In the name of Allah, the most Gracious, the most Merciful
Today, we’re talking about how to go on a road trip with a toddler while maintaining our own sanity and making it as bearable as possible for our little one’s. While I don’t consider myself a road-tripping pro… we have been going here and there with our son since before he was a week old. (would not recommend that…in case you were wondering)
We personally don’t use screen time for road trip entertainment. It’s not that we never have or never will, it’s just not a preference. So that said, if you’re looking to keep your drive as screen-free as possible, I hope that you find benefit in these 5 tips!
1. Be mindful of when you begin your trip and try to plan according to your toddlers sleep schedule.
This tip isn’t always doable but when you’re able to plan your drive time around your child’s sleep times, it can make the trip a lot more bearable. Depending on how far we are going, we try to either leave early in the morning a few hours before our son’s normal wake-up time (and before traffic gets crazy), around his nap time, or right around his bedtime. Again, this is not always possible – but if your toddler is able to sleep even just a few hours of the trip, it makes it seem a lot shorter for them and also allows you to relax a bit.
2. Do your best to make sure that your little one is as comfortable as possible while they’re in their seat.
Comfort is key for a successful road trip with a toddler. You can only make a car seat (or a car seat for that matter) so comfortable but make sure you do give a minute to consider this. Choose soft, breathable clothing. Check on a regular basis that your child is dry and fresh. Keep an eye on the temperature. If you use a soother – whether that’s a pacifier, a blanky or a special toy – consider bringing it along. Just keeping those tiny things in mind can make a big difference for how your toddler will experience this trip. And ultimately, if the little one is comfortable, it’ll allow us to be that much more comfortable.
3. Plan on stopping every so often throughout the drive.
When you are going on a trip, a lot of times people can be really focused on getting to their destination…and hopefully in a timely manner. Driving with little one’s really requires you to adjust your expectations and simply enjoy the process. Not only do our kiddos tend to be more restricted than we are, they also have less tolerance for sitting still for long periods of time. You should plan on stopping every 1.5 hours or so and giving your child a few moments to stretch their legs, go potty and/or get their bottoms refreshed and then get back on the road. All that said, make sure that you give yourself a lot of extra time if you have to be to your destination by a certain time.
4. Put together a travel kit for your toddler.
This doesn’t have to be anything fancy. Basically just gather some toys and/or put together some activities that your toddler will enjoy and can do mostly-independently while you guys are driving. I can make another post on our current toddler travel kit for road trips… but really it can be as simple as bringing a couple of your child’s favorite toys with you and rotating between them. I highly recommend getting a basic lap desk though, regardless of how fancy your travel kit may be – they’re awesome for snacks, activities, etc. Other things to consider in this regard is putting together certain audio files that are used for long drives – be that poetry, songs, or stories.
5. Bring plenty of snacks and drinks..but choose wisely.
This could make or break your trip! Hungry becomes hangry really quickly for toddlers and with everything else to consider as well, having snacks could be a lifesaver! Remember also, just because apple slices were their favorite every day this week doesn’t mean they’ll still like it today – so don’t put all your eggs in one basket. So to be on the safe side, it’s always a good idea to have a number of options for your little one. Make sure to choose snacks that you are very confident do not present any sort of choking hazard for your child…and much less important but still worth considering, try to choose minimal-mess/minimal clean-up options.
That’s all I have for you today. Happy traveling!
Question for the comments: Share your top road-tripping hack for family trips with little one’s?
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