3 step-kids on a 10 hour drive - it's my own fault isn't it?

[PlinkertyPlonk]

Why, why, why did I agree to it?

They had punch-ups, screaming fits, fights, whinging, 'I hate you', 'You hate us', 'mummy doesn't make us do xyz'... In the end we had to separate them - 1 in the front, 1 in the middle and 1 in the back. I've been fuming ever since from the effort of staying calm. It was 3 days ago. Fortunately the rude, disrespectful, spoilt little angels have since gone back to their mum's.

I plan to air-freight them next time; I can, can't I? Perhaps BA offer the service. Tell me I can...

[warriorwoman]

Well done for getting through it without chucking them out of the car!!

[Bramshott]

Frankly I would not commit to a 10 hour drive with my own children without the aid of valium!

[Sushiqueen]

Sounds so familar :)

We used to have to do the same for everytime we saw them. Except we couldn't split them up in the car.

I know after doing one holiday with them when we had driven there, I refused to ever go on holiday with them again. We had left dd behind with my parents (which didn't help) so that we had quality time with them as we only saw them for so many weeks/visits a year due to them living overseas.

I think I lost the plot after the eldest DSS banned everyone from singing along to his choice of CD in the car (they had to take turns!! and everyone was singing along to all of them). He threw a major paddy everytime someone sang so of course they did it more. At one stage i threatened to drive off and go home leaving them all (including DH) in the country we were in :)

We switched to them flying after awhile as unaccompanied minors (when it was cheaper). It was a lifesaver.

[missduff]

Awww kids! Don't u just love em?! Lol

[Readyisknitting]

I get that with my tribe, I currently have the two boys on the middle row as the consequence for bickering every time we went anywhere, and the two girls in the very back. I had to sit in the back with them last year on the 8hr drive through France and nearly bloody murdered the lot of them!!!! (although I preferred the back when FIL took a turn at driving home, just too scary in the front!)

have a

[PlinkertyPlonk]

Thank you all! Feeling slightly calmer today.

It was only supposed to be a 5 hour drive, but the car broke down and took 2 hours to fix, the weather was rubbish, everyone else in the UK had the temerity to be on the road at the same time as us (how dare they!), topped off by a prang 15 miles ahead of us on the motorway, bringing traffic to a standstill.

And we had a full compliment of emergency supplies - DVDs, music, food, drink etc. What is wrong with kids today? They seem to have an attention span of a knat. My parents used to drive my sister and me for 6 hour car trips and whilst we might say we were bored, we'd never dare kick up a stink or fight. No DVDs in those days!

OK, time to stop - am starting to sound like a grumpy old woman Will investigate the unaccompanied minors option; it sounds very appealing.