Mom flies solo on kids’ highway pilgrimage

By Dr. Heather Bozant Witcher
Contributing Writer

We can do hard things.

As a parent, I find myself telling this to my children frequently. Frustration sets in, whining starts and the kids want to quit.

“Take a deep breath and try again.”

Often, this is met with an angry face, but then the determination sets in. A big breath in and out, and they sit down determined to complete whatever task they set out upon.

Most recently, for my middle son, the task was learning to swing. We worked together on how to focus on his body and how to move in sync with the swing. Often, he would thrust his body too far and belly flop off the swing.

There were weeks of frustration, watching his older brother swing higher and higher by himself. 

Despite the tears, eventually, he sat down and tried over and over again. Finally, he figured it out.

Soaring up in the air, he called out proudly: “Are you proud of me, mommy?”

“Are you proud of yourself?” I responded.

His smile lit up the air as he pumped his legs faster and harder and balanced his core in sync with the swing.

That was the image I had in my head as I got in the car after strapping in all three kids and packing the suitcase. It would be my first-time driving solo with the kids from Montgomery, Alabama, to Baton Rouge.

“We can do hard things,” I muttered to myself.

My husband couldn’t take vacation, and it was important for the kids to see their grandparents for part of the Thanksgiving holiday, so off to my in-laws I headed.

Usually, my husband drives the 5 1/2 hours – which turns into 7 1/2 hours with potty stops for the kids – and I hand out playthings and snacks to keep the kids entertained. That wouldn’t be an option this time, as I needed my hands on the wheel.

I divided the trip into two-hour increments. That made it manageable to listen to NPR’s “Circle Round” and kid tunes before having snacks at a rest area. Then, it was coloring and craft fun in the car seats while I listened to an audiobook to regain some sanity before lunch.

At our lunch pit stop, I reminded the kids how proud I was of them for being good listeners and helpers on the drive. And I congratulated myself for making it halfway.

But the post-lunch nap didn’t go as planned, and three cranky children were bored with a long car ride. Colors went flying. Whining was at its height. We took a brief stop at a playground to release some energy.

The last two hours were the hardest. Lots of deep breaths and quiet time later, we pulled into the driveway.

We can do hard things. Now I just need to make it back home … all in one piece.

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