Need Advice on Taking a Road Trip with a 14 Month Old

Walkman. Try and keep him up/active as possible the evening before the trip. Travel at night where he will sleep most of the way. When my daughter was young, I always drove at night and she slept!

Although driving at night would be ideal, since he would sleep most of it, I would also sleep most of it, so that wouldn't work for me. It's hard to drive and sleep at the same time!
DVDs are a must for us for long trips. Also, silly songs help. We also found that stopping at McDonald's was great. They all have changing tables and usually clean bathrooms and the chance to stretch and climb for a little bit always helped my son. That way he could use up some of that energy and was ready to sit again.

When my children were little we put a small waste basket in the back seat full of fun things for them to do. Books, color pencils,(they don't melt)coloring books, toys etc.... That worked really great. My son now has a DVD for their kids.

A. D.

OK, Sweety, I'm a 54 year old grandmother of 7 ranging in age from 10 down to 8 mo. & come from a very large family of 72 that vacations together. Take it from me if you can, leave during the wee early morning hours, like 1 or 2 no later than 3 a.m.. I promise you won't regret it. We get in from work have diner then pack the car & go to bed by 8. He should sleep right through the transistion. Most babies wake up at their best in the morning & it's so fun to point out the smallest things when they get bored. Take his favorite little toys & story books. He will do great. Of course you could give him a 1/4 tsp. of benedryl to asure he will sleep but I've never done that just had a friend that always did. After he wakes up then you should be about ready for a stop & then he will be held & fed & ready to go again. I know I make it sound easy but trust me If you think positively it will be. I always say dreed it & you'll regret it. Have a great trip & be safe.

I can't tell you how many road trips of ten hours we have taken at this point with our daughter from the time she was 2 months to now when she is 2 1/2 yrs. We have a portable DVD and she loves watching Elmo, Little Einsteins, etc. Also I take a bag of small toys, books, or anything she likes to play with at home you can do while sitting. THen of course plenty of snacks and drinks! On our 10 hour trips to see family in Kansas we tend to only stop twice unless something happens. Of course if she is sleeping good we don't stop unless we just can't make it any longer for our potty breaks just in case stopping wakes her up. We have never had a trip full of screaming or crying...I think if you seem calm and make it fun then they are fine too. So relax and spend the time playing with your son and talking to your husband.

Leave at his bedtime and drive through the night! :) It sucks for the driver, but it's better than having an unhappy toddler the whole way. We recently did this. We left at 10:00pm one night for a 7 hour drive. With a couple of potty breaks for my husband, we arrived at about 5:30am. He just took a nap for a couple of hours when we got there and ready to go that same afternoon. It works well for us. (He also took a nap the afternoon before we left at 10:00.) Good luck.

if possible we always like to leave at night, if not then its lots of new toys (just like stuff from the dollar store) crayons (as long as its not too hot, if it is be careful if one gets under the seat it will melt!), we got my daughter one of those things that you color with a water pen & then it evaporates & you do it again, dvd player if you have one. & lots of water, juice & little snacks, things that are easy & not too messy, fruit snacks, goldfish, bananas...
& even though you may not normally stop except to pee i would plan at least 2 30min stops & try to go somewhere where your little one can get out & play.

We travel a lot with our little ones and always have. Take a portable DVD player- it's a life saver and not expensive if you don't have one already. Take him out and let him play at lunch time- Chik Filet or McDonald's or just have a picnic at a playground. Let him run and play for a good 1/2 hour at least. For long trips, we do this several times during the trip. It might add a little time, but it will make your trip much more enjoyable for all. If you're relaxed, he will be too. It won't be bad!

DVD is all I have to tell ya! It works miracles!!!

Hello,

When our son was younger we took several long road trips because my family lives in the midwest. One thing we did that worked for us was that we would leave when it was still dark because then he would go back to sleep. Also, Take plenty of snacks and make a road trip bag which is some of his favorite smaller toys with a few new things thrown in. Just distribute them periodically. Also, your going to have to give him some play time so find a nice park or McDonalds and let him play for 15 - 30 minutes. It will take a little longer to get where your going but you'll enjoy your trip more. Have fun your making memories.

DH and I have traveled so much with our daughter...everywhere Washington DC, Alabama, Florida, Colorado, Arizona. She's always done very well! We kept a small of toys in the car for her...one of her fave blankets (she never had a "linus blanket" but one she knew was her own) and a teddy bear or stuffed toy she also knew was from her house. Even now at 3.5 she'll grab her blanket in the car and fall asleep. I think it's a little comfort knowing it's from home. We would stop every couple of hours and find a store at let her wander around. When we first traveled FAR (22 hour total hour drive!) she slept a lot. When she woke we'd take out and let her walk around. Now we do the DVD player. We're about to go on a 9 hour trip. We're bringing coloring books, books of her choosing, new snacks of her choosing, 2-3 toys of her choosing, a blanket, some Disney CDs, and dvd player with her choice of movies. Have a positive attitude and enjoy some family time. Try not to stress out, cause they will know and get tense too! Happy travels!

Hi S.:
I took my daughter in a 8 hours driving trip when she was 13 months old, she did fine, she used to watch through the window drinking her bottle of milk, and she brought her "baby" too, she slept most of the time and we made a few stops to go to the bathroom and eat at a Mc Donald, so she had some fun, believe me , it's not a big deal.

We drove to Disney World last year with a 1 and 4 year old. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. We left at 3am- just scooped them out of bed and buckled them in the car- they barely noticed. After a few hours driving, they started to wake up so we stopped for breakfast- McDonalds. We also bought them vinyl backpacks and filled them with new toys and books. Every so often we would pull something new out of them. Lots of kid friendly music helped, too. My little one did sleep quite a bit, but we stopped to play every couple hours. The best advice is to take your time. Don't expect to have a quick trip. Just relax and have fun at your play stops. If you get stressed about how long the trip is taking, they will pick up on it and feel stressed too.

Hi,
Just want to reiterate that driving at night is great. Every year we went from Birmingham, Alabama to Chicago (a 12 hour drive) and left right after dinner. we woke up at Grandma's house and the driver took a nap while we played!

I have taken a couple of 12 hour trips with my kids and if we don't leave after dinner, we will wake up at 3am or so, and drive then.

Good luck!
M.

Hi there!
I actually have been a few road trips traveling for 12 hours.(with a toddler) Here are a few things that seemed to help us. First off, just know that you will get there when you get there. =) Taking plenty of rests breaks to have your son get out(& you) and walk around will be the MOST helpful advice I could give you. Take plenty of books or traveling activities that are NEW to him. Maybe a new toy or something as well. A portable DVD player also has been helpful in my experiences. Take water bottles and snacks too. (which you probably already knew that)
And that is pretty much it. I hope this helps ya alittle. =)
Take care,
K.

I have experimented with all 3 of my kids at that age and the best time is late in the day, like after 4 pm, arriving late at night. They transfer best to bed when you arrive in the middle of the night. The second best time to travel is early in the morning, right when they wake up. I find that when I would drive right after lunch, that was the WORST time to start. They would get so cranky. I'd also pack their favorite toys even if they drive me crazy. My kids loved anything that made music or noise that they could push buttons. I took them out gradually. I also packed lots of snacks and drinks to cut out as many stops as possible. We only stopped to changed diapers or go to the bathroom. We drive to Mississippi from Dallas, normally a 7.5 hr drive, but with stops, it easily takes us 9.5 hours. You might have to break up your drive into 2 days with your 14 month old. I think that 12 hours in the car is too long. Plan on stopping as a back up plan. If you can do it at night, just be sure you are not too sleepy, I get too tired after midnight and struggle to stay awake! So I know I have to leave by a certain time to get there before I get too sleepy driving. Good Luck!

Movies and a DVD player!! We take a 5 hour trip once a month to visit family in OK. If I didn't have the dvd player my 2 and 3.5 year old would drive me crazy. Also, stop every couple of hours so your son can stretch his legs. I also let them pack a backpack with some favorite small toys and books...it helps when they are tired of the movies. Good Luck!

Hi S.,

You've gotten a lot of great advice but I just wanted to add, in my experience traveling with a young one, they tend to sleep the entire way. Even if they're up throughout the day at home, in the car is more relaxing and they sleep a lot longer.
We've had some looong road trips with little ones and they were much more peaceful then I ever imagined.
Just make sure to get him out at least every 2 hours (if he's awake) to stretch and take a break. McDonalds is always a good stopping point or even just a nice rest stop area where he can walk around for a bit and stretch his body so he doesn't get too bored or car sick.
It really isn't a big deal but I know it's just the fear of the unknown that worries us so much.
You're lucky you just have the 1 child to take and trust me, it will be over before you know it.
Take care and best wishes!

Good morning S.,

I have a 9 year old boy and a 2 year old boy. I just took a road trip (12 hours) with my two year old. I had him help pack lots of books and toys. I have to say, though, that the dvd was a big success. He watched cars, the movie, three times. He also enjoyed the flash light during the evening and the talking books and liked putting on the ear phones and listening to music from the MP3 player. I had lots of treats, like carrots, celery, crackers and milk ready to give to him also. When my older son was younger, we thought it was best to travel at night so that he could sleep through the long trip. After taking this trip with my youngest during the day, I found that it to be more enjoyable and we weren't traveling tired at night, which is more dangerous. My youngest actually seemed to like seeing all the different vehicles, too. From now on, I'm traveling during the day.

M.

If your son is into TV that should keep him occupied. My son loves Little Einsteins and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and we just bought one of those little portable dvd players and took a 9 hour trip. We brought plenty of his favorite snacks and toys that he could play with in his car seat. It turned out being much better than I expected and of course he took a long nap during the trip also.

I've only done about 5-6 hours in the car but, the advice I woudl give to you is to time major driving during napping hours. Also, be prepared to take breaks along the way. You may all need them. My child, and possibly yours as well, was never a dvd person. Snacks kept him more occupied so I brought plenty of those. Also, new toys and books are a good idea too. Good luck!

We tend to leave at 5 or 6 in the evening and drive thru the night. That way our little bundle of joy is entertained with her portable dvd player and us and then falls asleep. We get the brunt of the driving done before she even wakes up. It does get hard to stay awake, so my husband and I take turns driving.

When our girls were little, we found it best to travel during regular nap times or sleeping hours (even at night).

Ten hours is a long time for a young kid, but if you stop every couple of hours for diaper change, fresh air, snacks, etc., the trip will be less arduous. Plan your stops around his sleeping and waking times. Don't wake him up just because it's been a couple of hours. That defeats the purpose.

Travel at night! Since my son's birth (2.5 yrs ago)we go to Baton Rouge about twice a year to visit my mom, and every time we travel at night. We bought a tv for my car. It straps on the back of our head-rest and serves as a great stimulant too. Our son doesn't get bored and does really well the entire way. Plus, he ends up going to sleep at his regular time. My husband and I take turns driving so that we can both get a little sleep.

We took our laptop and car power adapter an Baby Einstein movies! And stopped many times. I also sat with her and had long snacking sessions. We tried to stop so she wouldn't have to sit still for more than an hour (not including video time and nap time). We thought about driving at night after her bedtime.

Hope your trip is awesome!

D.

We have taken several long car trips with small children. I always just plan to sit in the back seat to help entertain them. I took a lot of his toys for him to play with in the car. Sometimes, I buy a few new small toys that can easily be played with in the car. I also went to the library and checked out some CD's with kids music and books. We kept our eyes out for McDonald's with play areas. It added some time to our trip, but for bathroom breaks we would stop at the McDonald's and let him play for 10 minutes or so. Also, we have left really early in the morning (3 or 4 am). We get the car packed and then just change our son's diaper, leave him in his pj's, and put him in his carseat. He would always fall back to sleep for a couple of hours. Or you can plan to be driving later into the evening. Driving early or late always gives us a few hours of quiet driving.
Enjoy your trip!

I agree--if at all posible travel at night. I know it may be harder on you than him! I did this with my girls when they were little--we moved from Texas to Colorado and made lots of 16 hour trips! Best of Luck!

Hi S., It'll be ok and I don't think you'll get 10 hrours of screaming. Just a piece of advice/warning though, if you expect him to sleep in the car there is no guarantee he will (until the last 30 minutes of the drive LOL). Our families live 12 and 15 hrs away. When we do the Christmas trip it's a 12 or 15 hr drive to one set of grandparents and then it's another 6 hrs to the others. Bring lots of snacks, books, a book light, toys, including some that light up for night time driving. Favorite stuffed animals, blankets etc. One more sippy cup or bottle than you think you'll need because one will disappear until you get to your destination. A DVD player if he's into that, my son wasn't into the whole TV thing until he was almost 2. Stop at rest areas to walk, stop for meals and remember you will get there, it's ok to stop. Dress him in easy to change clothes-elastic waist pants or those great one piece rompers, you'd be amazed at the number of restaurants, gas stations and rest areas etc. that don't have changing stations or have just plain gross ones. The last thing you want to do is bend over in a car door or picnic table and struggle to get clothing off and on. Also have an extra change of clothes easily accessible. And finally,get a good night's sleep for yourself the night before you leave because it's much easier to keep your sanity!

DVD player helps, I would sing and have tapes/CD's of children's songs. You could sit in the back with him and take toys and books along. I would definitely get things that attach to the straps of the car seat, so everything isn't falling on the floor. Discovery Toys have some great links that worked great for us. I would get new books and new little toys, so he would be more interested.

We stopped every 2 hours to restaurants with play areas and outdoor parks/playgrounds. We got him out to walk/run and see the outside. It was a car break and it helped a lot. You could also go to the zoo or some other signtseeing venture for a break.

I would go out to eat and that would help break up the time in the car, as opposed to bringing lots of food with you. Good Luck and hope the trip goes well.

I'm the type of person who doesn't want my kids hooked to movies in the car, so we take books to read, and let them take a few toys to play with, including interactive toys that we can do with them. (We have some finger puppets that when they get really cranky, we pull them out and use them to "attack" or tickle the kids till they cheer up). Amazingly enough, the best thing for a child in the car (that I've found) is someone to interact with. When we had one, one of us would end up in the back more often than not to play or read with him. Now he has his sister, and he LOVES to play with her and talk to her, and she loves it as well. We also plan rest stops every 2-3 hours so that we can all get out, stretch our legs and let the kids run for a bit. We'll be making a 22 (2-3 day) trip this summer to Canada, and we may break down and use a dvd player for that, but we're not sure yet.

Cookie sheets are magnetic. Get some large magnets that he can play with and they will stick to the cookie sheet that he can just put on his lap.

Portable DVD players are also good. Those baby einstein videos are great for a half hour of entertainment.

SNACKS snacks and more snacks.

Take lots of different types of toys, foods that he likes & drinks, and maybe if you have one--a portable TV. This is so that you can play movies on it. When we went on ours, I would switch out the toys every few hours and give him snacks. When we stopped, I took him out of his seat and let him get some exercise.

Hopefully this will help out a little bit.

This is making me think....I used to travel alot with my parents and older sister in a car (1950's-60's) and we did not have all this stuff. We had a book,a pillow, and looked at sights and talked along the way-sang lots of silly songs. And we slept in that big boat of a car-and we used our seat belts back then!

Now I have a 2 year old Grandson-I want him entertained in the car-dvds, books, cds...but,he really likes it when I sing to him and with him. We stop at places to change his diapers and a time to stretch and play-maybe eat....he will sleep a lot. ( I must have been trained to sleep to the motion of cars, too-I go on long trips with my husband and I am almost asleep within an hour!

Most importantly-like others have said, stay calm! If your child senses stress he will react accordingly! Have fun and take your time-even if it means a night in a friendly clean motel.....and pray -alot!!!!