Before our son came along early this year my partner and I enjoyed traveling cross country not for anything in particular, we just liked to be out and about seeing new things.
Since our baby has come along it hasn't stopped us, just made us plan more and be quite a bit more organized. No more just jumping in the car on a weekend and going…
So if you are like us or a planning a holiday, visiting family or friends cross country these tips might help you on your first cross-country journey.
My 5 tips -
1. Frequent stopping.
When it was just the two of us we could drive for as long as we wanted without stopping. Now that we have a child we have found it best to stop every three hours or so to give him some fresh air, play time and a break from staring at the back seat. Plus it's usually feeding time by then. And we usually stop for about an hour at a time.
2. Toys, toys toys... I have a bag packed that I keep in the car with me that has some of his favorite toys as well as some new cheap toys that I have brought that he has never seen before, that way he has something new to look at and keep him occupied.. If that doesn't work then he has his old favorites to fall back on…
3. Keep another bag packed in car, not in boot that contains -
Nappies, snacks, bottle, water, juice, wipes, books, spare clothes and anything else that you can think of.. Gosh just one wee child and so much to take!!
4. If you are planning to stay away overnight or for a few days. Organize what motels/hotels you will be staying at and ask what they offer in the way of cots/portacots for babies or better yet buy your own. One I plan to purchase very shortly is Baby Bjorn Travel Crib Light. It's lightweight, easy to pack, very quick to set up and can be used from birth to 3 years.
That way you are guaranteed to have somewhere for your little one to sleep whether you are with family or staying at motels.
5. If there are two of you and your baby starts to fuss, one of you hop in the back seat and interact with your child for awhile… This is something we do often… I'm sure it must get lonely in the back, especially since he is in a rear facing seat and will be for quite sometime to come.
And one more sneaky tip - Have loads of different CD's in the car… Babies and children love to hear you sing!
Happy Travels
Since our baby has come along it hasn't stopped us, just made us plan more and be quite a bit more organized. No more just jumping in the car on a weekend and going…
So if you are like us or a planning a holiday, visiting family or friends cross country these tips might help you on your first cross-country journey.
My 5 tips -
1. Frequent stopping.
When it was just the two of us we could drive for as long as we wanted without stopping. Now that we have a child we have found it best to stop every three hours or so to give him some fresh air, play time and a break from staring at the back seat. Plus it's usually feeding time by then. And we usually stop for about an hour at a time.
2. Toys, toys toys... I have a bag packed that I keep in the car with me that has some of his favorite toys as well as some new cheap toys that I have brought that he has never seen before, that way he has something new to look at and keep him occupied.. If that doesn't work then he has his old favorites to fall back on…
3. Keep another bag packed in car, not in boot that contains -
Nappies, snacks, bottle, water, juice, wipes, books, spare clothes and anything else that you can think of.. Gosh just one wee child and so much to take!!
4. If you are planning to stay away overnight or for a few days. Organize what motels/hotels you will be staying at and ask what they offer in the way of cots/portacots for babies or better yet buy your own. One I plan to purchase very shortly is Baby Bjorn Travel Crib Light. It's lightweight, easy to pack, very quick to set up and can be used from birth to 3 years.
That way you are guaranteed to have somewhere for your little one to sleep whether you are with family or staying at motels.
5. If there are two of you and your baby starts to fuss, one of you hop in the back seat and interact with your child for awhile… This is something we do often… I'm sure it must get lonely in the back, especially since he is in a rear facing seat and will be for quite sometime to come.
And one more sneaky tip - Have loads of different CD's in the car… Babies and children love to hear you sing!
Happy Travels
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