Toddlers on the Road

I imagine the top question in all parents' mind when they hear about a family taking their 19 month old on the road trip is, "how did THAT go?" At least, that would be what I was thinking. Really, it wasn't all that bad. We had our moments, of course, but I'm not convinced that it was the driving that did it. More of the fact that he was so overstimulated and overtired. That's pretty unavoidable on a trip, especially for ten days. I'd still give him an A -, overall. And, yes, he was and is still rear facing.

Jeffrey is really good in the car, and he pretty much has been his entire life. He's never made a fuss about going for a ride. Before the trip, we'd taken him on 2-3 hour trips somewhat frequently, so it wasn't completely new. We also planned our entire trip around him riding in the car, starting each day around nap time. That way, at least two hours of driving time was him sleeping, which he's never had a problem with in the car. It worked perfectly. Most days, there was just 1-3 hours left on the road before getting there. We'd stop when he woke up, have a snack and let him romp around, and then get to our destination. We had two long driving days, but they were spread apart. The best part about this arrangement is that he got a definite nap each day, which all toddler moms know is absolutely crucial.

After sleep comes the toys. We were recommended to get a Magna Doodle. Oh My Goodness. You'd be a fool to travel without one. We got the large one, and Jeffrey loved it. It occupied at least fifty percent of his awake driving time, easily. He even used it when we weren't driving! Coming in second place is magnet letters and a cookie sheet. Such a simple idea, but he adored it. He was able to sort them, both on the cookie sheet and in/out of their box, along with learning letters and colors. Win-win. All other toys (books, some cars, his dinosaur, bugs, sophie, etc) got played with here and there, but those two toys were the clear winners. If I were to award a third place, it would go to the window. Watching all the eighteen wheelers go by? Not much is better to a 1.5 year old boy!

Whenever he got a little whiny, we had snacks on hand. They were easy to get to and easy for in the car. Fruit snacks were the go-to when nothing else works. Crackers, cheez-its, cheese sticks, raisins, and other miscellaneous foods that are easy to grab and go were all set up and ready to go. Overall, I can say with absolute certainty that I would take him on another road trip. It won't be anytime soon, mind you, but it will happen again.