I traveled in an RV for 7 months with 2 kids and a dog. Here are my best tips for having a fun road trip with kids.

"OMG I hate camping," my friend texted me. "I don't know how you did this for seven months." I showed the message to my husband, and we laughed.

Sometimes, we're not sure how we survived a 16,000-mile road trip, especially when our kids were driving us up a wall in our full-sized home.

But we not only survived but thrived during our impromptu pandemic-inspired journey. We wound up with the types of memories that not only look great on our Instagram but left open the idea of doing it all again one day. Just last week my 7-year-old told me, "I just love thinking about the trip."

Our road trip was exciting, fun, and refreshing. But too often the pressure to have a good time and do All The Things on a trip leads to stressed-out parents, overtired kids, and a bust of a vacation.

Here's what we learned from our road trip that we are keeping in mind for every other vacation we take as a family.

Traveling with kids is difficult — know that going in, and don't expect your kids to suddenly be different on the road than they are at home.

If your toddler turns into a little monster when she skips her nap, plan around that when you're laying out your vacation days. If your tween likes to sleep in, avoid the early starts.

For my family, this meant being at our destination and set up by 5 p.m., the hour that my older daughter refers to as "Baby Meltdown O'Clock." That way, when my 2-year-old had her nightly scream-a-thon, we could satiate her with dinner and Blippi before tucking her into bed early.

American lore is full of pictures of families blissfully cruising down an abandoned highway while popping M&Ms and joyfully singing along to their favorite songs. Let me l tell you: This is a figment of Hollywood and possibly young single people traveling child-free.

The reality of road-tripping with kids is that someone always has to pee. Someone is sitting too close to their siblings, while another person is thirsty. Someone asks "Are we there yet?" one too many times. (Yes, that really happens.)

Even in an RV with access to snacks and a bathroom, this got old fast. Because of that, we limited our driving to about two hours a day. If your schedule demands more than that, consider sticking closer to home or flying to a destination and starting your road trip from there.

I'll never forget being in awe inside Arches National Park in Utah. My husband and I were really having a moment, connecting with whatever higher power there is, pointing out the amazing features to our daughters, when my 7-year-old said, "More rocks." She wasn't being rude — she just wasn't as impressed as we were.

Sometimes kids aren't going to appreciate the grand places you take them to. Their favorite part of the day might not be seeing all the geysers in Yellowstone but picnicking on a fallen log. (Ask me how I know.)

That can be frustrating when you want them to get the most out of their vacation. But just remember: They're making great memories with you either way.

Traveling upends the daily routines and schedules that are so critical for kids and parents. To keep yourself sane on the road, it's good to know how far you can push and where the breaking point is. I learned that my kids could stay up late but that skipping naps was non-negotiable.

We also realized quickly that buying overpriced, over-sugared meals out left everyone with a bellyache, so we began packing lunches and having simple meals like pancakes or rice and beans in the RV.

We could compromise on cell service, internet access, and even amenities like playgrounds and pools, but ensuring that everyone had good food and good sleep made us much happier travelers.

People are always stunned to learn that we didn't plan for our trip. Most mornings we woke up and didn't know where we would be sleeping that night.

It sounds stressful, but that made things easier with kids — if a parent or child was overtired, grouchy, or just not feeling it, we could take it easy without any guilt. We learned early on not to force a good time when it simply wasn't happening.

Winging a vacation is harder during the peak summer season, but the message still stands: Sometimes you have to cut your losses. If you're planning an amusement-park day or a big hike but your kid wakes up in a funk, you're better off having a quieter, more enjoyable day at the park or pool than pushing them when they're not up for an adventure.

If you're going on a road trip with kids, there are tons of resources to help you plan. Many families live full time in RVs with their kids, and they've figured out everything from packing essentials to the best off-the-beaten-path camping spots. Facebook groups and Instagram pages share tips that can help you have a smoother trip or even find the right camping rig.

There are also apps that can help. We used Campendium and Harvest Hosts to find camping spots, HearHere to learn about history as we drove, and Star Walk to explore the nighttime and early-morning skies.

Let's be honest: A family road trip can be a lot. Traveling with kids sometimes means dealing with the same difficulties, just in a prettier place. But if you're able to scale back your expectations and move at a pace that's right for your kids, you'll create memories that the whole family will love.