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Toddlers: 24 Months+
maydayca04
member
Road trip tips
maydayca04
member
we are heading out for a two day roadtrip next weekend with our 20 month old son....any tips? We usually just drive to grandma's house which is only three hours and he sleeps the whole way. I'm not sure how two days down seven days of vacation and two days back is going to go. I've loaded up with snacks, and books. We don't do movies...and he doesn't watch TV. Any tips are much appreciated.
Thanks!
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Re: Road trip tips
We did a 15 hr drive about 3-4 months ago with just books and snacks and some toys~ that did NOT go well after the 2nd hr in the car. We made frequent stops for him to run around and explore as well as eat. He became a BEAST~ this was at age 15 months. He didn't want anything to do with anything- screaming, throwing any toy, book or snack you gave him because he was MAD ect.. (It makes sense because they can't move around in their carseat- it's one position the whole way)
Then, we just took a trip a few weeks ago (25 hrs in the car over 2 days) and we made sure to buy a portable dvd player (I know you said no tv) but it made a world of difference and I don't regret buying it. We also bought new toys AND books he never saw before and that helped too. Also, don't give him anything until he starts to whine/get bored.. you don't want to exhaust all your options in the first part of the trip. Sing along cd's and rhymes like the itsy bitsy spider amused him some too. Frequent stops are good. I made sure to give him small finger foods so it took him a while to eat it all- that used up time too. Good luck, it's hard when you can't explain things to them.
We have done a 12 hour drive with DD. Driving as much at night was helpful for us because she slept most of the time and it didn't really interrupt her schedule too much.
Take frequent breaks so DC can get out and stretch his legs.
I ditto the dvd player. We don't let her watch a lot of tv at home either but the dvd player made a huge difference.
I've done a lot of roadtrips (albeit, no two-day trips!) and also have no movies in the car.
--Stops and breaks are key! Think in terms of slightly more frequent stops -- with longer times at each stop than you and DH would take. DH and I found that if we tried to make our stop about an hour before it was a normal naptime/bedtime, our kids would get worn out from running around and then konk out in the car.
--Plan ahead so that your stops are in places other than gas stations and fast food restaurant parking lots. Pack a ton of snacks and stop at rest areas that have green space where kids can run around and stretch their legs.
--Consider driving part of the trip in the early morning hours (while your child sleeps) or after bedtime (while your child sleeps.)
--Don't pack the car so tightly that you can't sit back in the back seat next to your child for a spell. If you can't stop at peak waking hours, consider having one parent sit back with the child for a stretch, to read books and play.
--Buy a new toy (magna doodle/books/activity cards, whatever) and break it out when everyone's at their wits' end. Keep it as a special "long trip only" toy.
--Tell stories, play peek-a-boo, listen to kid-friendly tapes, bring puppets and do a puppet show for the backseat passenger.
My kids are older now, but they've learned to just chill out in the car, and can do a 6 to 8 hour drive with only one break to pee/eat/stretch. No movies/Nintendo, etc.