Advice on Long Car Trips with a One-year-old

Last summer our family drove to CT with a one year old. On the way there, we only drove during nap time and stopped over night three times. On the way back, we drove straight through and were just fine. I nursed when we stopped for gas or to eat, fed her while we were moving and played a lot! My husband and I took 3-4 hour driving shifts to make it through. Have snack food ready to go- cereal bars, yogurt, fruit, and have your diaper bag close by! Good luck!

My rule of thumb is a 30 minute break every three hours. It is important to let the kiddo run around as traveling long distances without any movement can constipate young children. If the kiddo is asleep wait until he wakes up to stop (never distrub a sleeping baby theory). I would always give my son apple juice or another natural laxative about 30 minutes before you stop every quarter leg of the trip; that along with movement during the stop will help prevent constipation. Once you arrive, if his stomach is hard as if constipated, put a teaspoon of dark Karo syrup into his cup with milk (don't mix juice with Karo) will alleviate the constipation.

Of course pack as many snacks as you can think of-cheerios, pretzels, crackers, cookies, etc. If you have a portable DVD player, play a movie during the legs he stays awake.

Be prepared to sit with him for a portion of the trip as may begin to feel isolated.

In preparation for car sickness, talk to your pedi about the correct dose of dramamine for his weight. You might never need it, but better safe than sorry. Of course have a towel and plastic bag ready just in case.

Every child is different, but like I stated 3 hours=30 minutes.

Many blessings on your new adventures in New York and may you have a safe trip.

Hey J.

First thing that comes to mind is be careful with the moving van. I rented one with bucket seats and obviously no back seat. A car seat was impossible to use.

My son is pretty laid back, but on long trips I make sure I have plenty of finger snacks, juice and water. We try to leave early or late so he can sleep. And making frequent stops just to give him some time out the car is a must. But we try to do that when he's already calm so he doesn't get in the habit of screaming his head off to get out. JUST KEEP ENTERTAINMENT CLOSE! and be patient.

Best of luck to you and your family in NY.

Don't travel! LOL!
No, for real, if you have to you just have to...best advice...
travel at night...... while she is asleep. I travel on a 3 hr commute quite often to and from "home" and I usually try to leave around their nap time to avoid any restlessness....good luck!!!

I find very early morning travel is best b/c little ones sleep better than when traveling in the hot afternoon.Or traveling at 3am, then stopping at daybreak if you little one is awake.

We have made many car trips with our two boys since they were much younger than a year. You've gotten a lot of great advice about frequent stops, etc. If your daughter is walking, try to stop at rest stops a couple of times each day so she can stretch her legs in a grassy area (and you won't be worried about what she is touching in a gas station). You'll be amazed at what 10 - 15 minutes outdoors will do for her disposition. I would also suggest planning your nightly stops to limit the number of hours on the road each day to around 8 or 9 if possible. We've found that this is about as much as the boys can stand without turning into complete monsters in the hotel each night.

Cram as many of the toys and books that you are bringing for entertainment into a big basket that you can put on the seat next to your daughter. You (and she) will be much happier if she can help herself - and it only takes a minute to scoop it all off the floorboard and back into the basket each time you stop.

Above all, be flexible. Sometimes you just have to take a break earlier than you planned, in order to keep everyone's sanity. The first couple of road trips were harder on my husband than my oldest son, because we were not staying on schedule. He has lightened up considerably and we have a lot of fun now, complete with silly sing-alongs and all. Good luck on your move!

I have traveled extensively by car with my daughter (17 months). I bought a portable DVD player and let her watch Baby Einstein when she got fussy and restless. When I couldn't rely on the movies, I would sing and play games with her. I also tried to stop every couple of hours so that she could get out and stretch and play. I hope that this helps!

YOU AND THE CHILD SHOULD FLY TO NEW YORK! GET READY! WILL BE A VERY EXHAUSTING TRIP! CHILDREN ARE VERY BUSY AND CANNOT BE CONFINED THAT LENGTH OF TIME! YOU BETTER BRING LOTS OF ACTIVITIES TO DO IN A CAR! AND LOTS OF SNACKS TO EAT! THERE ALWAYS HUNGRY AND THIRSTY!

Make sure to travel during your child's sleep time. And as everyone else says, you'll need to make frequent stops and let her run around a little. This will take longer, but peace of mind while driving is a must. We purchased a t.v. monitor and tape player for our son when we first started traveling with him. Having his favorite movies on hand was a huge help. Read, play, sing and try to make it fun. It won't be easy so be as patient as possible. That's quite a drive.