New Jersey in 10 1/2 hours. Now that we have three kids, we laugh about those days.

Although, my competitive husband still likes to do whatever he can to shave off the minutes.

We moved out near my husband’s family in New Jersey when Abbey was around 18 months old. We’ve been racking up the miles on our vehicles ever since. I’m not just motivated by the faces of my family members and the miles and miles of corn waiting for me, sometimes you just need to get away. How about you? Do you need to get away? I encourage you to just do it.

Just do it.

Don’t let the challenges keep you from going home, going on vacation, going somewhere new, going anywhere! Life is too short to keep a checklist of things that make it too difficult to take a road trip. There are places to explore, sights to see, and memories to make with your family that are only a few hours away. I know that taking a child with special needs in a car for any amount of time requires planning, but it’s worth sitting down and making a checklist. I’ll get you started—a piece of paper, a pencil, a destination.

There you go, you can thank me later!

In all seriousness, it’s so worth it to get away. I know our daughter thrives on routine, but sometimes that routine can make me feel like I’m going crazy. The walls of my house start to close in on me and I feel trapped. We have even gone just a few hours from home to get a hotel room and do nothing. We swam in the pool, ordered pizza to the room, and watched TV in bed. Maybe that sounds like a lot of work for just two days and one night, but for us it was a much-needed break. Not to mention, my husband and I always have the best heart-to-heart talks while in the car on a trip.

With a little extra planning, maybe you and your family could take a small road trip this fall?

If just the thought of going somewhere overwhelms you, it’s probably all the more important that you get away. Maybe start with just your spouse, or one of your parents, or a best friend. Work up to a trip with your child, but don’t delay getting away. It’s so good for your mind and body to have a break.

Just do it.

What’s Your Special Needs Travel Story?

How do you handle travel with your child who has special needs? Leave a comment with your best tricks and tips.

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