Traveling on a Long Car Ride with an Infant
How to Make the Trip Bearable for All Involved
Traveling with a baby can be a challenge, but proper planning and packing can make things go as smoothly as possible. It would be great if all babies would just sleep the entire trip, but if the trip is going to be more than a few hours, that is obviously impossible. The first item for consideration is packing. Make sure that you pack many, varied toys for the car. When your baby gets tired of one toy, switch it out with a new one. You might even consider purchasing a couple brand new toys for the journey. Also, pack CDs or other musical items for your baby to listen to while riding. Never offer your baby snacks while riding in the car. While these many keep him occupied, eating in the car is a choking hazard, as you would not be able to get your baby out of the carseat quickly enough to release a lodged object from his throat.
It is also important that you come to terms with the fact that you WILL be making additional stops along the way. If you are used to marathon road trips where you don't stop for hours on end, you'll have to rethink your philosophy a bit. Your baby will need the chance to stretch, enjoy a change of scenery, get a diaper change, and to eat and drink. It might even be helpful to locate options for stopping such as rest stops or major cities on the map before your trip.
Next, invest in a car mirror so you can see your child. If your baby is less than 1 year old and 20 pounds, she will still be rear-facing. Having a car mirror is fun for your baby, and it also helps set your mind at ease. You can see your child easily and will better be able to tell if it is time to make a stop.
Remember that you can still interact with your child in the car, even if he is rear-facing. Singing songs, turning around for games of peek-a-boo, and just talking with your baby all lets her know that you are still there and that things are okay.
Finally, make sure that you dress your child comfortably and lightly for a long car ride. Even if it is very cold outside, warm the car up ahead of time and dress your child in a comfortable sleeper or cotton shirt and pants. Wearing bulky or binding clothes makes for an uncomfortable ride for anyone.
While preparing for a long road trip with a baby can be somewhat overwhelming, traveling with your infant can be successful and enjoyable. Try these tips to enjoy your next long car ride with your little one.
Published by Emily Harmon - Featured Contributor in Lifestyle
I am a happily married mom of a preschool aged boy and infant girl. I work full time in the education/library field and part time as a crafter/artisan. View profile
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4 Comments
Post a Commentyes entertaining your child may be difficult without extra an extra pair of hands. My child is exculsively breast fed and I decided to bring alonga breast pump so I could pump and my husband drive. I also prefer not to give bottles so realistically we needed to stop at least twice to feed. My two year old is the hardest to entertain. We travel late evening and find it easier on us to not have to stop to exercise his legs every hour. We traveled to mexico when my first son was five months... it was fine we just had to be prepared and nurse on the take off and landings. I DONT RECOMMEND SWITCHING TO FORMULA JUST TO MAKE TRAVEL EASIER. YOUR CHILD WILL HAVE AN UPSET TUMMY AND CRY CONSTANTLY. Breastfeeding is a long commitment but so is motherhood and with both my children I wouldnt dare stop before each of them reached their first borthdays.
DON'T TRAVEL WITH KIDS IT SUCKS
My husband and I live in Indiana with our 6mounth old daughter. We just got through talking a car trip to Dallas, TX. I was very nervous for a long time about the whole idea about travaling with an infant but once it was all said and done everything with great. Our daughter is bottle fed with the powder formula. That made things alot easier. We made sure that we had enough bottles already full of water so that when it came time to feed all we had to so was add the powder. We made extra stops, like when she got really fussy so that she could stretch and stoped half way through the night. We made sure that we brought plenty of toys to keep her bussy. She did sleep alot of the way, but was also awake quit a bit. She got fussy sometimes but i sat in the back most of the way and played with her. She did pretty good and i would so it agin in a heart beat. SO DON'T BE SO NERVOUSE THINGS WILL GO FINE.....somethims you hav just got to get away!!
If your baby is younger than 1 year it is a lot easier to travel if you have someone else with you so if you need to you can sit in the back with the baby and keep him or her intertained!