We have made two pretty long car trips with the girls over the last two months. The first was a 10.5 haul to the North Carolina coast and the second an 8 hour trip to Ohio. While I don’t want to make this a monthly occurrence, I have to admit it wasn’t as bad as I feared it would be. (For reference if you’re new here, my girls are 13 months and four.) If you have a drive looming ahead of you and you’re not sure if you’re up for the challenge, let me offer some newfound wisdom on traveling the good ole’ fashion way with young kiddos in tow.
- Decide if you want to/ can make it in one long stint. If you’re anything like me, the first thing you do when a car trip is on the horizon is Google Map the distance….miles mean nothing, I’m all about that travel time. Give me the goods cause this mama ain’t got no time for math. Once you have the hours, be completely honest with yourself about what that actually translates to in travel time. Our eight hour trip took 10.5 hours total (and this was with good traffic). You’ll need to determine if you and your kids can keep your shit together in a car for that many hours straight. For us, this was a hard NO for the NC vacation. We split it up and stayed halfway overnight both there and back. Yes, it’s a bit more of a hassle packing wise, but it was much better than a 14 hour marathon that would’ve likely resulted in total meltdown mode at the 12 hour mark. You know your family best, so make an educated decision here.
- Pack overnight bags. If you do break the trip up, pack each family member an overnight bag so that you’re not hauling up the huge suitcase and digging through sand toys trying to find a toothbrush.
- Snacks. I made the mistake last year of letting Lyla pick out a gas station goodie as a result of her being exceptionally well behaved when we got stuck in stand still traffic for an hour. After perusing every single option twelve times over, she decided on some candy corn. I snapped her back into her car seat, gave her the whole bag unmonitored, and she was happy as a clam. Parent-win! Fast forward about an hour to some winding mountain roads and my three year old vomiting all over herself, her seat, and my iPad. Haha says the universe! Just when you thought you had this parenting gig figured out…..blahmmo! A stinky car for six months for you! Snacks henceforth are healthy and pre-packed from home in a tote bag that I can easily reach and distribute from.
- Cooler. We are currently (and slowly) weaning Rose off the bottle. However, when one is in the car for over two hours with a 13 month old, one gives said child as many bottles as her thirsty little heart desires. Pack a small soft cooler that can be stored within arms reach and fill that thing with as many small bottles as you can. I say small as I use glass bottles and the larger ones are harder for her to hold.
- Playlist. When we left for North Carolina in June, we happily handed Lyla my iPad almost as soon as we got out of the driveway. She informed us about 10 minutes later that her “stomach didn’t feel good”. I look back and she’s pale with glossy eyes. I immediately dump all aforementioned bottles out of the little bag cooler and handed it to her as a means to catch the vomit that was likely about to come forth. Luckily, nothing happened but we realized she gets car sick from looking at the screen…..and it was gonna be a looong ride. Since screen time is out, she’s living her road trip life as a kid from the 80s. Luckily, she’s content as long as she gets to listen to her playlist on my phone. To avoid Tim and I abandoning ship after the 17th round of the Trolls soundtrack, we turn our music up all the way to the front of the car and allow her to just hold my phone to listen to hers. It’s a life-saver!
- Fidget Popper. This was the best $5 purchase I may have ever made. We found one at Marshall’s and while Lyla was the one who requested it, Rose actually loves it too! It’s a perfect addition to my toy arsenal that can easily be pitched into the car seat when the kids get antsy.
- Games. When the music, toys, and snacks have lost their novelty, we have a couple of games we play. Lyla can now recognize the letters of the alphabet. So, we will try to find all the letters A-Z in order. She loves this and actually doesn’t like it if Tim or I help, so it extends the game much longer. She also loves “I Spy with My Little Eye”. You take turns finding something that’s a certain color and then the other person guesses what the item is. This only works if you’re sitting still in traffic as the items would go out of view too quickly. We’ve also looked for numbers, shapes, etc.
- Hand Sanitizer. Even before the germ inundation of 2020, doTERRA’s On Guard Hand Spray was close to me at all times. I keep a bottle in my purse, in the car, and in the diaper bag. When on a road-trip, you may want to double up. Gas stations are typically where we stop for the restroom and they gross me out! I like to saturate my hands and Lyla’s once we’re back in the car. I prefer using a natural brand for many reasons. Do your research and see where you land as far as what chemicals you want to be putting on those tiny kid hands.
- Backpack. Each girl gets a backpack that has essentials. I don’t want to rifle through their suitcase in the middle of the Denny’s parking lot. Rose gets: diapers, wipes, 2 changes of clothes, a few toys, and shoes. Lyla gets: change of clothes, easy to slip on shoes, a few toys, crayons and a coloring book. If your kid doesn’t get car sick, I would throw in a few books as well. This is the backpack I have for Lyla and this is mine/Rose’s.
- Restaurants. Remember those days when you were blissfully headed to the beach and grabbing lunch on the road simply meant a quick swing through the drive-through? Haha…not any more you child-birthing maniac. Now every meal is a formal affair where we scout out a decent place, haul everyone in, have at least two potty breaks, attempt to eat, and tell Rose five million times to sit down in the high chair. If you’re traveling with a baby, these placemats are a life-saver, until they can rip them off the table. Then you’re gonna need this. I wasn’t prepared this last trip and Rose was forced to eat off the table. A notion that still made me cringe even after I had On-Guarded it like a fencing pro. We also love this high chair cover…..which also was forgotten by mistake during our most recent trip. Second baby syndrome anyone??
Alright my fellow parents, what have I left off the list?? What are your travel tips and essentials when held hostage in the car with littles?
Please note that this post contains affiliate links. You can learn more here.
