Traveling with a baby is quite different than the road trips you became accustomed to before kids. I can still remember the days of burning mixed CD's (I know, ancient) loaded with my favorite play list and hitting the open road for a weekend away; not a care in the world!
Road trips look a lot different for us when we enter parenthood and it's not always what we had in mind! Here are some practical tips that will hopefully pave the way to a stress free and enjoyable ride, even with your bundle of joy in tow!
- Timing is everything! If at all possible, try and plan your trip for a time of day when your baby is going to be happy (or sleepy if they are good "car sleepers"). If your little one has generally fussy evenings and you don't want them taking a 4 hour nap at 5:00 P.M. then shooting out late Friday when you get off work probably isn't best! If you can-load the car up, go to bed early and leave early Saturday morning instead. The trick with this one is knowing your baby (because they're all different!) and planning the trip around their schedule the best you can.
- Allot for a travel buffer. Your usual 4 hour trip is going to take longer. Plain and simple. You'll need to stop for feedings, diaper changes, and just to let your baby take a break from the car. In my experience a stop is warranted about every 2 hours (the only time I go for a longer stretch is if baby is sleeping-don't interrupt that if at all possible!) A pretty good rule of thumb is to add on 30-45 minutes for each 2 hour block the trip "should" take. So-if my GPS tells me it's a 4 hour trip I will usually assume that 5-5.5 hours is more realistic.
- Pack a special "car bag". This trick works great for toddlers and big kids, but try it with your baby too! Pack a bag for the car with toys, books and other items that are new to your child. New items will hold their attention significantly longer than the same stuff they see everyday! You can purchase new toys, or if you plan far enough in advance (which I'm terrible at!) you can "lose" some toys for a few weeks or months and then bring them back out for the trip! Make sure you keep the bag up front and ration the items out sparingly!
Those are my top 3 practical tips for a happy road trip. The main idea here is to plan plan plan! Over prepare and be realistic about your timeline (maybe have your hubby read this too LOL). Happy summer traveling everyone!
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