I know this has been done a million times

[brooklyn]

But give me your best car travel with toddler tips!

We are embarking on a 5+ hour drive to PA tomorrow, with a toddler who has never spent more than 30 minutes in a car at any given time. Who is recovering from a stomach bug (no puke today thankfully). And I still routinely get car sick. Ugh.

I'm packing tons of drinks and snacks, and hoping I can find our portable DVD player and headphones. And bringing our etch a sketch thing and coloring supplies.

Any other tips?

[Deleted]

Can you leave tonight at bedtime instead? Ben is best in the car when he's sleeping and he won't wear headphones. I just took two train rides with him this weekend and in two hours he ate three fruit snacks, a thing of goldfish and a thing of Animal Crackers. I also bought him a new book. I basically plied him with snacks and books so he wouldn't whine the whole time.

[jessnpaul]

Travel overnight or during nap if you can?

[namasteak]

-Leave during a nap
-tons of snacks
-use an overnight diaper
-stop after a few hours to get some wiggles out

[namasteak]

I wouldn't bother with the headphones unless he is used to them. Yes kids programming is annoying but it's less annoying than whining.

[dcn]

We let Ds watch as much tv/movies as he wants on the iPad and cross our fingers he naps. A stop halfway through to let him get out and run around for awhile may help break up the trip for everyone.

If you stop to eat don't expect he will want to sit.

[brooklyn]

We're leaving tomorrow right before naptime. My dad is driving back tonight to pick us all up, so I don't have control over when we travel unfortunately.


Aaaaand Jack just puked all over again

[hermione]

Do you have a tablet or phone you can load up with games?

[jeaniebueller]

Leave before nap time, bring a DVD player. 5 hours is nothing.

Ugh, just read he is still puking. Do you really have to go?

[brooklyn]

He's pretty good about wearing headphones, thankfully, since he likes copying H, who wears them to play video games. He asks to wear them around the house all the time.

My dad is a curmudgeonly jerk, and doesn't like kid noise in the car, so this ride will be a blast. I always tried to sleep through the whole ride as a kid.

[brooklyn]

It's my uncle's funeral, and we're pretty much his only family, so I can't get out of it. I tried yesterday, when we were having transportation issues, and my dad decided to drive back and get us.

[brooklyn]

We'll definitely be stopping at lots of rest stops to stretch.

[jeaniebueller]

Sept 28, 2015 12:29:38 GMT -5 brooklyn said:

It's my uncle's funeral, and we're pretty much his only family, so I can't get out of it. I tried yesterday, when we were having transportation issues, and my dad decided to drive back and get us.

But if he's puking.....? If there will be a lot of elderly people there, it would really not be a good mood to expose everyone to a stomach virus. I am sorry you have to deal with this on top of losing your uncle (hug)

[brooklyn]

Sept 28, 2015 12:33:57 GMT -5 jeaniebueller said:

Sept 28, 2015 12:29:38 GMT -5 brooklyn said:

It's my uncle's funeral, and we're pretty much his only family, so I can't get out of it. I tried yesterday, when we were having transportation issues, and my dad decided to drive back and get us.

But if he's puking.....? If there will be a lot of elderly people there, it would really not be a good mood to expose everyone to a stomach virus. I am sorry you have to deal with this on top of losing your uncle (hug)

I know it's definitely not an ideal situation. Took him to the pedi this morning, and the dr says it's not really a stomach bug, just a cold and bad coughing up of phlegm, it just feels like a bug since I'm constantly cleaning up puke.

If it makes a difference, there won't be any elderly there. My uncle was 45 and doesn't have many living friends. It will basically be about 10 family members plus me and Jack at this thing.

My super helpful mom is going, so I'll actually have more help with J there than if I would staying home with him.

[brooklyn]

I used to puke the whole ride there and back, so my family is used to puke smelling car rides at least, lol.

Can I sneak alcohol into my travel mug?

[lilac05]

For the puking, take a big coffee container with a lid on it. Line it with a trash bag. Have extra bags with you. If he gets sick, (try to) catch it in the container, close the lid, and throw out the bag at the next stop.

I take a bunch of toys and books. I start with OK toys (that they like, but don't love) and then save the favorite toys and electronics for later in the trip. I've always got the iPad along, but have never had to use it using that trick. Both boys love the mini magnadoodles that you can get at Dollar Tree. Lots of snacks. I set a timer for 30 minutes (or more, depending on length of the trip & what they're eating), and they can get a snack when the timer goes off...but don't ask for it before. That saved my sanity!

[kershnic]

We usually try to drive in the evening, but nap time is second best. Lots of clothes, towels, and maybe even a plastic tablecloth type thing for a puke catching cape? Gross but less gross than cleaning the car seat, ha. Snacks if they don't cause more puking. And mostly just grit your teeth and get through it. Your dad doesn't get to insist you bring a puking kid and have an issue with toddler noise. He chose to do this so don't let him get to yiu.

[fortnightlily]

Definitely take motion-sickness medicine for yourself. I get carsick too, and having to focus on the toddler makes it so much worse than when I'm allowed to just stare out the window/sleep.