I was born in Vancouver, but my kids have never dipped their tiny feet in tide pools. In Montreal, where I live, you would call me a « mère indigne », an unfit mother. So I’m setting off on a cross-Canadian road trip with 4 kids in tow to right this wrong.
Luckily, my amazing employer lets me work remotely, so what might have been a quick flight, or a couple of weeks of driving, will be a 6-week digital nomad adventure. Did I mention we’re hiring?
Wish me luck and unlimited patience!
Some stats:
- 6 weeks
- 6 provinces
- 4 kids
- 4,982 km each way
- 1 ocean, 2 mountain ranges, 2 great lakes
- All the stars in the sky
Keep your feet on your side. Stop bothering your sister. Don’t make me stop the car.

Oh goodness! I’m doing a 10-day road-trip with only 2 kiddos (to NB and PEI) and I can already imagine the bickering. Good luck and have fun, sounds like an amazing experience for them!
J’aimeAimé par 1 personne
You so got this!
Other ammo:
* Ok! Who can stay quietest the longest?
* Who has logged the most license plates in their list so far? (only works for more advanced reading ages)
* My kids are still little (5, 5, and 7) but they will play « pretend hide and seek » for around 30m at a time. The hider pretends they are the size of a fist (or shoe, or whatever), and hiding somewhere in your house. Kids can ask questions like « are you in the kitchen » and receive cold/warm/hot as a reply, to help hone in on where the hider is hiding. We’ve had to rule out certain spaces (in between walls, not in someone’s pocket, etc) but it is a lot of fun to see where they come up with.
* Don’t make me play my music again.
Last resort: just put on your headphones and turn up the volume.
J’aimeAimé par 2 personnes
Oh! Also there’s « I spy with my eye » game that I loved to play as a kid as well.
J’aimeJ’aime
+1 for « The Quiet Game! » I have given cash prizes for this before with zero regrets. Our kids are 11 and 8 now, and 20 Questions (uh, there are often more than 20) still entertains for long stretches, as long as the little one doesn’t go with things like « that guardrail we passed half an hour ago. »
J’aimeAimé par 2 personnes
Sounds like an amazing adventure. Have the best time!
J’aimeJ’aime