Road trips, long or short they can be exhausting

Road trips conjure up a lot of different things for different people.

It's a relatively cheaper experience than going by plane or other forms of transport.

It is usually reserved for trips made within one's own country where there are wide open spaces, in such countries as the US, Canada, and Australia, to name a few.

The time away can be for a few days, or a week or so, can be used to stay in a number of different places, or go to one specific place, usually not all that far from home.

It can be used a means to go visiting relatives in another state, or on the other side of the country.

It can also be a time when a parent or both parents may reconnect with their children, or find out how much they have changed without them noticing.  It might be different for one parent, particularly if they spend a lot of time at work and tend to miss that awkward growing up phase.

Holidays and in particular, road trips, are a great way to discover how much their children hate them, resent them, or are prepared to make their parents lives miserable.

Especially if they didn't really want to go.

Or hate the idea of meeting their mothers, or their father's parents.

It's that continuous confinement in the car, for long periods, in close proximity to each other, and their parents, that begins to work its magic very quickly.

A small argument starts then erupts into a brawl, one or other blames the other when the car stops and a confrontation erupts.

And parents have to choose their words wisely, otherwise, a molehill becomes an unclimbable, immovable mountain.

Hang on, it's only three hours out and we're way past that.

"I didn't want to go in the first place."

"I'm old enough to stay home alone, anyway."

While they might consider 12 is not the new 18, I've seen the home alone movies.

And this is followed by the deal breaker, "I never wanted to go see your parents anyway.  They're creepy."

Whilst your mind flips over to an Adams Family episode, and think, for one second, that Uncle Joseph might be little like Uncle Fester.  But it does not change the fact, we're still going.

It's about the same moment you realize you don't know who your children are anymore, and the fact work has become so consuming you are missing out on their lives.

This may be deliberate of course, another way to hide from your responsibilities, but quite often the excuse you have to work long hours to support the new throwaway lifestyle every child thinks they deserve, along with going to the best schools and having the latest fashion trends.

Of course, the fact money grows on trees is a given rather than expected.

It might also explain why your children are getting into trouble continuously, a cry out for the attention they deserve.

Making an attempt is only the first step, and you will have to endure a lot of attitude before the thaw sets in.

It might also be the time when one or other parents use the words 'bonding time'.

Of course, you might just get past the children's resentment, but what really hurts is the other spouse saying, the only reason they're going by road is it takes five days there and five days back and it's ten days less you have to spend with them.

That, of course, is the icing on the cake.

Along with the fact you didn't prebook motels along the way thinking it was not the time of year for them to be full, and then suddenly realizing because the kids are with you its school holidays, and everyone else has the same idea.

Organizational skills, zero!