10 Hour Car Ride with 20 Month Old Toddler

A.,

Megan suggested what I was going to suggest: leave after dinner and travel all night. My family does that for a 12 hour trip and it is wonderful. I will be trying her other suggestion though because there are a few people on the way that we want to see. Good luck and have fun.

Hi there, A.. We just did an 8-hour (which was 10-11 hours with stops etc.) with our 2 yo twin girls. They did greatl. We just kept the DVDs loaded and I tried to keep them occupied by looking for things like cows, horses, etc. They also took good naps because the car puts them to sleep. We stopped at McDonald's with playgrounds so they could get out and play and stretch for a little bit.

I am one of 7 kids, so my Mom and Dad used to travel at night. They would get us all in our PJs and load us up and leave right around bed time. We would all fall asleep and stay asleep for the whole trip.

Hope this helps. Good luck.

The DVD player will be a HUGE help. I would also recommend you plan to picnic along the way. Rather than stopping for a meal at a restaurant where he has to sit still (more) and behave, pack a picnic and a blanket and eat outside so he can move around while he eats. Also allow for some running/chasing before you get back in the car and drive.

Another strategy we use for long drives is to start in the middle of the night (if one of you can tolerate it) so the kids can sleep as much of the drive as possible. We have a 9-10 hr drive we do several times a year. We get the car packed as much as possible and my husband goes to bed early. I get the kids to bed and finish packing. We get up and put the kids in the car sleeping around 3 am. He drives until he needs gas - around 7 am and the kids are waking up. I pack a bag I can get to easily with their clothes for the day and change them when we stop for gas and b'fast. Then we are roughly half-way there b/c of the great time he can make with no traffic.

Be sure to take care of the driver if you choose this method. Have a snack and drink where the driver can get to it while driving so he doesn't have to wake you. Also my husband listens to an audio-book with only the speaker by him turned on. I need earplugs still to block out the sound but the kids aren't bothered by it. Even better is downloading a book to an MP3 player or I-Pod if you have one (which we did for our last trip) then no one else has to hear and there is no changing CDs in the dark.

Safe and happy travels to you! Good luck!

I have a 3 yr old and a 1 yr old and my family lives over 400 miles away, so I consistently am taking anywhere between 5-8 hr trips. There are a few things that we do.

1) Travel at night. Makes for a very long day for my husband and I, but it is easier for the kids.

2) Play lots of games with my 3 yr old. She will actually be turning 3 in August, so she isn't quite 3 yet. Things like peek-a-boo, silly dance games, songs that are interactive (such as itsy bitsy spider). - Once again, makes for a long car ride for mom and dad, but toddler is happy.

3) Lots of stops. We would keep a baseball, soccer ball in the car and when we are taking our potty break or lunch break one of us would get out to play with our toddler.

Good luck!

Hello,
I experienced this last summer in May with my son he was 2 and a half and he did good. I do have a suggestion though if you can try to do the drive during night hours. It was wonderful he slept the whole way through by the time we reached the destination (Florida) we were there at 8am ready for stop for breakfast and therefore. However, on the ride back it was during the day, and I did have a portable dvd player because he is really into the dvds and plenty of snacks and foods. IT went much better than I actually thought and I was very concerned before the trip. He is now 3 1/2 so he has been on many road trips so we are heading to Sesame Street Place for the 4th of July. Good Luck !!!!

Hi A.:

Ditto for the previous answers, but, my husband and I did the same kind of trip with our son when he was the same age. We had a portable DVD player that just sat on our lap (my guess for the cause of my son's carsickness). 5 minutes into the movie our son got sick--lunch all over the car seat and many hours left of driving that day... Hopefully, your DVD player attaches to the car or a seat securely.
Also, we stopped every so often (3-4 hours) to eat or just get out and walk around. And, one of us sat in back with him and played with the other toys we brought along, careful to avoid making him carsick.

Good Luck!

B.

Try to make as much of your trip in darkness (sleeping) as possible!

We drove 8 hours to georgia for a wedding wen my daughter was 20 months and we held her off on the afternoon nap, then when she was absolutly ready to collapse around 6pm, we left for the drive and she stayed awake about an hour before she passed out. We did have a few times she cried casue we stopped for gas and it woke her up, but she slept most the time.

If you can, try and leave in the middle of the night when your son will sleep. I drove with my sister from DC to Cleveland when my daughter was about 2.5 years old we did the same thing and she actually slept for the first 5 hours. We did stop a few times so she could go to the bathroom and run around for a few minutes. We did pack snacks and drinks and so she was entertained by that. I also borrowed a portable DVD player and I let her pack a bag of special toys that could only be played with in the car. The last thing that helped is whoever wasn't driving sat in the back with her. She loved that.

Hope that helps. Have a fun trip.

-M.

We went from Baltimore to Chicago when my daughter was about the same age. This is what we did and it worked well there and back:

First, we left in the evening so she would sleep a lot.
Aquadoodle is awesome. We have both the plain traveldoodle one and the one that allows her to "color" in scenes from Elmo, Pooh, etc. You may want to buy extra water pens and keep a water bottle in the car to fill up the pens.
Lots of books
Children's music
We had a DVD player with her favorite: Elmo, Barney, etc.
a play steering wheel for her to play with -- check out the noise on some of them. You may not want some of the louder or more obnoxious versions.
the small version of Mr. Potato Head -- the one with the carrot, corn, and potato. This version has less accessories and the eyes, nose, and mouth are all attached so it is better for use with younger kids and in the car.
the VTech Baby's Learning laptop -- it is great because it has a louder and softer volume switch and no mater how many buttons she pushed, the song would finish before starting another sound or song. This helped to save our sanity.

Yes a dvd player with different dvds to watch that your son likes will be a plus.A cooler of what he likes to drink in there.We filled ours with bottled water,soda pop and stuff for my son to drink.
Snacks like cheerios ,or whichever he likes in a the diaper bag.
I also put books back there for him to look at.
Also our trip was 16 hours to Fla from Northern Va
Our other trip is 8 hours from here to TNN
at each state rest area I would let my son out of the car
to stretch his legs and walk around for 15-30 minutes.
Even my man and him would hide in out of trees like come and get me catch it was cute
I also took some cute pics of them at some rest areas too

H A.,

Here are two websites that might offer suggestions:

www.drgreene.com/21_34.html

www.momsminivan.com/toddlers.html

Hope this helps. D.

A.,

We are leaving today on a 24 hr trip. I have a 4 yo, 3 yo, and 9.5 mo. We have travelled alot by car with the kids, driving half way across country (2 full times a yr & 2 yrs ago). The first couple times we went (we have also had a couple 14 hr trips), the kids didn't have a dvd player, but they did good with toys. The last time we went, and this time, we have a dvd player. That thing works wonders with keeping them quiet. I don't personally like to stick them in front of the tv the whole time, but if they have toys, they can play with them for a while, and watch tv for a while. It will probably be easier than you think. I'm sure that your son will do fine, probably a lot better than you are thinking. Good luck & God bless!

I traveled from VA to MI in Decemeber alone with an 7 year old, 3 and 1 1/2 year old. We left around 2 pm stopped around 6 for dinner. I researched before we left and found a Mcdonalds on our way with a play area. Then a few more potty breaks and short walks and they were out for the night. We also brought a portable DVD player and a backpac filled with new toys and trinkets ( the dollar store is great for these, walmart, target). He'll be fine, you've still got a awhile to plan and you've got a lot of great advice so far! Good luck and have a safe trip!

Hey A.! We're about to do a 10 hr car ride in a few weeks as well. My daughter will be 2 in August and I'm planning on putting in her favorite videos, playing her favorite children's music (all things we do daily and are very comforting for her to hear.) I'm also packing lots of snacks--some new snacks that will be interesting for her to eat and also some familiar stuff. We plan to stop for lunch for a little bit so she can run around outside and get some energy out. You can also bring new books that are interactive (like the lift the flap books.) We have a van and a dog so I plan to be in the back with her for some of the time so she can play in her seat with me. Have a safe trip--hopefully gas won't be 5 dollars by then!

The first trip we ever went on was from Texas to West Virginia which we did in 24 hours with no stopping to sleep. Our son was 18 months old at the time. He did pretty good we stopped alot and let him get out and walk around. When we ate we stopped at places that had play gyms. We also used a DVD player with lots of movies that seemed to work really well for him. I also found that he traveled better at night so if it is possible try to leave later than you would normally so he will sleep most of the trip. It is not always convenient for you but it will make the trip more bearable. Hope that helps.

Charlene
SAHM of a 3 yr old boy and one on the way 3 more months to go.

I think you've already gotten some great ideas! I would definitely hold off using the car dvd player until your trip. The travel tray should be a great help. I would take some paper/crayons so that he can scribble to his hearts content! :) Definitely take the essential "clean" snacks such as cheerios, gold fish, bananas, carrot sticks, and apple slices. You can pack the cold things in a little travel cooler.

Remember, he will probably be napping throughout the ride. I think you'll be fine. When you do stop to take bathroom breaks, get gas, eat meals, just make sure you take extra time to have him stretch and have a little freedom for a while. It's so hard for little ones to sit for such a long time without some physical activity!

Good luck! :)

i always left at bedtime or ealy in the morning so that the kids were asleep or still groggy. if you cant do that then do the movies and take a 15 minute break between movies for stretching and potty breaks.

We drove to Jekyl ZIsland from Northern Va w/ a 4 month pld and we thought the best thing to do was to leave around his bedtime (8pm) so we didn't disrupt his schedule to much. We drove all night and got to our destination around 7:30 am. We were struggling the last hour of the trip but we made it. Once we got there we had the grandparnets to watch the little man while we napped.
If you are unable to do this the DVD is the best option. I find that my little ones really like the Baby Einstein videos because they can follow them. There isn't a plot or sentences to follow so maybe try some of those or some learning DVD's. Something easy so they will understand it.
Good Luck!

Hi A.,
I have two travel time suggestions. And 1 DVD suggestion
1. Perhaps travel at night? If you leave after dinner, then he should fall asleep within an hour and sleep most of the ride through. My co-worker, a dad of 5, swears by this.

2. Try splitting up the trip over two days. Perhaps 5 hours or so a day. I've used this method when I travelled with my then 4 yr old and it worked like a charm. Just about the time the second movie was ending, we were there!

DVD suggestion: take family movies that everyone would enjoy listening too, that are around 2 hours. Lil Einstiens and Mickey Mouse have some DVDs that are a bunch of episodes on one disc. Less time switching back and forth.
M.

Hi A.

At christmas time we took a 13hour trip, my little boy was 2 at the time and really he was great we were really surprised! He probably had a more relaxing time than we did. But the DVD player really helps out -however he didn't watch it the whole time. We took along a magna doodle so he could draw and he took several books to look at. We were really surprised that he did so well but when we did stop he was ready to get out and stretch for a little while. Plus on our way he got to see snow so it was a little exciting for him. He took maybe an 1 hour nap untill the night then he fell asleep and we didn't hear anything more till we reached grandmas house. Other than that I really don't have much else - our trip was to take 13 hours by map quest but actually ended up taking 14 with potty stops.

Hi A.,
I have taken my kids on several 2 day car rides. They are 2 1/2 yr and 8 months. My suggestions are to try and take a few long breaks and keep the others to a minimum. If you really have to pee, get the baby out first and let him run around as soon as you get there and tell him that he needs to get in his seat quick this time. Or if you are really going in just for a pee, don't get him out of his seat at all if he will resist getting back in. I like to save a video for those times or something great for a bribe if needed to get back in her seat, like stickers or a lollipop. I am not one to let my kids ride around with a video playing, its only for road trips or when I have needed to breast feed the baby in the car and my daughter had to sit for awhile. I try to get a few new small things to pull out for entertainment. I have read a lot of books too. Most of all have fun and get out and play when you can. We have stopped at malls to let my daughter run and walk, or a Cabella's that has been on the way. If you have GPS you can decide that you want to stop for a long break soon and look up where to go.
Megan

I think you've already got the right idea with dvd player and other toys, etc to keep him distracted. You should take along music that he likes (although you may get sick of it by the time the trip is over). You can play other games with him in the car like counting the trees and the cars, etc that he sees outside.

Also you may want to plan your departure carefully. It might be worth leaving around naptime (after 1pm maybe) so he can sleep for a bit in the car when you leave. Then when he's up take several breaks so he can stretch his legs and run around a bit. This will also mean that you will have some late evening night driving so he may fall asleep in the evening as well. This way you are not trying to entertain him for the whole 10 hours... We regularly take 4 hour car rides to go see family and my daughter usually falls asleep for a couple of hours of that (I know it doesn't compare to a 10 hour ride) but I think you will be fine...

Good luck & have a safe journey.

We have driven 11-12 hours every three months to visit my family with my two little ones since they were babies. My two year old loves to watch movies now but before we had to stop often to go for walks, usually through a gas station or outside to look at bugs and such. play chase for a bit to wear off some energy. If your 20 month old can't sit still to watch a whole movie try getting a dvd with shorter stories on it. Food was also a big deal and after 10+ hours in the car I usually resorted to the dreaded lollipop. What a mess, but it kept her quiet for an hour or longer, lots of cleanup but when they are whining or crying and you just want to get there after driving for so long you do what you gotta do. We have cd's with music we can all sing along to, and then I would start asking all kinds of questions, anything, as long as they would sit and listen and be engaged in something other than being tired of sitting in the chair. Good Luck.

Pack a small bag with some of his favorite toys that he could play with in the car, as well as crayons and coloring books. You might also want to look at a website called momsminivan.com for additional ideas.

Hope this helps.

L. S.

Crayola makes a coloring book series with magic markers that only color on the paper included in the coloring book. They are about $5 at Target or Walmart or Giant. I think they are called color wonder. I used these books for a flight we had to take with my two daughters. I packed them in a goody bag with treats and some other small games. Try to keep some of the small things you are buying to keep him entertained hidden away, so they can be a surprise when he receives them in the car. Make plenty of stops in places where he can run around and stretch his legs. Good luck!!

A 10-hour ride will get much longer with breaks. That's a lot of driving, even if two adults split it. See how it goes on this trip, but if you do this again, I'd consider splitting up the trip and spend the night somewhere along the route. I know that driving overnight works for some families, but if you and your husband are not naturally night owls, an overnight drive could mean you're sleepy at the wheel or taking extra breaks (which adds to your time on the road) because you're trading places at the wheel more often. And on the first day after you arrive you may be exhausted all day. Just depends on your personal body clock, but it's something to consider.

we did an 11 to 12 hour trip to buffalo w/ our 19 month old twins and broke the trip into 2 days w/ an overnight in a motel. i was told that the boys would need a 15 minute stretch every 2 hours but that always ended up taking more than 15 minutes. we did the first leg of the trip after supper so they slept for quite a bit at night the first 6 hours and the second leg of the trip the next day - that day's 6 hours of driving took 10 hours or so with meal and stretch breaks. good luck!

I have 3 children, 6, 4, and 2. We've driven 16 hours straight 4 or more times. The DVD player should help a lot. Another idea: I've bought each kid a metal cookie tray with a low lip that will fit on their laps. This tray is good for eating on and for crafts. I made a craft bin. Snapware sells some tupperware type thing where there are three layers that all snap together. I put cardstock paper (cut in half)with crayons in one, tiny play dough containers with accersories in another, and decorative magnets (not good for 19 month) in another. The magnets stick to the tray! I've also used sticky foam shapes to stick to the paper. The kids tend to play with the "craft kit" more at our destination than in the car however. The DVD is really the best thing to keep my kids occupied. Either way, the "craft kit" is useful and the trays are awesome. If you are interested you can find the snapware in the sewing section in Target and you're likely to find the cookie tray there as well. Happy Trails!

Turn on that DVD player now and get him use to it. We have a special needs 2 year old who has been screaming every time we put her in the car, hence, I never go anywhere. Last week, we turned her seat around (she was not heavy enough before) to face forward and put in some Baby Einstein cds and we have not heard a peep from her. It was amazing! It was also the first time we had used the player in the vehicle. Wish I had known this earlier.

T.

If possible, I suggest traveling at night. If he sleeps well in the car seat, then wait till he goes to sleep, put him in the car seat and off you go. Depending on how long he generally sleeps, you probably can get through most of the trip before he wakes up.

Hi A.,
I made several 10-12 hour car trips with my 2 when they were around that age, they are 17 months apart, by myself. We have never tried the dvd thing, but they always enjoyed books on tape/cd that we checked out from the library. Another thing I learned was to pack them each a bag of goodies to eat so they were not constantly asking me for something to eat or drink. I made sure everything was in a bag they could open themselves, and that it was food I didn't mind them eating. Also, a few special treats that they usually did not get. Then I made sure to bring each a big towel that could be used to cover their laps so to minimize the mess, and also as a blanket. Magnets were great to go with the lap tray, we just used small metal cookie sheets, also toy cars to run on the tray, and crayola magic crayons and paper, because they will not write on anything, but the magic paper. Another thing that worked well was a bag of big beads and a piece of string they could string the beads on. I always planned stops at reststops so they could get out and run around and had a kitchen timer so they knew when the timer went off it was time to go. I usually did not allow them to get out at gas stops unless it was a bathroom emergency. That way they didn't see all the "cool" stuff inside and ask for it. Sticker books were also a big hit as well as the platic pieces that will stick to the window and peel off. Michael's is a good place to look for some inexpensive fun things, also dollar tree for cheap toys and some snacks.
Rmember, it doesn't matter how long it takes, what matters is that you arrive safely and enjoy the trip. It usually took us an extra 2 hours from what mapquest said, so plan on 12-13 hours and don't worry about it.
Hope this helps,P.

We took our then 3 year old very Hyper-active Grandson on a two day trip from Newport News, Virginia to LaRose, Louisiana just south of New Orleans, a few years ago. I took a lesson from my dad and my travels as a child and stopped at rest area's and let him run and we ate lunch and snacks at that time. We left early in the day and of course we had to spend the night on the road. I was very concerned about all his sitting but we also had a DVD player and all his favorite movies and that was a life saver as well. Good luck on your trip and count on it taking longer than your trip planner says.

Sounds like you are on the right track. Make sure you have some snacks/drinks, too! Another idea is leap pad type things or a story reader (by fisher price) or just his favorite books to look at. I usually take a small back pack or tote of a few favorite toys for my boys too! They are 4 and 2, and we travel 5+ hours at least 3 times a year to Nana's house, and we have traveled to IL from VA a couple times since the oldest was born! Good luck, and the dvd player will be a lifesaver if he's a lover of movies! you may want to get a kids cd/tape for your car, too! Happy traveling and drive safely!

One thing that I've heard works for long plane trips may work for you too... A new 'present' every hour for your son to play with. It doesn't have to be big (a coloring book, etc
) but it will keep him entertained until the next exciting present to open.
Let us know how it turns out! Good luck!

A trick I learned from my husband's grandmother who drove from Illinois to GA every year with her grandchildren make prize bags. She buys inexpensive books and toys and wraps them up like gifts. She picks them up from $ stores and thrift stores. We wrap them in aluminum foil and gift wrap etc. Sometimes we give one at a decided upon time, (every 1 1/2 hours) or when they seem to be bored. Things like little books and a small stuffed animal that corresponds *think a horse book and a little horse toy* Sometimes there is a snack and a happy meal toy. The kids love opening gifts and it keeps them occupied for a while.

Also talk about what you see outside. Big trucks, different color cars, animals, flowers, buildings etc.

We just don't do the DVD thing too much. Last summer my younger son was 18 months old, he was interested in the big trucks and would point them out to me. Also kids songs on CD were a big help.

Hope you have a wonderful trip. Even though now it can seem like it might be torture, they will be teenagers before you know it and will be listening to IPODs and playing with cell phones and won't want to give you the time of day. :) We've got to enjoy them now, when they still like us. LOL

http://JustSettling.com/Fairfax has Tips for Travelling with Chidlren in the Getting Away section... see if that helps...

Hey A.,

I traveled with 16 mth old daughter from Spain to England WITH my mother-in-law and lived to tell the tale! ;) My daughter enjoyed puppets at the time so I will never forget her asking me to "be Bert", repeatedly...

My advice for you is bring things to help childproof your hotel room (if you end up staying at one) and try to sleep in the car yourself. There is nothing worse than arriving with both parents dead beat with a wide awake toddler!

Which reminds me of another trip we took in Spain. It was a peaceful ride from Madrid to Rota, Spain during which my d/d slept. I believe she was around 18 mths at the time. The problem was my husband and I were so tired once we got to the hotel. We tried to get her sleep, but she ended up getting us to sleep. Soon after, we woke to the sound of her playing in the beday... :(
Best wishes!
T.