Twelve-hundred miles. Texas to Illinois, to Indiana, to Kentucky, to Tennessee, to North Carolina, and back to Texas. All while stuck in the back of a van with a 9-year-old. It's safe to say that I was in charge of entertainment for the trip. Pinterest was my best friend and it made the trip a little more bearable. Here's how I stayed sane on this road trip.

Make a game to play in the car

While this game was frustrating at times, it kept her busy for a few good hours. She didn't really understand completely that it was a competition, and that when she saw a certain state she couldn't yell it so I could steal it, but she ended up having so much fun and she ended up learning about all the different states. There are tons of downloadable ones off Pinterest, but I ended up making my own by pasting pictures of the license plates on a word document.

Take a picture by the state signs

My mom used to make me do this all the time when we were on a road trip. Now I'm grateful for it because it gave me a chance to get out and stretch my legs for a minute. They also make great scrapbook pictures for your mom.

Watch a movie (or 10)

If your car has a DVD player, you have a portable DVD player, or a laptop, you're in luck. This will keep anyone entertained for a long while. Whether you're in the backseat watching the movie or in the front wanting peace and quiet, it'll be a great idea to keep a stash of movies handy.

Have them keep track of things

My sister tracked the cities that we stopped in for gas on our trip. She wrote down what city we were in, how much it cost, and how many miles we drove from the last stop. It kept her from whining when we stopped and it kept her busy afterwards when she was calculating how much we spent.

Buy cheap books

If they're anything like my sister, she loves reading, but gets bored with one thing quickly. That's why we always bring tons of books that she can cycle through before going on to the next thing.

Let them do snapchat filters

A guaranteed 30 minutes of entertainment before they get bored with it. Put your phone on Airplane Mode so they don't send mysterious messages, but let them go for a while thinking that they're putting on your story.

Long road trips with small children are the worst. Pinterest will be your best friend. And when the worst comes, a pillow and a blanket will get the job done.