How can I keep my toddler calm during during long car trips ?

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evolve2bgr

We'll take our 2 year old on his first long car trip. We expect to be in the car for over 5 hours. Experience teaches us that he starts to get upset and annoyed within the hour. How can we keep him calm ?

Answer
we have an almost 4 year old now and we have gone on many car trips since my family lives all over the eastern u.s.

we have tried reading to him while we are in the car, a new toy to keep him occupied, stickers, magnets, coloring, music, and endless other things. we have not used a portable dvd player because we just do not like the idea of him being zoned out til we get to our destination.

the best choice for us has been for him to sleep the majority of the way, keeps mom and dad more sane. so we usually don't let him take a nap before we leave and then leave when it is dark so he will sleep. since you are only traveling 5 hours your best bet would prolly be to leave in the early, early morning. just take him as gently as possible from bed and put him in the car with his favorite blanket and let him sleep.

What is the longest distance you would travel by car with a 19 month old?

Mrs. Doe

We are not huge travelers. We drive to my dad's once or twice every few months and its a 3 hour drive one way, but we stay the night, so its broken up, time wise. My husband wants to go somewhere on vacation and he asked me how long our son could ride in the car without getting too fussy, and honestly I don't know, because 3 hours has been the max.
How far have you driven with your toddler, and how well did they do?

Answer
I am keeping an eye on this question. Our son will be 19 months this month, and we are planning a trip over Memorial day. 6-7 hours in the car. He has done it before, but he was only 9 months when we took the last trip.

i am planning on books, toys, children's cds, and snacks to keep him occupied. I am also hoping to travel when he usually takes his nap!

Edit: I looked on Amazon.com and saw this travel tray you can put on your child's lap that attaches around the carseat. I am thinking of buying one so I can put my son's snacks on it and then he can play with toys and books without them falling. it is only $20, and I think it might be worth it.

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What do you do about car seats & strollers when you travel?

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ck

I'm thinking of packing up the car seat and checking it in. Then taking an umbrella stroller on board. The problem is hauling the car seat around along with the rest of my bags plus the baby! Is there a better solution? I'm traveling with my 20 month old toddler. Thanks!

Answer
This sounds like Deja Vu! I just flew in May when my daughter was 19 months old and I had to think about all of that as well. Here's what we did and it worked great!!! We checked her luggage in with all of the other suitcases because we didn't need it on the plane. She sat on our laps, we didn't buy her her own seat. Is your toddler in their own seat? If so, then they'll have to sit in the carseat. However, at the end of each flight, I would ask the flight attendant if they're able to transport the seat to the connecting flight's plane, that way, when you arrive at the gate to board the plane, it's there and you just have to install it. I would think that they could easily do it! They move luggage to the connecting flight after all!!! As for the stroller, I brought my normal full size stroller because it was more comfortable for my daughter so that she could lay back and sleep. When you check in explain to them that you need to "gate check" your stroller. They'll give you a tag to put on your stroller so that you/they can identify it. When you go to board the plane, you just take out your toddler, break down your stroller, and leave it right there. They'll take it and store it in a special compartment below the plane. When you land, they automatically bring your stroller out so the moment you step off the plane into that connecting hallway, it's right there! It was so convenient and hassle free to fly that way. I know you didn't ask about this...but here's some other flying pointers that worked for me. I went to the dollar store and bought cheap little toys and stuff and I wouldn't let my daughter see it until the day ofthe flight, that way it was something new for her to play with. Also, if you have a portable DVD player I recommend you bring it. My daughter just sat on our laps and watched her movies most of the flights. Good luck flying!!!

How do you entertain a preschooler, 2 toddlers, and an 8 month old on a 7 hour drive?

Wilmavimom

We are taking a weekend trip to go to a wedding and taking the kids. It is about a 6 hour drive and driving overnight or taking more than 1 day is really not an option. My plan so far is to leave early (5 or 6 A), maybe have a movie in the car and stop for breakfast and play around around 9A. Any other helpful advice for traveling (besides not taking them as my sister suggested. lol) would be appreciated.

Answer
We took our 2 1/2 year old twins on a 12 hr trip from Oregon to Montana and found the best thing was to have lots of their toys in the car. We did not have a dvd, so it was all about toys, books, their music. We have an older daughter who was 10 at the time, so she would read stories. The person who wasn't driving would show them things out the window. It was actually a wonderful trip both ways and the girls did great. Good Luck!!

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What kind of toys worked when flying with kids(less than a year old) on long flights ?

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I have a 10 month old, will be flying to Asia, I have purchased a seat for her but she does not enjoy being strapped in the car seat for long. I am contemplating checking in the car seat, at the same time wondering if the airlines provides you with necessary things to secure a child this young ? My first time flying with her so want to do every bit of research so make the journey comfortable for her and other fellow passengers. Please feel free to pass on any tips as well. Thanks.

Answer
Weâve only flown with a really young child once, and it wasnât as long of a flight as youâll be taking. My son was 13 months old, so a little older than your baby.

We checked the car seat and did not bring it on the plane. Weâd flown with our daughter once when she was a toddler and used the car seat on the plane. It was awful--the seats are so close together that she literally had nowhere to put her feet. The man sitting in front of her insisted on reclining his seat, which made it worse. If she bumped his seat (which she could not help doing every time she moved), he turned around and glared at us. He even made a few comments about it, and when I tried to explain that it wasnât the poor kidâs fault, he got very huffy. We decided to never try to bring a car seat on the plane again. I donât know why the airlines suggest it, when they donât even fit onto those stupid seats!

To keep my son occupied--we brought along a few quiet toys, some small books, and LOTS of snacks. Itâs not a tactic I normally use, but to keep him happy on the plane I pulled out something new each time he got restless. His favorite activity was searching for Cheerios in a small box. Iâd put a few Cheerios at a time into the little box, and heâd dig around for them. We also brought some of those Crayola Color Wonder markers and paper. The markers only write on the paper, so donât make a mess. Your baby might be a bit young for something like that, but if she is starting to enjoy scribbling on paper, the markers might keep her busy for a while.

Iâd suggest getting some small, inexpensive, quiet toys that your daughter has never seen before. They will be new to her and more interesting than her own toys. Pull them out one at a time, as needed, whenever she gets restless. Sheâll probably also like playing with your keys or your cell phone--my kids always liked those things more than they liked their toys! Bring along some picture books that are new to her as well. The novelty of everything will keep her occupied for longer.

Also, itâs a good idea to have something on hand for your child to drink during take-off and landing so her ears donât hurt. I donât know what the current regulations are for bring things like juice boxes or bottles onto an airplane, but make sure you check that on the airlineâs website before you leave.

Here are some websites with more tips for traveling with children:

http://www. flyingwithkids .com/ best_travel_tips .htm
http://www. flyingwithkids .com/ travel_tips .htm
http:// parenting.ivillage .com/mom/travel/0,,45jl, 00 .html
http://www. faa .gov/passengers/fly_children/
http://www. onestepahead .com/custserv/ shop_smarter_article .jsp?pageName=Flying_Tips

This article lists restricted items on planes. It does say that formula, milk, and juice for infants and toddlers ARE allowed. http://www. tsa .gov/travelers/airtravel/prohibited/ permitted-prohibited-items .shtm

Have a safe and happy trip!

ps you might want to pack some Advil or Tylenol for yourself. :)

What are your best tips for traveling with a toddler?

all_my_arm

We are going to Cedar point this Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and to the Toledo Zoo on Monday. The drive down to CP is about 5 hours from home. We will have two toddlers at Cedar Point along with four adults and two teenagers.

Answer
What fun - lol; planning the drive around nap or sleep time is always a great idea. However, if that is not possible, try allowing everyone in the car to pick some songs to hear. The teenagers will be able to tollerate the toddler songs if they know they will get to hear something they want (within reason). Picture books, paper and pen, road games - car colors, snacks, lots of stops and some of their favorite toys are some things that have helped me. As a last resort, if you don't have any, find a friend or family member that is willing to let you borrow their travel dvd player and let them watch movies - Babe, Pig in the City is a decent family movie.

Good luck! And remember, family road trips are things that memories are made from. Think Vacation and RV - lol

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