This is a sponsored post and I have been compensated. However, all opinions are all mine. When my kids were little, my mom lived 4 hours away. If she couldn’t come down to see us for the holidays, we would drive up to visit her. It was easy to get the car ready for the trip. We scheduled the routine maintenance, etc. before we left. I am an expert at packing up the family and the car, so that was a simple task. Figuring out how to keep the kids from wreaking havoc on us the entire trip? That was another story!

I was relieved to find we were not alone! The Netflix Stream found 23% of parents who were traveling this holiday season were worried about keeping their kiddos entertained. But, through trial and error, we found what really worked to make it a joy to travel with the kids instead of a chore. Here is how to travel with kids without going crazy!

• Sustenance: What is it about a road trip that makes kids hungry the entire time?! You have to give them fuel to power those growing bodies! I pack fruit, water and nuts for them to snack on. I also let them each choose a snack they want. This keeps them in “control” (insert wink here.) This also saves on buying convenience store food.
• Technology: We all have a smartphone or tablet, so those get packed in the car. The kids have a handheld gaming system, so those come as well. We also each have a portable power bank so no one has a mobile device go dead halfway through the trip! I love having a smartphone when we travel. Not only am I able to stay connected with family, we have maps and apps to guide us from directions to places to stop for lunch. Oh, and make sure there are plenty of headphones to go around!

• Netflix: I have had Netflix for years! I used to wait by the mailbox for those DVD’s to show up! Now I stream it everywhere! I love the convenience of being able to stream it while we are on the road with the Netflix app. I can catch up on my favorite shows or new movies or shows I have wanted to see, but didn’t have time. The kids can watch their favorite cartoons, movies and shows. There is so much available on Netflix, we never run out of great programs to watch!
• Games: Even as the kids got into their teens, they still loved playing games in the car. This was true for simple games like I Spy, The Licence Plate Game or a travel game of Battleship.
• Music: We are a family who LOVES music. Granted, we all have different tastes, so we have to play a fair share of everyone’s favorites. There is nothing like have a family Carpool Karaoke to pass the time on a long road trip!

If you have every traveled with kids, especially during the holidays, you know the struggle is REAL! I know many of us have had a kid throw a tantrum or have a meltdown when we were traveling. It is hard on kids to travel. It isn’t much fun unless we take strides to make sure they are given a toolkit for a trip they will have fun on! I cannot tell you how enjoyable our car trips have gotten since downloading the Netflix mobile app. The kids are watching Pete’s Christmas and the Dreamworks Home for the Holidays. My husband and I are watching Pee Wee’s Playhouse Christmas and we are all watching The Grinch Who Stole Christmas.

Are you a fan of Orange is the New Black? I LOVE that show! The opening song is powerful, right?! Well, you are going to enjoy this cute jingle from the official Netflix Family downloads. It is done to the melody of the Orange is the New Black theme song.  While vacationing may be easy, getting there is hard, and being trapped in the car on a family road trip can feel like being in Litchfield. This cute and relatable parody will have you humming along for the whole ride.

You can stream Netflix and watch Stranger Things and your other favorites from your mobile device, computer, TV or gaming system for less than $15 a month! You can also sign up for their DVD plan if you prefer watching it that way. Either way, you are getting what you want to watch, right at your fingertips! Be sure to follow Netflix on  Facebook and Twitter! One reader will win a $15 Netflix gift card to stream their favorite movies and shows! Enter below and good luck!