ROADTRIPPING WITH A LITTLE
We decided to take our first long roadtrip with Emilie when she was just over 10 months old- a 10 hour drive to Florida (during covid). We learned a few things and have suggestions for those of you who are starting to travel and are deciding to go by car.
What Time Should You Travel?
We did an early wake up (4am) and got on the road. Consider what works best for you for driving, because we do not enjoy driving when we are tired or in the dark. By starting off before sunrise, we only drove in the dark for a little bit.
We also factored in that overnight sleep helps our baby more than naps, she gets better sleep at night. We also wanted her routine to kick back in when we got there, which meant arriving well before her 7pm bedtime.
How Often Should You Stop?
Our longest stretch was about 3 hours. While as a adults we can go much longer, the baby could not. We would do a diaper change, get some fresh air and a snack.
Going back into the carseat after a stop was not easy, but it had to be done.
What snacks are necessary?
We had a small cooler just for Emilie. It had water, milk, a bottle, small snacks and her bento box of lunch. Small snacks were cheerios and a few food pouches. She hasn't figured out how to eat the pouches, but she loves the taste. We prepared her Bento Box with a small pre-cut up lunch for her (watermelon, blueberries, chicken, carrots). While we stopped to eat lunch, we would pull out her meal.
CAR SEATS MATTER
Proper Car Seat installation & use is always the most important. And on a long car ride, we wanted to make sure she was comfortable to fall asleep. Do not clip anything onto the car seat or add any pillows/blankets. If you are unsure about car seat installation or use, please seek a certified car seat specialist.
What toys did we give her?
We are careful to not have books or any 'hard toys' in the back seat. This is in case we hit a large bump or have an accident, we do not want additional items to fly around in the back seat. We stick to softer items for her to play with. This scarf has been perfect for long rides.
What else do we have in the car?
This mirror helps us during travel to see into the back seat to her rear facing car seat. There are a lot of options, including cameras that you can put up there. We also have window shades in the back to keep things cool, because our back seat does not get much air flow.
What if there is no where to stop and eat?
Unfortunately during the pandemic, a lot of areas do not have dining and everything is To Go. We would set this chair up with the tray to let Emilie eat her lunch. She does better with a tray and sitting on her own, rather than making a mess sitting in one of our laps.
What needs to be easily accessible?
Anything you'd keep in your diaper bag for a day out.
Diapers, wipes, changing pad (we did not take her into restrooms, and instead we changed her on the back seat)
2 changes of clothes & shopping bag for if they need it (which we did)
Sound Machine or Music to play
Hand sanitizer
Hope this inspires you to take that trip with your little.