Driving long distance w/ toddler

JDB3358

Are there any websites that help you plan things to do along the way?  This is not a trip we normally take, so we are really unfamiliar with things to do along the way (restaurants, parks, things for kids, etc.) Since we will be trying to keep her on schedule as much as possible, I'd hate to not have a plan on where to stop, etc.  But googling everything seems like it's taking forever!  This is such a long drive for us (16 hours, yes we are crazy, but that's a whole different issue), and I would hate to start our vacation off in a bad mood.  Any ideas on how to plan ahead for stops, etc?

MrsT1209

We do a 15 hour drive twice a year.  It's really not that bad at all.  We've found it's better to do it overnight though so that she spends a good chunk of it sleeping.

JDB3358

We are planning to leave at 2am so we will atleast be driving a 1/4 of the way while she is still asleep.  I just wish there was a magic toddler-friendly website you could type in your route and it would show you all the fun places to stop.  There are so many long stretches where there isn't anything and I am so afraid we will get caught in one of those during a "I don't wanna be in the car anymore" moment.

neverblushed

I don't think you are going to find a website like that -- although it would be nice.

My family takes several trips each year where we're in the car anywhere between 3 hours at a stretch and 13 hours.  I have driven 8 hours with my kids when they were 9 months and 4, which was tough!  We do not use a car DVD player.  We have done the 'drive through the night while the kids sleep' thing twice, but found that it really threw everyone off.  Now we leave early in the morning instead.  The best tips I can offer from my experience are:

--snacks, snacks, snacks.  I keep a variety of fun, not messy, nutritious snacks in a cooler and break up the trip by allowing everyone in the car to eat and drink as much as they want anytime they want during the trip.

--stopping at rest areas for breaks.  When DH and I traveled before the kids came along, our stops along the road would be at gas stations and McDonald's.  Rest stops are handy for kids, though, because they usually have a grassy area for kids to run around.  Any stop where the toddler can walk around is great.

--try to time rest stops for 1 hour prior to naptime/bedtime.  Giving the child a chance to run around, then have about 30 minutes back in the car of "quiet time" will help the child drift off to sleep close to the normal time...maybe!!

--don't freak out if you are unable to maintain the normal "schedule" while you're driving.  I am a real fan of schedules for toddlers, and I used to get stressed if my kids were majorly off their normal schedule during travel.  Don't worry if the child doesn't sleep at the normal time or as much as normal while you're on the road.  Just focus on getting back on track when you reach your destination and it'll all come out in the wash.  The last thing you need is for the child to be off track AND you to be majorly stressed out.

--bring "surprises" along to pull out of your bag when things get boring or tedious.  I would stock up on new books and other new activities that were good for car trips and pull out new items I had kept secret while on the road.

--this is obvious, but point out interesting things on the road, look for alphabet letters your child recognizes on road signs, point out all the red cars, or all the big trucks and count them, see how many fields of cows you pass between now and the next exit, tell stories, sing songs, play guessing games, etc.  One thing my kids love about car trips is that they have a captive audience. We play with and talk to our kids pretty much nonstop while driving and they LOVE it.

--don't be negative about riding in the car.  If you're positive about how fun and exciting the trip is, your child(ren) will pick up on it.  DH and I have a saying: "The vacation starts when the car leaves the driveway."  We really try to make the trip as much of a fun part of the vacation as possible.

JDB3358

Thanks so much for the tips.

 We've been stocking up on new color books, movies, and a few new "trip" toys, but I also put alot of her favorites away for the past few weeks and plan to pull those out again.

 We had planned on stopping at a McD's or something with a play area for lunch so she can run around and wear herself out before getting back in the car for a nap, but the stopping at a rest area is a good idea too.