ROAD TRIP TIPS WITH 2 UNDER 2
Normally we would never consider a road trip but due to the pandemic that we are on our first road trip was done back in May when Michael was 16 months old and Apollos just 8 weeks old. I was a little nervous but to our surprise, it was a lot easier than we thought it would be. Below I am sharing tips and products that help us in making the ride as enjoyable as possible.
ROAD TRIP TIPS WITH 2 UNDER 2
1. Time of Departure - this was extremely critical for our 15 hour road trip to Florida, but for both of our road trips we left around the same time…right before bedtime (5/6pm). After 4 drives we noticed this makes all the difference.
2. DVD’s - this was really nice to have on during our 15 hour road trip, we didn’t really need it for the 6 hour trip, but it was nice to have on hand.
3. Sound Machine. Michael normally goes to bed at 7pm every night but because it gets dark out later in the day, it was harder for him to fall asleep. So around 8:30pm, when the sun set, I cut on the sound machine, handed him his blanket and it was smooth sailing from there.
4. Have a Bag ready and on hand with car necessitates and sleep essentials for when you arrive. For us it was bottles, diapers, formula, wipes, blankets, baby monitors, cameras, and sound machine.
5. The Arrival - don’t over think it. When you arrive, make it fun for your toddler, smile, sing, etc. This will buy you time while you unload the car and set up their sleep situation. Once it is all set up your toddler should be sleepy again making going back to sleep a lot easier. Try to keep your infant in their carseat and lights dim for an easy transfer.
Additional Tips :
On our 15-hour road trip, it was ok driving through the night because when we arrived at 5 am my parents were able to care for the babies while we rested, but on the way back we knew we weren’t going to have this help so we really coordinated taking turns driving to make sure when we got home one of us could rest for 3-4 hours.
For Michael’s pack and play we brought sheets from home so that it would be a little more familiar and it worked, he thoroughly enjoyed sleeping and napping in his pack and play.
Bring a bottle washer…it makes all the difference and cuts down so much time! I’ve linked the one I have down below.
MUST HAVE PRODUCTS
