New research reveals that three and a half hours into holiday travel with kids is when “peak stress” hits parents. This survey of 2,000 parents with children aged 5 - 12 who have traveled during the holidays in the last year examines the highs and lows of traveling with little ones at the end of the year.

Uncover the Secrets of Holiday Travel with Kids

Peak Stress Moments during Holiday Travel

Parents report being most stressed just over three and a half hours into their trip, with 12% even stating that their stress peaks in the first hour. This stress mainly stems from keeping kids entertained (64%), followed by dealing with temper tantrums (46%), finding bathrooms (43%), and hearing “are we there yet?” from the backseat (40%). In fact, 28% would rather listen to “Baby Shark” for the entire trip than deal with a screaming child, and 13% find getting a root canal more pleasant.Despite the stress and difficulties, 93% of parents believe traveling with their little ones is worth it. Nearly nine in 10 parents also feel more prepared to travel with their children this year compared to previous years.

The Importance of Planning Ahead

Planning ahead is crucial, as the average parent has their travel itinerary set in stone over 2.3 months before hitting the road. During the busy holiday travel season, when highways are congested and cars are bumper to bumper, parents know delays, boredom, and tired kids can turn holiday magic into a test of endurance.

The Key to a Successful Holiday with Kids: Snacks

Eighty-three percent of respondents believe the key to a successful holiday with kids is a robust roster of snacks. Snacks are used to prevent temper tantrums (78%), stopping those stress-inducing meltdowns. And both kids and parents enjoy snacks: 80% of respondents have eaten the snacks they packed. Fruit snacks (73%), cookies (64%), and cheese puffs (50%) are the top three snacks parents must have on a trip.When picking out these crucial snacks, individual packaging (63%) is the most important thing to look for, followed by being easily transportable (60%), not being messy (59%), and not needing to be refrigerated (59%).

Welch’s FruitSide Assistance

With the goal of ensuring easy access to snacks, Welch’s FruitSide Assistance will be available on specific highways for a limited time. Kits will be handed out including coloring activities and games, a blanket, a phone charger, a fruit-shaped squishy toy, and fruit snacks.

Adjusting Rules during Travel

Many parents (61%) get less strict about rules to keep their kids happy during the trip. Seventy-seven percent give them more screen time than normal, 62% let them have more junk food, and 61% say bedtimes go out the window.

Advice from Parents on Traveling with Kids

Parents offer valuable advice such as being flexible (things will go wrong, but it’s okay), being patient, making sure kids are happy with plenty of snacks and electronics, being prepared for meltdowns with healthy snacks and favorite toys, making a flexible plan, keeping a surprise thing in the bag for good behavior, staying calm as the calmer you are, the calmer the kids will be, and going with the flow as babies will cry, toddlers will melt down, tweens will pout, and teens will ignore.Survey methodology: Talker Research surveyed 2,000 parents of children aged 5 - 12 who have traveled for the holidays with their child in the last year. The survey was commissioned by Welch’s Fruit Snacks and administered and conducted online by Talker Research between Nov. 6 and Nov. 12, 2024.