Ok hive, I'm taking my family on a 6 hour road trip next week. DH get anxious easily, DS is a pretty typical 12 month old who doesn't like to sit still. Last time we took this trip it took 10 hours 
I'd love to hear your best road trip tips. Car activities, strategic stops, hotel tips, packing without overpacking, tell me everything.
wonderful clementine / 24134 posts
We drove while eating because it gave them something to do in the car. And traveled during nap time. I actually took two kids five hrs alone around that time and was fine.
nectarine / 2521 posts
Yes, like @T.H.O.U.: said, if you can, leave at nap time! We had a stack of things to play with and rotate to our LO. Stickers, books, favorite toy, and then we saved a tablet with games for the very last when we stopped for lunch and knew he wouldn't be happy about getting back into the car. Good luck!
persimmon / 1467 posts
Take your kid to a park and let him run right before you leave. Then leave right at nap time. Plan on making your first stop after he wakes up but not until he starts to get antsy.
We don't do screens but my kid loved electronics and stuff with buttons so we borrowed a lot of noise making toys with buttons. We also gave him a calculator, a flash light, etc one at a time. I hate noise making toys but it was better than him crying and at the end we got to give them back and I didn't have to hear them ever again.
Lots of car snacks. I have reusable squeezee pouches that have a valve so they don't make a mess.
Whenever you stop count on walking around a lot and letting him move and explore. One time we stopped at a mall for lunch and it was actually really great.
At that age I'd sit in the back with him when he was awake but once it got to bedtime/naptime I'd move to the front or he wouldn't sleep.
pear / 1718 posts
With my 15 month old, we bring a bag full of small toys and books so we can roatate through them. Also, mum mums, freeze-dried fruit and pouches aren't so messy.
Run around at every stop! Good luck!
wonderful clementine / 24134 posts
My kids kinda have a max of sleeping 3 hrs in the car. So we've tried driving at night but eventually they get restless in the car seat and can't settle into a deep sleep (and then wake up tired and frustrated and angry). So going at nap has been great. My kids fall asleep well in the car, so we would actually leave about an hour before nap. They would eat a light lunch, play/talk, then hand then a sippy of milk and turn on lullabies. They fall asleep fast!
wonderful clementine / 24134 posts
@SweetCaroline: yes! Just having a bag of a million things you can hand them (one at a time). Go to the dollar store or save kids meal toys.
wonderful pear / 26210 posts
Bring a roll of paper towels, a gallon of water, towels you don't care about and large trash bags in case of car sickness.
pear / 1750 posts
@looch: yikes! My DH actually gets carsick sometimes. It must be related to his TBI. He hasn't done it a while, but I have cleaned up some bad car sick messes!
nectarine / 2667 posts
We've done a 12-hr road trip multiple times over DS's life. Around that age, I brought an "activity" for every 15-30 minutes of wake time. (This will not help with the overpacking! 
) I searched Pintrest, but I brought small cars, crayons/paper, books, dry erase markers, etc and a small cookie pan to act as a tray across his car seat. Snacks and iPad games also counted as activities.
We would leave early morning so we could catch two naps along the way. Napping is what saved us. Then we'd stop after each nap to stretch/diaper change and let him eat in the car because that killed time.
wonderful pear / 26210 posts
@macintosh: it's the worst when you're unprepared! But if you have the supplies, chances are nothing happens.
persimmon / 1427 posts
Our kids travel best when we travel at naptime/bedtime so we try to do naptime or bedtime on the road. We have also learned that the kids do better if we stop for lunch at a restaurant (to break up the trip, to give them time to run around, and it also gives lots of opportunity for potty stops).
For a 6 hour trip, we'd drive the first 3 hours straight, stop for lunch/dinner, then drive the rest of the way (unless someone needed to use the restroom).
cantaloupe / 6131 posts
We have done an all night drive like bats out of hell road trip where we left at like 1030pm, threw DS in the car, threw a blanket over the car seat, and drove 6 hours in one go, arriving at our destination at 430am. This was the most efficient but we were exhausted and luckily my parents could help with DS.
For daytime drives we leave around nap time, give DS his lovey, make a blanket tent covering his car seat with a muslin, and drive in silence for as long as we can. We give ice water and dry snacks in the car.
If DS is cranky, a dum dum pop works wonders. It's small but for a 12 month old it can last for a good 15 minutes. I always fly with them but have used them to get a little extra mileage in the car too.
Yes to a bag of toys, many snack traps to rotate with different snacks, and load up some kid friendly songs or jams to play on the radio. Music always helped DS.
The FP booster seat was a godsend on travel - he was too small and squirmy for restaurant high chairs and it was helpful in the hotel room. We also travel with the Dream on Me PNP mattress and anything related to sleeping for DS - his white noise machine, loveys, etc. We always try to stay at an Embassy Suites so we have a separate room. Otherwise I will put him in a walk in closet or the bathroom to sleep (and not use the bathroom obviously). Relatedly, I also legit carry a medical urinal with us because DH has the smallest bladder ever and if DS is sleeping and he wants to stop the car or doesnt want to use the hotel lobby I'm like pee in the can mister.
pear / 1750 posts
These are all great, thanks everyone!
@brownepiano: He doesn't walk yet, but I'll definitely let him burn off don't energy either inside or outside. I'm planning to leave around 9 right before his first nap. How can I keep him from throwing every single you on the floor? My DH won't be able to retrieve them unfortunately.
@Bluebonnet: Yeah, I'm going to stop at a restaurant and take some time to stretch and get a good meal, as well as let LO move around. I wish I could go 3 hours straight without a bathroom break. I guarantee one of us has to pee every hour.
@gingerbebe: Yes we are definitely staying in a suite with a seperate bedroom. That way he can nap in the bedroom during the day. Last time we traveled we were cosleeping at night but now we aren't, so I'm not sure where we'll put him at night. My DH already uses a portable urinal all the time, lol. He can use it in the car (not while moving, too messy) to avoid unloading his wheelchair just for a pee break.
pear / 1750 posts
Anyone else? Tomorrow is packing day, when I realize I have to bring 1,000 important things, ugh!
GOLD / cantaloupe / 6703 posts
@macintosh: no tips but some commiseration. We leave Thursday at nap time for a 6 hour drive with our 3.5 year old and 6 week old. I am packing the DVD player for her, and stocking up on some new little toys. We also ordered a carseat tray so things don't fall. Lots of snacks and patience. Good luck.
wonderful clementine / 24134 posts
@macintosh: pick a first aid kit. I always bring my own thermometer because I know how it reads.
wonderful clementine / 24134 posts
Extra wipes. If nothing else they can help "clean" the hotel room or car.
cantaloupe / 6131 posts
@macintosh: grab a box of gallon sized Ziploc bags - they have a million uses and it's sorta like disposable packing cubes.
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