Forgive the quality of my photo - we are enroute home. So I wanted to share the little wisdom I have garnered from this trip before it escapes my road-weary mind. Here are my tips for traveling with toddlers, they are in no particular order.
Start your trip just before bedtime. This maximizes the amount of time you will have for straight shot driving.
Use your best overnight diaper solution for car travel. Must wick moisture away from baby's bum and hold a good amount without leaking.
Use your best barrier cream. Even if that is a thick non-cloth approved cream. Use a diaper liner, you'll thank yourself later.
Bring good quality wetbags or ziplocks. Nobody wants to dunk and swish in a roadside restroom - but you are not going to want to sit in a car with the stinkies either (especially if there is traffic). If you are brave enough to do that you wouldn't want that water running all over your floor boards either.
Bring an assortment of simple to eat/clean finger-foods. Traffic and boredom will happen. Food is an entertainment option (thank you cheesy bunnies)
Keep a tote with varied yet simple (read: no parts or unattached accessories) These can be rotated as necessary. Note to self: Peter Rabbit needs a leash.
Flushable non-alcoholic wipes for bottoms/hands/toys/noses/ice cream-in-my-hair/etc. are a good idea for travel. So is waterless hand-sanitizer.
A car seat mirror is a must! You need to see the cute face he makes while making silly noises!
A comfy and safe car seat is another must.
Comfortable and loose fitting natural fiber clothing is a good idea. Put a blanket in reach also.
Be prepared to stop often for stretching little legs and burning off extra steam. Plan for it in your travel time and then add two more hours to that time.
Bring green tea bags with you. When you get to your destination you should give your toddler a tea bath. Let them sit and play in the water for as long as they like. Little Man had a bright red, angry bottom when we got there. 20 minutes in the bath and some "no diaper time" in the morning and his redness and irritation was a thing of the past.
So these are my tips. What have you used on your road trips? I'm already planning our next trip to Nana and PopPop's so I'd love your suggestions. We've just encountered MORE traffic - hooray!
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Awesome! I had bunnies with me today and had to pull over and throw handfuls into their laps so they were very helpful. I also put a reusable bag full of toys between their car seats so they could dig in and pull things out at will. No coats plus blankets was good, but I probably should have taken their shoes off for more comfort. I don't have any toddler mirrors, but I occasionally play peek-a-boo with Heidi in my rear view mirror :)
ReplyDeleteWhoa, lots and lots of good tips here, good job! And yeah, you got to be extra prepared when you have kids with you on the road trip -- don't want them to be bored, after all, right? Of course, you need to make sure the car is in great condition; heat can be unpleasant for us, but it's more bad on children, and a car can get pretty hot at times.
ReplyDeleteWell, Planning for a road trip is just as important as any added trip. As with all best journeys it starts with acceptable planning and preparation.
ReplyDeletetravel recommendations
Before going on a long trip, always make sure the car is in good condition. That means checking if the tires are filled at just the right amount, if the battery is in good condition, if the engine coolant is enough to keep the engine running for a long time, etc. It would be risky to have your car bog down in the middle of nowhere. Anyway, your idea about the car seat mirror is pretty cool! Hehe. Aside from the funny thoughts about your baby’s cute face, you can also easily see what’s going on with him.
ReplyDeleteTimmy Radloff