Traveling with Two Little Ones

Kids' music helps to keep my kids happy... we switch to adult music when they start to get sleepy. You can borrow CDs from the library. We've never done DVD players in the car, although we have played DVDs on our laptop at our destination.

I used to sit in the back with the kids while my husband drove, so that I could hand them snacks & pick up every toy that they drop... but I've found that we're all a lot happier when I stay in the front & they realize that I can't constantly hand them stuff. Otherwise, they were constantly fussing for one thing or another.

We do 4 or 5 trips to visit my husband's family each year... it usually takes us about 8 hrs, including the hour-long meal break. Honestly, our trip is usually much better than we ever expect it to be. Although maybe it helps that they're getting used to doing it.

Relax - you already know the schedule is out the window while you are gone.

Technology is your friend in this situation. Dig out the DVD player and some great Disney movies and your trip will be awesome. Bring books, snacks, drinks, and their loveys. If the only time they get TV is on vacation, so be it. You may also consider a hand held video game system for the older one. They have educational games and they DO keep the kids occupied.

Sleeping - we always got a suite at a hotel - we put the kids in one room and we stayed in the other. It costs a little more, but it's SO worth it.

Have fun and let us know how it all works out!
YMMV
LBC

We just returned from our very first family road trip. Our oldest is 4 and we have a 10month old. We really limit the 4 year olds tv but for our sanity we said car trip= no rules or we would lose our minds with trying to keep him entertained enough to make any driving progress. We broke up teh long drive into two shorter ones (5 hours each) to lessen our stress and still get in decent bed times which was key to a happier family. We knew if we did too long of a stretch we would be far too tired once we got to our destination to have any fun and we would lose a day of fun trying to catch up. We brought along his favorite movies, some story DVD's and a music one, plus one new surprise DVD that he watched 3 times. I had a bag of small surprises (magic tablet with a mystery type pen that only shows up on special paper, a new car, a new kind of fruit snacks) we also brought along his Leapster and the DVD headphones also fit on this. Go with a great pair of headphones that fit kids ears~ huge help! Good luck... we also had trouble getting the older one to sleep because we were in one room~ I like the suite idea. We just dimmed all the lights and no tv til he was alseep. Good luck and have fun~

I see you've already gotten a lot of great answers, but thought I'd mention what we did with movies. I didn't let my kids watch TV for a long time, and I still limit it a lot. Most of our trips are to my grandparents, 2 hrs away, so no movies for those, but we allow 1 when we go to the beach, maybe 2 if they're really short. That trip for us is about 4 hours. Last May we drove to my in-laws in South Florida. That was a 14 hour trip. We allowed one movie every 3 hours that they were awake. But around normal naptimes we'd say we're having "quiet time" for a little bit, and they usually fell asleep. We just made sure the kids know that travelling time is special, so we can watch more movies then. And as far as during vacation, we just try to keep the peace. Then when we get home it takes about 2 days, maybe 3 for them to get on schedule again, which isn't that bad for us. Good luck!

It sounds like your kids are about the same age difference as ours.

We took 2 long trips between Christmas and New Year's this year. First to Cleveland (~6 hour drive). Kids did OK, but it took 9 hours on the way back and they were not happy.

We found the trick to keeping them from going ballistic was to stop occasionally and let them do something. It was winter in the midwest, so we stopped at Walmart/Target let them run around a little bit and then made sure we ate at kid-friendly restaurants (preferably ones with play places to help them burn steam).

We had both of their backpacks full of toys and keep a container between the car seats w/toys as well. Snacks in a cooler for the passenger in the front to help serve as needed.

Then, we went to see my family in the DC area - it was 11 hours there and almost 14 back. That was much more challenging.

We used a DVD player then to keep the peace. We used a portable, but we just purchased a new car with one in it. Our rule is that they don't get to use it locally, only on trips.

You do have to stop frequently, let them stretch, burn off steam and then hope you can make it a few more hours before that need comes again.

As for the hotel, I'd see no reason you shouldn't be able to keep your normal schedule as close as possible. Ideally, you'll have a hotel room that's a suite with a door to shut between rooms, but we managed in a small room on a trip with our 18 month-old son by laying in bed with him while he rested. For a few days, it worked out well.

We have made several trips that were 1400 miles back home. Almost two full days!
1) keep a couple of bags of toys. Switch out when the get bored
2) music helped some
3) we did a lot of the driving at night, so they slept a lot too!
4) keep easy snacks where the kids can reach them - only a few at a time!
5) we stopped at parks to eat, so the kids got to play and mom and dad got to stretch our legs
6) when we stopped for potty breaks, they also changed seats - they felt like it was different

take Tylenol - for mom and dad!

You can put on the DVD with something other than movies. We bought some great childrens music videos at the chrsitian bookshop and my girls (2 and 4) watched it for 3 straight hours over and over again.

We also travel a lot, so here is what I do:
- stickers work great
- go to the dollar store and buy a few knick knacks and prepare a "surprise bag" for each one of them and bring out a surprise every now and then.
- drawing
- for the older one, i take magazines and sissors and we "find things to cut out"

hope this helps!

we don't let our daughter watch tv too much at home either... but I have to say we let her watch movies on long car trips and it's literally the only thing that keeps her entertained the whole time. we dont turn it on until she begins to get fussy though. But this is seriously one instance where I'm all about tv for her.

The schedule for sure is going to be out the window. just hope they sleep in the car.

most hotels have cribs but you have to call ahead and ask for them. once my daughter hit the age where she was past using a crib and we were travelling---we either let her sleep with us (which we do not do at home either) or we had her sleep on the pull out couch in the hotel. Or you can buy one of those inflatable sleeping bag bed things (sold at target and walmart and places like that). My MIL bought one for my daughter and it's like her own little personal bed. I think they're like $20 or something like that. All you have to do is inflate it and it comes with a little handpump, pillow, and sleeping bag that is attached.

I agree a DVD is the easiest way, but there are other things too! I buy books of stickers and let the kids cover themselves, their car seats, etc. anything they can reach. Also a water doodle board lets them scribble without you having to worry about pen/pencil marks. You could also play I Spy, make it real easy like "I spy something blue...it's the sky!" or "I spy a little girl with curly hair, it's you!" Singing songs and telling stories could also buy you half an hour or so....
If you are concerned with how much energy it'll take to keep them entertained while you are driving the 6-7 hours, then I think DVD player is the way to go, but with two kids, you'd need two players!?

Check the archives for some good tips on this topic.

i take my children on car trips every 3 months or so to visit family and the drive is 8 hrs. i do have a dvd player but i also bring the following to keep them occupied. a coloring book with the 1 marker that does all the colors, the write and erase (like an exerscetch), favorite blanket, favorite stuffed animal, 2 tranformers for my son and a barbie for my daughter. all the toys plus snacks usually works for me. good luck and have fun.