https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Fri, 01 May 2026 07:07:57 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/long-drive-tips-17-hours#post-2916174 Thu, 04 Jun 2020 14:46:54 +0000 DesertDreams88 2916174@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>In the last 2 weeks, we've done a 7 hour car ride and a 10 hour car ride with the kids, with daily 1-2 hours in the car; with a 2 and 4 yr old. Last year summer we did four 8-hour car rides with a 1 and 3 year old. </p> <p>Product tip: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N4N4AGC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&#038;psc=1" rel="nofollow">https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N4N4AGC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&#038;psc=1</a></p> <p>I like these because they have BIG pockets. We have 2, one for each kid. With the 4 pockets for each kid, we keep a spare set of clothes, snacks, small toys, and then in the 4th pocket we keep diapers/wipes for a little OR screens for a big kid.</p> <p>We bought and borrowed a lot of interactive books, ones that have flaps and ones that have the buttons on the side to make sounds. We requested a lot of books from the library on their favorite topics / movies. We kept those in between the two car seats but you could also do a reusable grocery bag on the floor by their feet. </p> <p>We brought a lot of their favorite small toys like Hot Wheels and mini figurines. </p> <p>We planned stopping points every 2-3 hours, picking out cities. Then we would stop and do a picnic lunch on a playground. I personally think the infection risk is low there. </p> <p>We avoided public restrooms and used potties and the outdoors. I honestly wish I had bought something like these: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=camping+woman+pee&#038;ref=nb_sb_noss_2" rel="nofollow">https://www.amazon.com/s?k=camping+woman+pee&#038;ref=nb_sb_noss_2</a></p> <p>We downloaded a bunch of kids songs to our phones / an old ipod, and played those. </p> <p>We upgraded our netflix account for unlimited downloads on unlimited devices. </p> <p>If your windows aren't tinted, I think it's good to still put on sunscreen. </p> <p>I personally find that a pillow, eye mask, and ear plugs help me sleep. </p> <p>We brought all of our face-masks and kept them in sandwich-size ziploc baggies, within a larger bag. </p> <p>For a cooler, we love these ice packs, some of them we cut into strips: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LGZJNT2/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&#038;psc=1" rel="nofollow">https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LGZJNT2/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&#038;psc=1</a></p> <p>All that being said, both kids made it 5 hours through both car drives without using screens, even though they watch 2-3 hours daily at home. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/long-drive-tips-17-hours#post-2916170 Thu, 04 Jun 2020 10:31:49 +0000 bhbee 2916170@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Shantuck: my holders are on order! The only problem I see is having to pull over a lot to reset people’s shows :silly: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/long-drive-tips-17-hours#post-2916167 Thu, 04 Jun 2020 10:23:46 +0000 Shantuck 2916167@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Maybe look into getting an iPad holder that straps onto the car seat they are facing for the 1.5 year old since they can’t really hold the tablets for long (if at all) without dropping them. Definitely download lots of movie options rather than relying on streaming in case you go through areas with bad connection. Also, my daughter started loving Sesame Street around 1.5 so you could try that too. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/long-drive-tips-17-hours#post-2916157 Thu, 04 Jun 2020 06:02:13 +0000 Pumuckl 2916157@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@bhbee: I find that especially with the older kids it really helps to set the expectations and let them know beforehand about what they can expect. That really helped with our 4 and 6 year olds last year when we had days of long driving. My now 5 year old is also super prone to car sickness so we don't let her have her tablet when the road isn't straight or the tarmac is bad. When she really wants to watch on bad tarmac we make her take 5-10 minutes breaks after watching around 15 minutes. That seems to have worked really well. She also always has a big gallon sized ziplock next to her seat should she need to vomit. I prefer that solution to a bucket because that way I can just close it up and throw it out. Out 2 year olds last year did a lot of car napping, listening to kids music and some occasional screen time. </p> <p>Also I find that it helps myself to keep remembering that once we get there everything will be better and over :silly: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/long-drive-tips-17-hours#post-2916155 Thu, 04 Jun 2020 01:36:28 +0000 bees_knees 2916155@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@bhbee: fwiw I think public bathrooms aren’t necessarily high risk for transmission—while it has been shown that viral particles are shed in urine/stool (or both?), these aren’t necessarily *live* or complete viruses that can infect you. (Disclaimer: this was info I read a couple of weeks ago, and as we all know the information is ever changing!) </p> <p>I hate public restrooms though and avoid them whenever I can, covid or not 😳😆 </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/long-drive-tips-17-hours#post-2916147 Wed, 03 Jun 2020 21:40:15 +0000 Anagram 2916147@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@bhbee: the potette. The liners with the absorbent pad really work! Both kids can pee in 1 liner and it absorbs and we pull out the liner, tie it, and toss it in a trash can. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/long-drive-tips-17-hours#post-2916143 Wed, 03 Jun 2020 20:55:59 +0000 bhbee 2916143@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Anagram: which travel potty did you use? The bathroom is actually one of my big hesitations with flying besides the enclosed airspace issues. I’d likely fly by myself with 3 kids and at this age there’s no way to avoid using the bathroom at the airport, where it’s hard to control who’s touching what, we have to spend a fairly long time in there to get everyone done, etc. Even if we do go into a bathroom driving, it feels like a huge improvement to just take one kid at a time and be on top of wiping/sanitizing and not have all the luggage in there with us. Ugh! Thankfully it’s finally gotten a little easier to get hand sanitizer near us and I found Clorox wipes a couple weeks ago. Feeling like we can do this! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/long-drive-tips-17-hours#post-2916142 Wed, 03 Jun 2020 20:35:59 +0000 Anagram 2916142@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@bhbee: both of my kids get carsick and at least now they are old enough to know it’s coming and they take a break and stare out the front window till it goes away. But they used to throw up about 1x a week just on my<br /> Commute to work/daycare (that was a nightmare), which is another reason I used to sit between them. Eventually I learned to travel with a bucket and a giant beach towel. If they felt they were going to throw up, I’d spread the beach towel over their body and put the bucket under their mouth. Even after I started riding in the front, I’d spread a big beach towel on both kids (and keep the AC on) in case they had a sudden vomit. :meh: </p> <p>But it will be fine—you’ll get through it. We drove 15 hours for the first time when LO 2 was only 8 weeks old (NYC to South Georgia) and we’ve done many long road trips since. Kids adapt.</p> <p>As far as Covid precautions go, we err on the cautious side, so coming to where we are on vacation now, the kids and DH didn’t go inside anywhere. The kids peed in a travel potty I bought (even though they are big kids now), and they understood why—the virus. We would just pull into an empty parking lot/secluded area off A main road and they’d pee in the travel potty and DH would pee on a tree or whatever. I had to go into a gas station twice, but I took all the precautions I take at home living in a big condo building where I have to take an elevator to check my mail, etc—I wore a mask, used a wipe to open doors, I even sanitized the toilet seat before sitting, touched nothing without the wipe, and sanitized my hands and shoes before getting back in the car (DH stood waiting for me and squirted sanitizer in my hands before I touched our car handle; then I use spray bleach to douse the soles of my shoes before getting back in the car).<br /> So far so good—we are on day 4 in a vacation rental and feeling fine. When we arrived here, I rewashed all The bedding to be super sure and sanitized high touch surfaces (even though they claim to do that before hand). </p> <p>If I had to stay in a hotel, I would do the same—touch common surfaces with a wipe, sanitize surfaces in the room, take the coverlet off that they don’t wash; use only the sheets or bring my own, keep to our room and stay out of common areas, only eat cooked hot food, no salads or sandwiches or cold foods. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/long-drive-tips-17-hours#post-2916126 Wed, 03 Jun 2020 17:02:46 +0000 bhbee 2916126@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@HappyBaker: ooh good one. I am thinking when I get the screen holders for the headrests we will try a little test and drive for an hour and see if it works for her to watch at least in a small test.<br /> I had to clean the whole back of my car last fall (thanks sudden onset norovirus) and noooooo way do I want to do that on a trip or live with the lingering smell!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/long-drive-tips-17-hours#post-2916122 Wed, 03 Jun 2020 15:36:58 +0000 lady baltimore 2916122@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We drive 8-10 hours to see DH's family each summer. Other than when LO was a baby, we have broken it into two days each time, with the longer drive on the first day. What has worked well the last two years is finding a place where we can get a lot of energy out on the morning of the second day before we have to get back in the car. Harder with COVID concerns, but last summer we did the Walkway Over the Hudson. Maybe you could find something like that, or a state park that is 2/3 of the way to your destination.</p> <p>We just power through on the way home and hope for long naps.</p> <p>Definitely have a back-up plan for screens. I rented a playaway-type video device from the library for our drive last summer (LO was 3.5). We didn't pull it out until the drive home, and it made her carsick pretty quickly.</p> <p>At 1.5, LO looked at a lot of board books and we played a lot of music. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/long-drive-tips-17-hours#post-2916120 Wed, 03 Jun 2020 14:47:32 +0000 MrsSRS 2916120@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>On the audiobook note, we've found some nice long ones on epic. If you have Disney+ you can download that content. My kids use an old Samsung Galaxy of mine that I wiped to watch shows on long drives. Have any old phones lying around that you could repurpose? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/long-drive-tips-17-hours#post-2916113 Wed, 03 Jun 2020 14:16:13 +0000 Baby Boy Mom 2916113@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don’t have advice yet, but we are about to do this with our four, so ping me in a week! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/long-drive-tips-17-hours#post-2916112 Wed, 03 Jun 2020 13:49:57 +0000 HappyBaker 2916112@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>You’ve gotten great tips, I just wanted to add definitely bring a bucket or big Tupperware with a lid, lots of plastic grocery bags, paper towels and some kind of cleaning spray. My kids have all randomly gone through spurts of carsickness due to screens and reading, and sometimes for them just having a bucket on hand makes them less overwhelmed and anxious about getting sick in the car. Good luck! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/long-drive-tips-17-hours#post-2916108 Wed, 03 Jun 2020 12:10:21 +0000 bhbee 2916108@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@misolee: I really wish there were true low risk options.<br /> @bees_knees: probably 3 weeks. That’s one nice part about driving also, we can stay longer if we want. My mom has a much bigger house than us and much nicer summer weather! DH is on furlough now, although he may go back to working virtually while we are there. So it just feels like the right time to try it, if we ever would, as usually I would take the kids to my mom’s by myself (flying). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/long-drive-tips-17-hours#post-2916107 Wed, 03 Jun 2020 11:39:15 +0000 Shybee23 2916107@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We did 12 hours in 1 day when DS was about 1.5. It was totally fine - he slept a ton and we mapped out 2-3 rest stops along the way where we knew he'd be able to run around and stretch his legs. We used to drive the same route pretty frequently (maybe 5x a year) before kids, and preferred to do it straight through rather than stopping - we found getting unloaded from the car, checking in/out, etc. was just as tiring as pushing through to our destination in 1 day. Probably not doable if your trip is 17 hours, though!</p> <p>We are doing this route with DS again next week, out of necessity, so I guess we'll know then whether or not the first time was a fluke :) We have to travel, and decided driving would be safer for us than flying - we are packing a cooler with all our food and drinks so the only stops will be bathroom and gas. I would have zero screen time guilt under the circumstances - do what you need to do! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/long-drive-tips-17-hours#post-2916105 Wed, 03 Jun 2020 11:22:42 +0000 misolee 2916105@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I’m not a big driver over 8 hours so I’m a little biased in my opinion but just needed to share: </p> <p>My cousin and her fiancé drove from Cali to GA about a two months ago. They were closing on a house and had to come sign some documents. They figured they could move some furniture while at it bc finance was working from home and cousin had just finished her last college finals. They were super careful. Only did drive through, ate in the cars, stopped to use bathroom minimally, slept overnight twice in airbnb and once at a high end hotel while in GA, hand sanitized and wiped down everything, etc. Finance and cousin both ended up with Covid symptoms after they closed on their house and had to basically quarantine in the empty house. Finance has great insurance so he could get tested. Cousin has no insurance so she didn’t get tested but basically both of them had similar symptoms. They are not sure where they caught it from but after they arrived here, the finance’s parents drove up from Florida and had to basically turn around after confirmed diagnosis. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/long-drive-tips-17-hours#post-2916104 Wed, 03 Jun 2020 11:10:27 +0000 bees_knees 2916104@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@bhbee: this might be one of those things that you don’t know until you try it! 😂 we have done long trips (10-11 hours) but have always broken it up into two days. Anything 8ish hours or less we can do in one day. FWIW when my kids are younger (&gt;2) they HATE riding at night and scream the entire time. So driving overnight never worked 😬 we do lots of screens while we are driving and have 0 apologies for it. I think your 1.5 year old will be the wild card—that’s the absolute toughest age to travel with IMO, but you’ve gotten good advice for distractions!</p> <p>How long will your trip be? I’d only do it if it was a decently long stay! (week+, not including travel days) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/long-drive-tips-17-hours#post-2916099 Wed, 03 Jun 2020 10:38:19 +0000 Jess1483 2916099@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We drive a 14-hour drive with our kiddos most summers (if we don't have a newborn). We've done it from ages 1+ up to 6. My best tip for the little one is to wrap a ton of dollar store toys in tissue paper. When she gets fussy, hand her a "brand new" toy. The unwrapping is part of the game. And LOTS of snacks. </p> <p>The older kids are easier. They generally do well with screens or reading (I know you said your daughter gets car sick). But snacks help here, too.</p> <p>We usually drive it in one day, starting around 3/4 a.m., or if we split it, we start at 1 p.m.ish one day, drive halfway and stay overnight, and then get moving the next day after breakfast. </p> <p>Good luck! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/long-drive-tips-17-hours#post-2916097 Wed, 03 Jun 2020 08:26:17 +0000 oldschooolmama 2916097@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I am a big fan of driving at night for long road trips. Our daughter (2 and RF) has done it multiple times. So if it were me I would probably do one of these options- 1. leave around 3 in afternoon let kids get for a picnic dinner and then have them sleep in the car. Arrive around breakfast. 2. leave after bathtime and then stop somewhere for breakfast and let them have more movies for the rest until you arrive. </p> <p>Switch off driving for the adults. There is a sticker license plate game. Extra treats. New toys as surprises. There are a ton of music,movies, tv and audio book options on the free app hoopla. Or the free app Libby. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/long-drive-tips-17-hours#post-2916089 Tue, 02 Jun 2020 22:49:19 +0000 bhbee 2916089@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Anagram: at least one overnight (probably just 1 since there’s not a lot to stop and see these days) - we are more comfortable with a hotel/Airbnb than the shared enclosed space of the airplane. (I realize others might not make the same choice and we aren’t even sure of ours yet!) We were just looking at seat maps and the flights aren’t totally full but we’d definitely have people in rows ahead of and behind us. Having driven from Michigan to Florida a couple times in college, which is roughly the same as this, we used to try to get in 12 the first day and make the second day shorter. But I know this is a new ballgame with kids and I worry that second day is going to feel really hard regardless. </p> <p>Our car setup is not really ideal but renting something else is too expensive. We have 3 rows, but will have to put down half the third row for storage, so 8 year old is back there in a booster and the middle is captains chairs. I guess this does make me think though that I could potentially move stuff to the front passenger seat and sit back there if I was desperate (it’s kid size leg room). It’s just going to be a tight fit. The 8 year old is actually really helpful because she can see the RF seat, and in a seatbelt (vs harness) she can easily get out to help if the car is pulled over. We’ve actually never let them have screens in the car before, having only done the 5 hour drive, so I’m not sure how much difference it will make. </p> <p>I don’t know, I’m super torn! Appreciate all your insights. Definitely good things to think about. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/long-drive-tips-17-hours#post-2916088 Tue, 02 Jun 2020 22:12:48 +0000 Anagram 2916088@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@bhbee: are you splitting it into 2-3 days, or what’s your plan? Staying overnight somewhere? </p> <p>Pre-Covid, we’ve taken many road trips with our kiddos. Probably the longest was from our place in the NYC area to Florida. But we try to limit the driving to about 8 hours a day. I agree you LR youngest will be the hardest. I always had to sit in back with my kids when they were that young, or they would be utterly miserable, which would in then make us all miserable. I don’t know what your vehicle situation is, but if you can swing sitting next to the toddler, it makes it much easier to entertain them/pass them things (that’s the age where they drop everything and scream until you pick it up and give it back). </p> <p>We just did an 8 hour trip and it was easy-peasy. Because of Covid, we really limited stops and had our kids pee in a travel potty rather than go inside anywhere. </p> <p>My 6 year old did listen to an entire audio book (babysitters club, she’s into it which is a joy to my 80’s mama heart), and that was just shy of 3 hours. We also have them about 2 hours of screentime and then we filled in the rest of the time with singing along to soundtracks we like, eating snacks and lunch, nap time for the younger one, etc. </p> <p>So if you are staying overnight, and shoot for 8.5 hours a day, or if you can even stay 2 nights somewhere on the way, then it can be downright pleasant with the kids on long trips. But of course, all my usual tricks are pre-Covid (Like stopping for lunch at a fast food place where there’s a playplace). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/long-drive-tips-17-hours#post-2916086 Tue, 02 Jun 2020 20:24:10 +0000 bhbee 2916086@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We’re considering driving to see grandparents this summer to avoid the risks of flying. Also cheaper and more flexible. And a trial for someday taking longer road trips for vacations. </p> <p>However we’ve never done more than 5-6 hours with kids. They are 8, 5 and 1.5. The toddler seems toughest since she’s RF and isn’t as interested in screens. </p> <p>Overall tips for survival? Product recommendations for watching movies in the car or charging devices? (We don’t have anything built in.) Is this a terrible idea? I want to view it as an adventure but trying to be realistic ... </p> <p>Thinking maybe I should get some longer audio books from the library for the 8 year old (she gets car sick if she reads), we still have Epic from school which the 5 year old can use to read to him, we can do movies if we figure out a setup, and the toddler will at least for some of the time watch Little Baby Bum on an iPad. </p> <p>All ideas welcome thanks! </p>