All about a Mummy
  • Blog
    • About This Blog
    • Arts & Crafts
    • Baby Stuff
    • Book Club
    • Competitions
    • Family
    • Health & Wellbeing
    • House & Home
    • Kids
    • Kitchen Creations
    • Mum Stuff
    • Out & About
    • Photography
    • Reviews
    • Seasonal
  • About Me
  • Work with me
  • Contact
  • Small Print
    • Privacy Notice

How To Have A Fun And Stress Free Road Trip With Baby

14/8/2018

9 Comments

 
Picture of baby's sandy foot with How to have a fun and stress free road trip with baby blog post title
So, you and your spouse are itching to have a fun and exciting road trip! However, you have a little baby that you are afraid to take. How are you supposed to have a fun and stress free road trip with a baby? Well, I am here to tell you that it is possible to have a great road trip even if you think the baby might ruin your fun.

What Not To Do On A Road Trip With A Baby

This past summer my husband and I drove two states away (about 14 hours) to go to my sister’s wedding. We had to bring all three of our children and the oldest is only four. We really tried to find the best way to drive that far away without going crazy. We decided that the best idea was to drive through the night.

This plan, as expected, backfired. My kids didn’t sleep when they were supposed to sleep. At least one child was crying at all times. So, by the time we got to our destination all of us were exhausted. When we got to the location, we didn’t have time to sleep and so the entire trip was a complete exhausted fog.

The next road trip that we take we refuse to try to drive through the night and we also will avoid driving 14 hours straight! It was just too much, the kids didn’t sleep, both my husband and I were cranky, and I wasn’t able to have as much fun as I could have had.

7 Tips On How To Have A Fun And Stress Free Road Trip With A Baby

Picture of baby in car seat with pacifier and blanket
Road trips can be so much fun. Not only are you getting to drive to your destination, but you can have so much fun along the way. You get to listen to music, eat junk food, stop at random places you see on the road, and then you get to enjoy the Earth’s true beauty. However, road trips can change dramatically when you have a baby passenger, but you can still have fun! Remember to make sure you pack everything you need for your trip and if you are doing lots of sightseeing check out this stroller to keep baby comfortable and happy!

1. Bottle Feed Your Baby During The Trip
The number one reason for making multiple stops during a road trip with a baby is having to feed your little one. Some babies need to eat every two hours and so you will not be wanting to stop every two hours to feed the babes. The best thing you can do is to bottle feed your baby while driving. Therefore, you don’t have to stop every couple of hours.

2. Sit Back With Baby
Make sure that somebody is sitting back with the baby. A lot of babies don’t like their carseats, because it means that they have to be retrained and they don’t get much social interaction. If an adult (or older child) sits back with the baby then they can entertain them when they get sad, or hand them their binki when they lose the pacifier.

3. Don’t Drive Long Hours
Plan to make stops. Our biggest mistake with our road trip was that we drove 14 hours straight without stopping to get out (except for gas). We should have split the trip up in two parts, so that the baby would have had time to roll around and be snuggled by his mama. It would have made a much more successful trip.

4. Drive During Nap Times
Work with your baby’s naps. Everybody will be happier, including baby, if you plan the biggest drive times during their nap times. If your baby typically sleeps from noon to 3:00 then make sure you are driving during that time. Most babies tend to be very upset if they are wide awake and ready to play, but they are just stuck in their harness.

5. Remember Baby Toys
We accidently forgot to bring my son’s toys on our road trip. All we had was one rattle. The rattle only kept his attention for about thirty minutes and then he wanted something different. We tried to hand him random things around the car with no luck. When you go on your road trip make sure that you have a lot of different toys for your baby to play with to keep their attention.

6. Be Organized
I know that it can be very stressful to keep everything organized while driving with a baby. It is even harder when you are trying to grab something really quickly, but you can’t find what you are looking for at that moment. If you get a backseat baby organizer you can avoid being overwhelmed by a screaming baby and not being able to find what you are looking for.

7. Purchase a Comfortable and Safe Car Seat
I am convinced that babies know the difference between comfortable and uncomfortable car seats. We took a road trip with my second child when he was young. We had a very simple and basic car seat, but he hated the harness. He cried every time we would strap him into the car.

We chose to go and purchase a new carseat that provided him with strap cushions, head cushions and even bottom cushions. He was not only safe, but he seemed incredibly comfortable. That was the first time that he would effortlessly sleep in the car. Car trips were much more enjoyable and stress free.

Conclusion
It is very overwhelming to go on a trip with a little baby, but that shouldn’t stop you from going on your vacations. Although you may need to plan the trip a little more than you once had to do, that shouldn’t stop you from exploring this world! So, pack up that baby in their carseat, pack up the baby gear and go on a road trip!

About the Author
Picture
Hi! My name is Veronica Mitchell. I am a mother to two adorable little girls and a handsome little boy. I spend my days caring from my children, packing lunches, reading aloud, kissing boo-boos, and working as an Editor of Myparentingjourney.com
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/veronicamitchell_mpj/
Twitter: @Veronica_Mitch

How to have a fun and stressfree road trip with baby blog post
9 Comments
Helen
27/8/2018 08:47:09 am

Oo so many fantastic tips - we're off on holiday soon, so I'll certainly be remembering these! I've ended up sitting in the back so many times :)

Reply
Emma link
27/8/2018 09:06:30 am

Some great tips! Road trips with kids is so difficult, although we always break up the journey and not worry how long it takes to get there. Whether it’s a soft play or a run around a park, we always factor in some time for the kids to stretch their legs.

Reply
Marie Blake link
27/8/2018 11:22:58 am

I’m currently on a road trip with baby at the moment! She has just started getting cranky on journeys after she’s slept for a bit so we tend to get up really early and go then. I also sit in the back with her while my other half drives! Good tips

Reply
patirobins link
27/8/2018 05:12:23 pm

Those are fantastic tips , i once made a massive mistake of only taking 1 toy (thinking we can buy more when we get there ) it safe to say it was one of the hardest trips we ever took x

Reply
Lucy mackcracken link
27/8/2018 07:19:48 pm

Some great tips here. I also think it’s about knowing your baby best and going with what’s best for them and their routine. Like you found out your children aren’t good at travelling through the night however, that’s definitly best for us, just take it easy and try to adapt to your baby and the situation.

Reply
Emma link
27/8/2018 09:52:09 pm

We’ve done a few rod trips over the years and your tips are spot on. I’ve prviously had the misconception that driving through the night would be a great idea....big mistake!
Great tips

Reply
Melanie williams
28/8/2018 12:25:50 pm

Some top tips here. I think the most important is not to drive too long, as this can be a strain for all the family. also, being organised helps stay ahead of the game x

Reply
Jen link
29/8/2018 11:37:44 am

Great tips here. I think the key is to be organised. We went on a spontaneous long trip when our youngest was a baby and we were so disorganised!

Reply
Siobhan | The Baby Boat Diaries link
31/8/2018 08:33:22 pm

Some great tips here! I find on journeys we have to stop every 2 hours or so for the baby to feed and to give the toddler a chance to stretch her legs! Children get bored so easily! xxx

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Welcome!

    Artist, Baker and Blogger. Mum to my two beautiful, cheeky girls. Muddling my way through parenthood with equally cheeky Husband. 

    Picture
    Follow

      Newsletter

    Subscribe

    Categories

    All
    About This Blog
    Arts And Crafts
    Baby Stuff
    Book Club
    Competitions
    Family
    Health And Wellbeing
    House And Home
    Interviews
    Kids
    Kitchen Creations
    Mum Stuff
    Out And About
    Photography
    Pregnancy Diary
    Reviews
    Seasonal

    BritMums - Leading the Conversation
    mumsnet

    Archives

    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    August 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    August 2020
    June 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    December 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013

All images and content on this site are copyright allaboutamummy.co.uk 2013-2022. All rights reserved.
PRIVACY POLICY

Please do not use images without permission. Thank you.
  • Blog
    • About This Blog
    • Arts & Crafts
    • Baby Stuff
    • Book Club
    • Competitions
    • Family
    • Health & Wellbeing
    • House & Home
    • Kids
    • Kitchen Creations
    • Mum Stuff
    • Out & About
    • Photography
    • Reviews
    • Seasonal
  • About Me
  • Work with me
  • Contact
  • Small Print
    • Privacy Notice