Travel during baby's sleep time if you can. When we travel we always try to leave in the early morning hours or during nap time so the kids will sleep for a while. Most of the time we get them straight from their beds and put them in the car and they don't even wake up. When they are sleeping it cuts down on a lot of stress and distraction on the adults and especially the driver. Plus we don't have to stop as often if they are sleeping.
Bring lots of car-friendly activities! I always bring toys and books and movies along on our trip. If it is something they can do that will keep them distracted and content while in their carseat I bring it!
Bring Snacks! Snacks are always a hit with my boys and keep them happy and content while we are traveling. We usually pack a cooler with some fruit and other snacks to have in the car. If you're little one is potty trained though I wouldn't give them too much to drink or you'll be making lots of bathroom stops!
Be Prepared to Stop! I always add an hour or two to our travel time when traveling with the kids because I know we will need to stop more often than we would if they weren't with us. Even if your child isn't potty trained yet, you'll still need to stop some to get them out of the car to stretch and take a breather. We usually stop and eat a meal during our trips so that they are out of the car for a good half hour or so. Just so they can be out of the car longer than 5 minutes and we all get refreshed and ready to go again.
Bring extra everything! Ok maybe not everything, but for trips I always pack extra clothing, diapers, and anything else the baby might need so I'm not making trips to the store buying things I forgot! Babies need a lot of things and they still need it all when traveling too so I always just bring everything I can think that the baby might need!
Have fun! Even if you forget something, or the baby cries the whole car ride try to remember to enjoy yourself as best you can! Try not to stress too much and do your best to enjoy your time with your family! We've had trips where everything went wrong but we still made a point to have fun and we did! We've also had trips that went perfectly and the kids behaved and everything was great! Some of our best family memories are when traveling! So take a deep breath and just have fun!
Great tips! Although I don't have toddlers anymore, I think these work well for most travelling kids.
ReplyDeleteI recommend bringing along some favorite toys. And a small stroller is a must! I traveled alone with my daughter on the train to visit my brother, and we managed just fine.
ReplyDeleteGreat tips. I have a toddler and sometimes it can be very difficult when traveling with her. Sometimes I'm so worn out that I can't enjoy the vacation.
ReplyDeleteWe just traveled from IA to WA (with stops along the way) last week. I really planned snacks ahead this time, making little baggies of food I purchased at Costco. This really cut down on our stops. I always go to the bathroom whenever we stop for gas and change baby/toddler. My kids and husband must have bladders of steel, though. lol
ReplyDeleteGreat tips! The whole traveling when they sleep thing doesn't work out well for us, but for anyone that has kids that are heavier sleepers, it's a huge help to have them sleeping in the back instead of awake and needing to be entertained. And I totally agree with the snacks thing - I feel like a vending machine when we travel, because I'm constantly offering them different snacks! :)
ReplyDeletegreat tips michelle, ill be needing these once we move out of tx... good thing is that the boys will be a bit older so i hope its a bit easier :)
ReplyDeleteI have a four year old with a very small bladder. I actually bought a urinal bottle for him to use in the van. It sounds gross, but it saves us from stopping every hour. We just survived a 12 hour trek to/from OBX with three kids, 7, 4, and 11 months and it went quite well!
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