Lifestyle
Excited to take a road trip, but also not sure what to expect?! I have been there SO many times. My parents live in Houston, about 8 to 10 hours away from us depending on traffic. We have driven there at least a dozen times with both kids, starting at the time Boston was about 9 months old. The first trip was pure torture. I’m not kidding. We timed it out so they would fall asleep in the car, but around midnight Boston woke up screaming, and crying and then London woke up crying covering her ears, asking me to make him stop. Talk about feeling totally helpless. We were only an hour away from home but it was complete misery. I’ve learned a thing or two about traveling with two small kids in car seats, so I want to share those with you to hopefully save you some pain and suffering on the road.
First – buy a car seat tray! I had no idea it even existed until I Googled it and I was so excited to find some on Amazon. I have now tried three different brands and I’ve finally found my favorite one that can hold up to the kids abuse. It’s the Jungle Feels Car Seat Try Available on Amazon. Here’s a link for you to check it out – Jungle Feels Car Seat Tray.
It is very sturdy, has more organization than any other tray I’ve bought, and I love that the cup holder is right on top and not on the side, so it’s easy for them to reach. I could go on and on about why I love it so much, so if you are interested in finding out more, here’s a link to my YouTube video on it – Travel Tray Review .
On-the-road Activities
Coloring Books
Pre-school learning dry erase books
Legos (you can buy small ones at the dollar store)
Magnetic Tiles
Doodle/ Sketch Pads
Sticker Books
Small wooden puzzles
And we do have a tv in the car so that helps tremendously
(I usually stop by a dollar section and pick up a few things.)
Second- travel during the day. When I had one we would wake up at 3 am and hit the road. I could transfer London from asleep in her crib, to the car seat and she would wake up at her normal time around 7 am, so it was perfect because we were already more than half way through the trip. But when we added a second kid to the mix, that plan didn’t work. Boston wouldn’t stay asleep and then he was up 4 hours earlier than normal and it made for a really miserable trip. So now, we travel during the day. We let them get a good’s night rest, eat breakfast, play and run around for an hour or so and then we hit the road. We’ve learned it makes the trip much more enjoyable for us all.
Third (and this is kind of a given)- bring snacks, and lots of them. My son has a short attention-span but loves to eat, so we bring their favorite snacks and I put them in a bag right behind the passenger seat so we can easily reach them.
Fourth- have a “bed-time bag” easily assessable in the car. I pack everything they need for bedtime in one bag. It includes their noise machines, their lovey, baby monitors, blankets, books, one pair of pjs and anything else that is essential for them to feel comfortable and sleep. I even take my son’s mobile with us. This is incase we get unexpectedly delayed and arrive much later then expected – we can just grab the “bed-time bag” and get their bed ready as soon as we get there.
Fifth — Bring a container for larger toys. I always bring a few larger toys with us when we travel to play with when we get to our destination. I make sure they are easy to grab, so we can just grab the container, when we arrive and they get distracted for a little while as we unpack the car.
And a bonus tip about packing -pack the kids clothes with the hangers on, especially if you are going to stay somewhere for more than just a few days. It makes packing and unpacking much faster and helps you keep their clothes more organized when on the road.
Please let me know if you have any questions. My kids are 18 months apart and I’ve learned A LOT through trial and error about taking road trips with them . Happy travels!