In the 12 years since I became a mom, I’ve logged countless hours in the car with kids. And now that I’ve got five–including two long-legged big boys, two easily-bored younger boys, and a baby–a successful car trip requires forethought, planning, and patience. If you’ll be hitting the road with your kids this Thanksgiving, follow some of my tried-and-true tips for surviving–and even enjoying–the ride.

1. Consider seating carefully. During the average week, I’ve got my kids’ car seats set up to give me easy access to the little ones, since they still need to be buckled in. But on longer trips, this arrangement isn’t as logical. Putting the two littlest kids in the bucket seats wastes all the leg room on those that need it least, and also means the three biggest–and most bicker-prone–kids are squashed together in the back bench seat. Try playing with seating a bit: put a big sibling next to the baby (older kids can find a dropped sippy cup or amuse little ones) or a toddler next to the sibling he gets along with best. Or play musical seats at each potty stop, letting each child have a chance at the most coveted spot.

2. Pack Snacks. After our car needed to be completely detailed to remove a funky smell emanating from the back seat, we outlawed eating on the go. But we relax those rules on road trips, when snacks aren’t just a distraction, but a parental sanity-saver. Coolers work, but they add an element of hassle to the trip, so we opt instead for items that don’t have to be chilled: juice boxes, peanut-butter crackers, and fruit, for example.

3. Provide Entertainment. We create family road trip playlists on the iPhone and listen to them over the car’s speaker system with an adapter. Everyone gets a chance to choose the songs. I also pack plenty of books for the car ride–they seem to be the only activity that keeps everybody engaged for a long time (and keeps them from poking one another). Books on tape (or mp3) are another great way to keep everybody thinking about something besides “when will we get there?”

4. Stay Calm. At some point, the car will erupt into crying, screaming, fighting or strange smells. Just take a deep breath and turn up the radio (or roll down the window). Before you know it you’ll be eating turkey and stuffing, and one day your whole family will laugh about those hilarious road trips you took when the kids were young. I promise.

There is nothing more heartwarming than hearing your small child say he is most thankful for his family. It was part of his homework last week to send in a photo or draw a picture of something he’s grateful for. He could have said his video games, or school friends, or ice cream sundaes. But he said “my family” without hesitation, and so we sent in a family photo. I’m so glad the spirit of Thanksgiving has rubbed off on him.

It’s true that Thanksgiving is my personal favorite holiday. For once, it’s a holiday with no strings attached. It’s probably also the least commercialized (if you ignore the marketing promos during the Macy’s parade or the endless specials on The Food Network, that is). What I mean is there are no gifts to wrap, no goodie bags to make, no costumes to wear, no turkey trees to decorate. It’s just family gathering together over some good food and family traditions.

It may sound corny, but it’s sort of my reminder to be thankful for the blessings I have throughout the year. Sometimes it’s hard on those day… you know the ones. Those days when it’s 11:15 p.m. and you still haven’t had a moment’s peace or even time for a shower. Those days when the kids are whiny, you burn dinner, or your babysitter cancels at the last minute. But still, there’s so much to be thankful for, and it’s great to have a holiday that puts thankfulness in the spotlight. And the stuffing’s pretty good, too!

Maybe we should turn everyday into a mini Thanksgiving by having everyone in the family talk about one thing they’re thankful for during dinner. Or maybe we can make sure we say thank you to someone each day. Any other ideas?

What have you taught your children about being thankful?

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