Roadtrip with Kids

We try like many others to do the bulk of the drivin durin bedtime or nap time. Usually my husband will take a nap before we leave and drive first while I oraganzie and load up as much as I can...he drive first, I sleep...

All I can say is portable dvd player(s) are the best thing in the world, well worth the investment. Both our kids received Fisher Price DVD players for Christmas...at first I wasn't sure about our little one but even our one year old will watch while he's in the seat...

I think it may be pretty tough to drive all the way through with them. But if you do beside to stop, maybe research where you would want to stop before you do. We stopped in Alabama and stayed on our way to Florida and it was a not so great neighborhood. But it was fun in the morning, waking up and going to breakfast and then driving the remander of 6 hours. Then we had the whole rest of the day to relax when we got there and we werent too tired because we got to rest instead of driving all the way through. My daughters 1st trip down there, we drove all the way through. She was an ANGEL almost the entire time, until we were about 2-3 hrs away, I think she reached a breaking point and we were all very tired and crabby! Anways, just my thoughts on it. Have a great trip! So exciting!

J., if time isn't a factor it is kind of nice to break up the trip. Even though I don't think anyone sleeps as well in a hotel as they do in their own beds it is still a long trip to make straight through with little ones.
You could always try and find a hotel that had an indorr pool and plan on stopping around dinner time, eating, playing in the pool, bath time then bed and I bet they would sleep better than you think. Whatever you decide lots of luck to you!
B.

if u guys are sure u can stay awake, i would reccomebd getting up really early for the first part, they will go back to sleep. and stop every 2 hrs to walk around and bring toys and crayons lol.

What works for us is to leave later in the evening and drive all the way through. That is if both of you are willing to switch off driving. Normally the kids will just sleep most of the way through. Granted you will need to make stops for gas and restroom breaks, but we pack snacks and usually eat at a drive through just to get where we are going. Hope this helps and enjoy your vacation!

I am one of four kids five years between oldest and youngest. When I was a kid, mom and dad would carry us to the car at 2am and leave for wherever we were going. By the time we woke up (and could start bickering), we were there.

I havent had to take any road trips with kids yet, but from my own experience when I was a kid, my dad would throw us in the Truck at 4 in the morning in our PJ's and we would sleep for hours! Normally we would fall asleep before we would ever hit the highway! I would drive straight through. Good luck with whatever you decide to do!

We also do what Monica Y does...we leave late in the night and have the girls sleep. They'll watch a few Dvds and then lights out. The only time we stop is for gas and bathroom. We bring snacks and drinks. We travel 10 hours every few months to Louisiana to go visit home and this is what we do every time. When we get to our destination we sleep some. My husband will drive first and I'll sleep until he's tired then we switch. We've been doing that since our girls wrere little and have never had a problem. Good luck and God Bless.

My mom is from Manitoba so we made the 14 hour drive 2x a year from the time I was born. Mind you, this was back in the day when my sister and I could put the back seat down on the station wagon and play freely - poor kiddos are strapped down now! We did make the trip last fall with my daughter who was 15 mos at the time. My suggestion is to drive through the night. Leave an hour before bedtime and then let the kids sleep the whole way there. It is h*** o* the parents, but if one of you can sleep while the other drives and take turns, it's only really rough the first day. The other thing we did was to drive halfway and stay in a hotel and drive the rest of the way the next day. If you left at 6pm and stopped at midnight, the kids would sleep most of that time. Then the next morning, take the next 6 hour trip over 7 hours, stopping every couple of hours to eat/stretch. We did that when we took our daughter to Colorado last year when she was 1 and that worked well, too. Good luck!!

We have made several cross country trips with little ones. We are gluttons for punishment, but this is what worked for us - One of us takes a nap that day. We get the girls ready for bed and then we drive all night, taking turns driving and sleeping. When we get to our destination we are always visiting family, so we plan to have someone ready to entertain the girls who are well rested and we go take a nap. We have tried day driving and it was torture for everyone. Stopping at a hotel was such an ordeal, because it took so long to get everyone settled and then a few hours later we had to pile everyone back in again. Good luck!

I would recommend breaking the trip in half and stopping at a hotel. We did this when we went to Texas last year for our first family trip and it was a 14 hour drive for us. We left really early in the morning (hubby's a morning person) and the kids and I slept in the car for about 2 1/2 hours before we stopped for breakfast. It was a great stop (IHOP) and good stretch of the legs for us. Next stop was lunch and the final stop the hotel. We were there early enough that we could still have dinner and swim (knowing pool time would wear the kids out too). The kids loved the hotel (and still want to go back..lol). Doesn't matter if they don't sleep well, just as long as you or hubby DO and can continue driving the next day. They will zonk out in the car when they get tired.

I found that anything over 7 hours was a trial on EVERYONE'S nerves in the car. As much as my hubby and I HATE McDonald's we would also make it a point to stop either at McDonald's, Burger King, or Chik-Fil-A because most of the larger ones had play places. We'd let the kids run around for lunch there (or a park) while we ate. They then ate in the car so we didn't lose much more than 30-45 minutes at the stop. Good luck!

We've been taking family trips every year to see my husband's family, which is also a 12 hour drive. We have done it where we drove overnight and done it having to stop halfway. I'm like you; I hate the cheap motels you have to stay at. I feel dirty staying in them and don't like my kids sleeping in places either like that. Once in awhile you get lucky and find a clean hotel to stay at, but it ends up costing more in your trip budget. I preferred the trips when we could leave at anywhere from 6-8 at night and drive through the night. With two drivers, one of us could sleep for a few hours while the other one drove, and the kids slept very well in the van, which surprised me a lot. It's actually a little harder on the adults getting less sleep than it is for the kids, but if you can function well by sleeping a few hours and then driving a few hours, it works great in the long run and makes for a MUCH more peaceful trip on the kids' end. The first time we took a trip that way, my kids were 5 months, 3, and 6. The most recent trip we took like that was two months ago, so it was with a 10 yr, 7yr, 4yr, and 6 month old. Good luck!

We normally leave really really early in the morning and the kids typically sleep until we're nearly halfway there. They always fall asleep in the car though so that might be why it works for them. Doing it that makes it feel like a shorter trip for all of us. They don't have to sit there bored and we don't have to listen to the "when are we there?" questions. If you don't think your kids would go back to sleep after getting woken up that early then it probably would be a good idea to find a good place to stop. There's nothing worse than driving with cranky kids.

My daughter was about 2 years old when we did a road trip (15 hours one-way). On the way up there, we stopped half-way and continued on the next. The hotel was ok and it gave her break. However, on our way back, we drove straight through. We left at 5am and were in KC by 8pm. It wasn't too bad. We just made several little stops so our daughter could stretch her legs, go potty and get some fresh air. If I had to do it all over again, I would drive straight through. It really depends on your kids. Good luck.

Hi J.,

As a kid we my family and I would go to Minnesota each year andI can remember leaving at like 7 pm and getting dinner and my dad driving through the night we have also left early in the morning.

As an adult I have taken my 2 younger kids to Minnesota also, when we took them we woke up at 5 am and left. We had the car already loaded the night before so all we had to do was get the things we needed that morning (toothbrshes, pillows, dressed and out the door), I put th kids in the car in their pajamas and we were off. We drove until they woke up and I got them dressed and we stopped for brekafast. When they did wake up we had made it across the Missouri/Iowa border. My kids were the same age as yours when we took them.

Here's a few things that made my life easier - I got a backpack(they are bigger then diaper bags) and put 2 changes of clothes for each child, along with diapers/pullups and wipes, bandaids&neosporin and snacks. I also got a small cooler for milk,juice and bottled water. I then packed their regular bag and brought the diaper bag but it was packed in the bag of the car. We made it to Fergus Falls, Minnesota in 11 hours in one day. We stopped for breakfast and lunch and made it in time for dinner. We made the best time when they were sleeping. Also bring along something to eantertain the kids maybe a portable DVD player and a few DVD's they haven't seen.

W. B.

Hi J.,

We take an 9-10 hour road trip a couple of times a year to visit family. We have found for us that it is easier to leave late afternoon/early evening and drive thru the night. We get dinner on the road and play movies for the kids. They usually fall asleep once it gets dark and sleep until we get there. Both of my kids have always been GREAT travelers. They are 10 & 17 now, and we have always been lucky and had no complaints. (We used to have to force my Daughter to get out of the car to go to the restroom.)

My hubby usually tries to take a nap during the day at be able to drive later, then I nap in the car and take over for him on the driving. We have been doing this for 14 years now. We usually hit our destination around 2 or 3 in the morning. But Grandma & grandpa do not care what time you get there!

Good luck and hope you have a great trip!

Hi! My kids are the same age as yours and we've made the 17 hour drive from St. Louis to Tampa and St. Louis to San Antonio to see our families several times since moving here. What has worked best was waiting till bedtime to leave and driving straight through the night. The kids sleep the whole way. Our drive was a little longer than yours, so we usually stopped for breakfast in the morning and only had a few hours to go before reaching our destination. Luckily my husband likes to drive and long distances don't bother him. Driving makes me sleepy though, so we switched off frequently when it was my turn. Just be safe whatever you decide.

We had an 8 1/2 hour drive with a 3 year old and we left about an hour before bedtime and took our portable DVD player. They watched a movie and fell asleep and we drove through the night and had to wake them up when we got there. My husband took a nap before we left so he drove the first part while I slept and then I drove the last few hours. It worked out perfectly!

I have taken a lot of 17 hour road trips with my 3 kids by myself and really didn't matter what time of the day I left, they are just as excited to leave so they will be excited for a few hours and then tend to sleep most of the time so if you do get a hotel they will be wide awake when you get there. Make sure they have a lot of stuff to do. Those color wonder coloring books and markers are wonderful. The mini magnadoodles are great too. You could also take a laptop or if your vehicle has a video player that helps too although we don't have that but sometimes they will watch a movie on the laptop and you can buy a converter for about 30.00 that your laptop can plug into the cigarette lighter.
We stop and go to the bathroom every time we get gas or at rest stops every 3-4 hours if needed between gas stops. Everyone gets out and tries whether they say they need to go or not, most of the time they do go. You don't want to stop at gas stations every time they need to go to the bathroom or they will want snacks and drinks then you have the bathroom stops again because they had too much to drink. We usually eat at our normal meal times. If your kids are small going to a McDonalds with a playland helps get out some of their energy and plan to stay about an hour if you do that. Getting out of the car helps instead of going through drive thru's. Have trash bags easy access in case one of the kids gets car sick. The less you have to stop the better off you will be when you get there. Try to limit stops to no more than 15 minutes and 30 min-1 hour for food stops. Have a great trip.

We too leave during the evening (after dinner). We let the boys watch a movie on the DVD player and give them a small snack. Then, they fall asleep and we drive through the night (my husband and I take turns). We stop at a sit down place for breakfast (our family favorite is Denny's Restaurant)and then continue to our destination. We are tired the first day (obviously!) so we just take it easy and do short activities that are not too tiring and after dinner we head to be early so that we can start our vacation bright and early the next morning!
Good Luck!
K.

We have taken two long trips when our girls were little, one twelve hours, one 24. We drove straight thru on both, leaving about four or five in the evening, stopping for supper about 7, letting them run around a little. Loaded them back up, read some books, they fell asleep and slept all night while my husband and I took turns driving and by the time they woke up in morning we were about there. The only problem is you need to be able to relax for a while when you arrive if you do it this way. Also, on the 24 hour trip to New York we had five drivers.

My husband and I took a vacation to Michigan. We left in the morning and that worked pretty good. We drove for about 4 to 6 hours before stopping for the night. When I made hotel reservations I used hotels.com and got a 5 star hotel for less than $60 and the room was huge. The kids were running everywhere in the hotel room. I also, made sure that the hotel we stayed in, had a pool so that the kids could get some exercise. I have two girls 7 and 4, and a little boy that was 22 months at that time.

We like to either leave around 6/7 am and that way you have a longer time span and can stop for longer intervals, or leave later in the afternoon, so as to make at least half of the trip during the night time sleeping...to do this...hubby usually takes a nap at home before leaving, that way when everyone else konks out...he is still awake :O

Good Morning J.. Things have changed in a lot of ways since our son's were little. Seat beats weren't demanded like they are now. We had a Sation wagon..lol Know that those are?? Just kidding! We made pallets in the back and they slept, played back there.

Now when our son & daughter in law go to TX to see her mom they usually leave in the evening after dinner. Son has slept most of the afternoon to be ready to go. Corbin & Zane are in their PJ's, strapped in with blankets close by, toys books whatever, and off they go. It's about 10 hours depending on traffic and who's driving. They usually drive his truck which is deisel running so they can get there on a tank of gas. HOWEVER, they do have potty stops and the kids do wake up for a while anyway.

When I take them, Gen & Boys, I do not like driving at night as much anymore so we ususally don't get away until 8 am or so. Gen is in charge of entertaining the boys, LOL we all sing silly songs and play word games, stop to walk around and eat. But it sure makes for a very long drive.

God Bless and have a wonderful vacation.
K. Nana of 5

When we were young we would drive to Texas. My parents packed the care the night before and we would leave about 4 -4:30 am. When we were really young we just jumped in with our PJ's on as we got older and teenagers of course the make up and clothes went on. We also packed snacks, breakfast and lunches. We would stop and eat picnic style and run around the rest stops. Now traveling with kids we do just about the same except that I do goodie bags and pick up some things from the dollar store and when we stop or they seem to be getting bored we would pull out a bag and they could open it. We had bubbles, Jump ropes, coloring books, etc.....something new and it would help engage them. We also have a portable DVD player that I wonder how we did without them. We would play I Spy something.......kids loved that. Have a great time!

I find the problem with driving straight through and all night for that matter is that then we grown ups are the zombies and that's no fun either!

We usually split the drive up and just be sure to stop at a hotel with an indoor POOL! That way the kids can swim before and/or after dinner. Let them stay up a little later to do so, if need be. Give them a bath after and they'll usually kink out fine in the hotel which means mom and dad can actually rest too!

Good luck.

Hi J., When we travel with our kids (who are now 5 & 7) we leave in the afternoon, travel for about 5 or 6 hours and then stop for the night. If they fall asleep we push and go a little further. No they don't sleep real well in the hotel. But we look for one with a pool and let them play. This gives them a break and keeps everyone from being real cranky. Plus, when we get to where we're going (we go to Gulf Shores) it's still early enough for us to hit the beach or pool for awhile when we get there. I have done 12 hour trips in one day with a little one. It's really h*** o* them and they are cranky for days afterward. I would also suggest giving them Tylonal or something about mid-way through the trip. As my Grandma would say, riding in the car for that long makes their bones hurt. I'm not sure that it's their bones that hurt, but I know that they do get achy. I also have plotted where we will stop and found each McDonalds with a play ground. That way we know that when we get there they can run around a little. And for the 3 yr old, get a DVD player - they are a life saver! We have our trips with our kids down to a science. We have been taking 8hr plus trips with each of them since the oldest was 3 months old. We go on at least one trip per year, if not more. I know, were nuts. But they are great at it now and even they know the routine. Good luck and have fun!

We drove from Kansas City to Atlanta last weekend (about 800 miles). Our boys are 1 and 3.5. We got up and left at 4am. The boys went right to sleep in the car and didn't wake until 7. We stopped for breakfast and changed their clothes (the trip was 25% over). We stopped again at 12 for lunch. The boys were playing/watching a movie/etc. They started to get restless. We stopped for about an hour. The boys then slept from 1-4 (usually naptime). We got in at dinner time. Good Luck!

My husband and I went on a 23 hour trip to my sisters. We left after work and drove all night. The kids slept and we enjoyed the night time together. I have also taken the kids on the same trip alone and we left in the middle of the afternoon. They watched movies all the way there. We did stop in the middle of the night and stay (only because I was the only one driving). The kids did GREAT both ways!

J.,
It looks like you have gotten a lot of responses. Is your husband or your self a night owl? Does your husband work a second or third shift? If not then it might be really h*** o* him to drive. My husband,my now 5 year old daughter and my now 2 year old son, and my self take a trip around Christmas every year to Wisconsin. It seems to take us between 10-12 hours. It just depends on how many stops we make. So my husband has decided that since my dad really does not care what time we get there that we leave when it is bed time for the kids. My husband worked 3rd shift for chrysler before he was laid off in November. It works out ok for us because I can sleep in the car with the kids and then we are only stopping when we have to get gas or one of us adults has to go to the restroom. We keep our daughter in a good night just because there are streches that you can not find a gas station or a place to stop to go to the restroom. She is really good at understanding this. So just another thought for you to think about.
Good luck on your trip.

We have done both. Leaving at 1:00 or 2:00 in the morning is hardest on the driver as everyone else goes back to sleep. It also saves the expense of the hotel. And you are right - none of us sleep well and there is always noise from the other guests. But if neither of you are good at staying awake by yourself, then the hotel is the better option...safer. Whichever you decide, hope the trip goes well and you get there safely.

My family drove to SC last summer with kids the same ages as yours are now. We left at 8pm and the boys fell asleep in the car and slept most of the night while my husband and I took turns napping and driving. It seemed to work out really well and by the time we were passing through the mountains the boys were awake to see everything.

There's been lots of good advice for you. The only way to know what is going to work best for your kids is trial and error. We go on vacation every year to the beach (Myrtle Beach, Sarasota, Biloxi) and we have driven every year except once. We won't fly again. I would rather save the money and have the time with the kids. When mine were that little we had dvds that we took. We made sure they were ones that we had not seen before. We usually leave Friday after work / school and drive for a while and stop. I recommend finding a Comfort Suites. I have never found one that wasn't clean and roomy and they are very affordable. I usually do some research and plan a stop along the way that the kids will like. Last year on our way to Myrtle Beach we stopped in Louisville and went to the Slugger Museum and Six Flags. This year on our way to Myrtle Beach again we will take a different route there and back so we can see some new sights. We also take games and toys that can help amuse the kids. My youngest learned some of his colors by playing games like I Spy on a road trip. No matter what you do remember it will be a learning experience. It will take patience but there definately isn't a wrong choice to make. Either way you go you will get to spend quality time with your kiddos!

There are several things we do when we take our 11+ hour road trips with our kids. I have four children between the ages of 2 and 10 yrs and have taken these trips every year since before we were married 16 yrs ago.

First of all, my children sleep with a sound spa (we call it a noise-maker) so our life can be normal and loud everywhere else in the house. So taking the noise-maker with us into a Hotel helps things very much. It drowns out people walking in the hallway of the hotel and their doors slamming . . . well, at least it muffles the noise anyway.

Second, several weeks before our trip, I spray their pillows with the Arbonne Mist called "Unwind" it has chamamille and some other relaxing stuff (I actually dilute it so it lasts longer). I take it with us so I can spray their pillows (they bring theirs from home) and they will be used to the noise and the smells of where ever they are sleeping. When I breastfed my children, I liked a little bit of light at night and so I invested in the noise-maker that projected the current time onto the ceiling. That was very helpful because it gave just enough light (so kids can find the bathroom in the hotel room) and I could see when I nursed, and it's hard to find the clock in a hotel room sometimes. I purchased the sound spa (time projector) at Bed, Bath, and Beyond (with my 20% off coupon - of course).

Third, We knew when we had multiple kids that flying wasn't an option any more so we invested in a TV for our Van. It was a Totally Awesome Investment. They would say, "Are we there yet?" and I was say, "just two movies away". If you are not a "TV Family", Baby Boch, Seseme Street and similar educational DVDs are good time-passers.

Fourth, we made sure we had a light above each of the kid's seats so they could see at night if they wanted to. (Our van didn't have any so we installed little tap-lights from Bed, Bath, and Beyond). Sometimes the TV was enough light but it depends on what they were doing. My older ones enjoy reading now so they need good light. My younger ones enjoyed drawing so I would give them a lap table (they even have ones for toddlers that the strap goes under their carseat and clicks the table firmly onto the seat. Found in a 'First Steps' Catalog). I would pack many books, Wonder Colors and Wonder Color Paper, Aqua books and Aqua Pens, several little flashlights to play with, and even a glow stick or bracelet for night time - but you've got to keep an eye on them because sometimes they break.

Fifth, we would finish packing and try to leave at about 6:00 a.m. so the kids were still tired and we would just transfer them - in their PJ's - into the van so they can continue to sleep. Just bring an easy-to-reach bag of the days clothes to change into and some breakfast snacks/drinks to avoid stopping. We also had a cooler of sippy-cups and a milk and a juice container for refills.

I hope this information is helpful. We totally enjoy our trips and our kids travel really, really well. They don't even complain very much at all.

Good Luck and Enjoy Your Family Trip!

We have taken long trips like this with our kids ever since they were a few months old. Our stratagy has been to leave the house about 5:30-6 am. We don't put movies in until after breakfast which comes at 7:30-8. When stopping for lunch we let them play at McDonalds, we eat and then they eat in the car. A morning movie and an afternoon one plus some naps and we are close to destination. I would not suggest the hotel at their age. No one will sleep!

Many years ago, my family used to travel to New Mexico from NE Kansas to visit relatives - 863 miles with four kids - 13 years from the oldest to youngest. We would leave not as early as your husband suggests, but at 3:30 or 4 - us kids would go back to sleep- It still made it a very long day the next day - arriving, depending on the time of year, after dark. Also, with the age of your children, you will have to stop more often just to give them a little break.

Just to throw in my two cents: None of you will probably get much rest in a hotel. And I don't see the problem with leaving at 2am. The kids will go back to sleep soon enough (or at least, at some point on the trip).

My husband and I moved 1100 miles away from home. It is 18 - 20 hours to get back home. Somtimes what worked best for us was to leave late afternoon. Then the kids could sleep most of the way. It made for a long night for my husband and I, but we listened to some old hits on the radio and sang along. He would nap earlier in the day and he is a night owl anyway. It worked for us on occassion, but it probably wouldn't work for everybody. It gave grandparents some time with the kids when we crashed by lunch. Good luck.

When my kiddos were younger, we went from LA to Denver in one beat, about 18 hours. We left at nap time, around 3 in the afternoon, stopped in Vegas for dinner and let the kids run around for about an hour, got back on the road and drove straight to Denver all night. We got there at about 9am and the kids slept the whole time. They woke up right as we were going through the mountians. It couldn't have been better! Dad and Mom were a little tired, but we took a good nap when we got there and all was well. Even now that my kids are a little older, I wouldn't do it any other way.

As a military family that as gone home twice a year for the last 15 years (the farthest we have drive is 31 hours) my experience as been leaving early in the morning has always been the best bet. Currently we are 16 hours from home so we leave at about 3am. We pack the car the night before and my husband goes to bed early. I put the kids to bed in comfortable clothes and are still okay to wear in public. Like sweatpants or gym shorts. My husband and I get up get ready and when it is time to leave we just carry or walk the boys to the car buckle them in and go. Usually they are back to sleep in no time. And the first few hours of our trip are so peaceful because no one is complaining. LOL Of course you know your kids best. My sister for example can not do this because her kid never sleep on a car ride.

we've had the best luck with leaving closer to bedtime (we drove from STL to AZ). If we had it to do again, we would probably have dinner around 6 and head out - kiddos could watch a movie and then fall alseep while we get the bulk of the driving done during thier bedtime.

Well, our experiences have been that we travel St. Louis to North carolina which is 11 hours so we have always left early morning and travel all day. We have left as early as 5 am and late as 10 am and got there 12 hours later with time change. Our kids are now 8 and 5 and have been doing this for the last 4 years.
Pack lots of activites, movies(havent seen) for the car, snacks limit the drinks which limits bathroom stops. If you leave that early then should take a nap in car at some point.
Hope this helps.

All great advice from experienced mamas. The most important thing is to drive "stress free"...makes for a happy mom & dad. Therefore, we leave in the evening after dinner (everybody's full & happy), kids watch a few movies and ultimately fall asleep. My husband and I take turns driving, talking and enjoying each other and once we arrive at our destination we sleep in and wake up late the next day, have brunch and then off to play!

*Be sure to pack snacks and an igloo full of water, juice boxes & pop! Saves money and you only need to stop for potty breaks.

We have taken trips to Louisiana in the past and what we always did was leave around 7-8 pm or a little later if you want close to their bedtime and let the kids sleep in the car, you and your hubby could split the drive, my husband always drove cause he liked to drive and I would just let him sleep most of the day so that he was rested.

I have two boys about the same age as yours. At first when we went on trips we tried leaving during the day..that didn't work to well. The boys were restless and fussy. So we tried getting up and leaving early in the morning time(somewhere around 2 and 3) and this works the best for our family. THe boys go back to sleep and then when they would start getting fussy or restless it was about time to stop for meals anyway. So this gave them time out of their seats to eat and run around. We have found that this works the best with us..but mainly for the boys. Make sure to have a bag with their toys and such in a bag to where they both can reach them, this has helped alot as well. Good luck and have fun on your trip.