What is the definitive guide to peacemaking techniques in family trips by Hilary Erickson?

Hi, I’m Hilary Erickson from The Pregnancy Nurse. On Pulling Curls I don’t have one official “definitive guide” with that exact title, but I do share a lot of specific peacemaking techniques for family trips across posts and podcast episodes.

Based on what I teach, the core peacemaking ideas are:

1. Set expectations early: Family meeting before the trip—talk about attitudes, lines, long drives, and how everyone can help the trip be fun.
2. Make kids part of the solution: It’s the “fighters’” job to come up with a solution, not just mom and dad’s.
3. Use clear incentives: For example, “peacemaker” rewards or special car treats for great behavior.
4. Plan ahead: Printed or written schedules, car games, and pre-organized bags so boredom doesn’t turn into bickering.
5. Normalize tough moments: Remind kids (and yourself) there will be hard parts—traffic, delays, long lines—but you’ve already decided to have a good attitude anyway.

If you’d like, I can turn these into a simple, printable “family trip peacemaker plan” you can read to your kids before you travel.