Traveling with 1 Yr Old

I would suggest trying to time it around one of his naps so that he can sleep at least through half of the trip. Another idea is to get a portable DVD player and one or two movies that he likes and play those usually help.

Have you considered Benadryl?

Seriously, the best advice I received for traveling with my son at that age was to buy several different types of things that would be new and interesting to him. Each item was then wrapped as a present, and given to him at different intervals throughout the trip. One item might be a special snack he enjoys, another a new book, another a type of toy that he likes.

I would also suggest that you spend some time sitting next to him. No one likes to be in the back seat alone all th time.

I hear you! We've just taken 2 trips that were 800+ miles each in the last 2 months with our 13-month-old son, so here is what I learned. Drive during nap time if possible and obviously take toys/snacks. I was sitting in the seat next to him to make sure he was safe eating anything.... And since he is still rear-facing, I could put a ball by his feet and he 'practiced' soccer, which got his little legs moving a little. Peek-a-boo was also a huge hit. And we brought my laptop and used it as a DVD player. He doesn't usually watch much TV, but he loves Big Bird so I got a Sesame Street movie. Music also worked well, as did books. He's just started getting REALLY excited about pointing to pictures in books and having me tell him what it is, so we spent a lot of time doing that. And make sure he's wearing really comfortable clothing that's not bunched up under the car seat straps. I hope this helps! ~ V.

That's easy. Take more breaks. You already know how long it takes him to get squirmy maybe it would be kinda cool if you did this trip the oldfashioned way...the traditional car trip. This might give you a chance to stop and smell the roses, see some sites along the way, etc. I can't stand being in a car for that long either unless im the one driving. Seriously, go for a couple hrs then stop in a cute little town (not quite sure where you're comming from or where you're headed) find an art/craft fair or something else to just get a chance to strech your legs even if it's as simple as finding a McDonalds with a playplace. Who knows after a lunch stop like that he might be too tired to complain. (LOL)

Will he sleep in his carseat? We always used to travel with our oldest at night so that she would just sleep in the car. This hasn't worked so well with my youngest, unfortunately. She hates being in her car seat when she is tired but if he will sleep in the car, night travel is the way to go. Make sure he is good and tired before you get in the car so that he will go right out and take all his normal bedtime stuff with you.

Hi Rachel. I have a 2 year old and I had to make 3 hour trips quite often traveling to and from school. If you don't already have one and travel long distances frequently, my suggestion would be to get a portable DVD player. It STILL keeps my little man entertained for the trips. I used to pick out movies for him to watch on the ride, but now he's old enough to pick his favorites! It's well worth the investment if you're able! Good luck!

Is there any way to leave early or during a time where he would usually take a nap? We try to plan our trips at a time where some of the car ride will be while the kids are sleeping. We also have a portable dvd player and I always buy a new movie or rent one from the library, so it's something they've never seen before. We just got back from a 12 hour drive from San Antonio! Good Luck.

every child is different but the only thing that worked with ours is my husband who is skinny squeezed in the back seat btwn our two kids (we had two) and put around around. that seemed to soothe enough. otherwise it can be a nightmare.

also we stopped a LOT more ..say every 45 min..and let her run around, safely, somewhere , to burn off energy.

hope that helps.

Definately get a portable DVD player. We took a 4 hr trip w/ our then 1 1/2 year old and it was miserable. We had an 8 hr trip to go on the next weekend and so we borrowed a DVD player from a friend. It was such a pleasant trip(other than hearing the chipmunks the whole way:)!). I would also recommend bringing as many of his toys etc... that he plays w/ on a regular basis so he will still have some comfort things w/ him. We also stopped half way at a McDonalds playland and let him play for quite a while so he could burn off some energy. Good luck & have fun!!

When I had to travel with a toddler I went to Target (Wal-Mart; whatever your preference) and got mini etch-a-sketch and magnadoodles. They are inexpensive and perfectly sized for toddler fingers. I introduced them one at a time; starting with the first sign of restlessness and then the other at the next "break down".
If possible, another trick that worked for us is to plan the drive around nap time so that he falls asleep while driving.
Good luck and have fun!

When we travel with our 1 year old, we leave when she's getting ready to take her morning nap, so that at least part of the trip she's sleeping. We also bring books/toys that she doesnt get to play with usually so that they are new and exciting. If you can stop for 20 minutes and let him run off some energy, that's also pretty helpful. Good luck!

my daughter had the same problem so they got a car DVD and movies and picked a time that she would be sleeping most of the time. be sure to prop a small pillow on the side of his head so his head does not wobble and wake him up. Also sit back there and read to him or just interact with him while he is awake.

Take frequent breaks legs stretching and have toys handy.

Can you start your drive at the beginning of his longest nap time?

we did an 18 hour trip spread over 2 days with my 15 month old. i bought him the learning dog(not sure exact name but does counting and games and songs as the child presses it's different parts) and a book that has the buttons to make noises. those 2 things kept him happy and occupied the whole time. i just made sure not to show them to him until he started getting fidgety in the car so they were new to him.

Our daughter is not a good traveler either. She hates being in her carseat for a 4 1/2 hour trip to Des Moines or St. Louis. We just got back from driving for 11 hours to Estes Park, CO. I was dreading it, but she did pretty well. Things that worked for us:

- Leave an hour before nap time so he can get settled in and then nap for the middle part of the trip.

- Have one of you sit in the back to play with/talk to him. I think the main reason our daughter gets so agitated is that she's by herself facing backwards (she's not quite big enough to turn around yet).

- I don't let her watch tv/videos at home much, but I did take some with us and it did help distract her for a bit a couple of times.

- Take lots of little toys that you can pass out one at a time every half hour to an hour and books to read. Old favorites and a few new ones to mix it up.

- When you do stop, make sure to be somewhere he can run around for a few minutes. We went to a rest area that had picnic tables and brought sandwiches for lunch. Getting fresh air really helped.

It turned out to not be too bad. She did very well. Hang in there - good luck!

Try to do as much early morning or late evening traveling as possible so that he will sleep most of the trip. If that absolutely is not an option, make sure you have plenty of music that he really enjoys and a few of his favorite toys to play with. If you have any kind of portable device on which to put movies (DVD player, Palm Pilot, etc) put a few very short movies in.

When my girls were young like yours we found traveling at night was best because they would sleep. If that isn't possible try traveling a nap time. Getting the child occupied with the country side or snacks is good too. Barb K.

If he will stay in the car seat 2 hours thats great. I would add another hour onto your trip, I know most men don't like to stop but maybe your husband is different, and plan on stopping every hour or hour and a half and let him get out and move around, if hes not walking take a blanket and let him crawl around for about 10 to 15 minutes and then back into the car. It will be easier on him and way easier on you.
Hope you have a wonderful trip. I can't think of anything worse than having to sit all cramped up in a carseat for hours on end. At least we can move around to a different position when we ride.

When our kids were little we left at night and they slept, We took the easy way out.

Have you thought about getting a DVD player for him? I think that they are not good for around town, but could be used as a special treat for long trips.

Also, I read a great idea from a magazine about wrapping up a small toy, so that every hour he could unwrap something new, play with it, and discard it after the hour is done in favor of something new. I was thinking with a child so young you could probably wrap some of his toys from home. It would just be an entertaining way to keep him busy.

What type of carseat is he in? My little guy (6 months) would not ride without screaming in a carrier. Once we went to a Evenflo Triumph, the tears stopped. Now he actually falls asleep pretty calmly when it is time.

I agree with the other posters to try and leave when it is naptime and plan at least one good stop so that he can burn off some steam!

My son is the same way and has been since he was born. When we go on long trips we take our DVD player and some movies, lots of little toys he likes, snacks of all kinds. Most of all if you know he can only sit for 2 hours then stop at the hour and a half mark before he gets real restless and let him run around some. Having a child in the car that doesn't ride well it always takes longer to get there so just know that going into it that way you are not frustrated also. Or you could travel close to bed time and he may fall asleep for most of the way.

Hi Rachel,
I didn't read the other responses so you may have heard my suggestions already. We have an 11 month old, here is what we do on our 3.5 hr trips:

Pack toys that she has not seen before, interesting items for her to explore. Plan the trip so it coincides with her nap time and hopefully she will sleep for a good portion of the drive. Bring puffs, cherios, sippy cup and milk so she can be fed/snack when the drive gets boring. I have a Raffy CD and other fun kids music that we sing and dance to in the car. If all else fails one of us (mom or dad) gets in the back seat with her and entertains when she is no longer able to entertain herself. We also try to leave time so that we can stop once or maybe twice if she needs to get out for a bit.

Rachel,

I am a SAHM with 2 children 6 and 3. They are now accustomed to long rides since my dad lives 8hrs away. I bought nursery rhyme and sunday school song CD's and then sing with them and have fun in the car. Also I dont know if your son is in to movies but the portable DVD players are a blessing as well. If he likes to draw get a travel etch-a-sketch or something similar.

Good luck in your ventures!!

S.

We bought new books, (picture books) and new toys and also brought some toys from home and make sure you bring a blanket from home as well, I sat in the backseat with our son on the trip that we took to Mississippi and I would take a new toy out and he would play with it for an hr or so, and when he got bored with that, I would bring out another one. I would take the blanket and cover his head and say where is my Logan and pull the blanket off him and did that until he got bored. We stopped along the way to let him out and run around to play, (he was a little older than a year). Just do things to entertain him, we also had a DVD player and he watched his fav movies. Lots of snacks and whatever he drinks.

When we travel for long periods of time, we do 'grab bags'. I go and get a bunch of new cheap toys/books/snacks and when my kids get bored with one thing, they get to grab something else out of their bag. Every little thing keeps them entertained for at least 15-20 minutes (just because it's something new)... sometimes longer. Also, if you can leave really early in the morning or later in the evening and avoid as much sun as possible, that helps! Good luck! Have fun on your trip :)