Traveling with Littles

The term “road trip” might be enough to make you wince, but what happens when you add a toddler to the equation? Contrary to popular belief, a long car ride with your toddler doesn’t have to be a complete nightmare. Here’s some tips to stay safe, make the most of your time on the road and keep your sanity intact.

Prepare your car to be in the best shape possible. Don’t wait to find your wipers don’t work or you needed to add coolant. If you’re not sure your car is capable of handling a road trip, consider getting a rental.

Be Sure the Car Seats are Inspected and your child(ren) are always fastened correctly and securely.

Keep a First Aid Kit Handy. Be prepared for scraped knees, allergic reactions, sunburns, splinters, bumps, bites, stings, and bruises.

Keep Toys Close. The more they can do themselves, the safer and happier you’ll both be.

Arm Yourself with Entertainment. Toys and books will help pass the time and keep your toddler occupied, but at some point, those toys will lose their luster. Supplement with a supply of fun music CDs and be ready to do some singing yourself. If your car has satellite radio, don’t forget the kid stations that add variety. While your toddler’s screen time should be extremely limited on a normal basis, using a DVD player can help pass some of the time on a road trip.

Pack Blankies and Binkies. Road trips can be full of fun and excitement for your toddler, but there can also be moments of insecurity and stress. You’re going to be away from all the comforts of home and spending quite a lot of time confined to the car instead of being active. Be ready for those trying times with a dose of comfort. And bring extras since your sanitation options will be limited.

Avoid Panicking Over Tears.

When your toddler starts to get weary of the ride and the tears start, the best thing to do is make a pit stop if possible. Remember that even though your child is crying, they are safe in their seat and no harm will come from waiting a few minutes until you can pull off the road and take a break. Try singing songs, playing soothing music on the radio, calling attention to things outside, or offering a drink or snack to distract.

Split the Trip and Take Breaks.

When you’re planning a trip on paper it makes perfect sense to minimize the time you spend in the car and speed right to your destination. After you’ve been on the road for about five hours, this becomes completely unrealistic. The whole trip will seem like a death wish around hour nine. Lodge in one city, wake up and travel for a few hours, then plan a stop along the way in a city with things to do, even if it’s just a museum and lunch. Each break you take leads to a more peaceful time on the road. Take plenty of them.

Prepare for Potty Emergencies. Keep a complete arsenal of potty supplies at your disposal. You just never know. If your child isn’t potty trained, keep plenty of diapers, wipes, and a changing pad close at hand. If your child is transitioning into potty training, consider using disposable training pants just for the trip, even if your child normally wears underwear since there are no great solutions to a soiled car seat on the road. Even if you feel your child is completely potty trained, you might find yourself nowhere near a bathroom. Consider bringing a travel potty or emergency disposable training pants for situations like this.

Have Plenty of Snacks and Water.

You’ll want to make sure to keep enough water for you to cover drinks for everyone in an emergency situation and a little extra to help with things like cleaning up accidental messes. An excess of snack items is never a bad thing to have since even just a few bites of cereal or fruit can provide just the thing to dry up toddler tears and keep everyone from getting cranky.

Keep Essential Handy. It might seem like this goes without saying, but you might overlook throwing these things in the car until your toddler sneezes and has a half-mile-long river of snot dribbling down to their chin or the lid of the sunscreen bottle comes off, spilling the entire contents on the back seat. Let there be no shortage of cleaning materials on your trip.