Any tips for driving witha 1 y.o?

[NUHuskies#1]

Hi Moms and Dads-

Posted over the transportation board but thought I'd try here too. Need some advice with keeping 1 y.o. happy during our long drive. Older boys will be fine with dvds,cds and gameboys, but the little one Im not so sure about and he does scream the loudest! Anyway, I thought about some books with sensory stuff, like sounds and touch but I was looking for some other ideas. He loves Barney and Sesame Street and was wondering if we should invest in a portable dvd player and a few dvds of Barney and Sesame Street. He did very well flying but we're just not going to be able to do that this trip. Other family members going that will not fly. TIA

 

[bartleby1]

I would HIGHLY recommend a dvd player if you can swing it. On one of our trips, my DS was 13.5 months old and I had a hard time finding things to keep him busy in the car. One thing he did enjoy was his little people and a few little people vehicles. We bought him a tray that strapped under the carseat so he had a surface to drive his cars on. It was great for snacks too.

But, when he got REALLY buggy, barney on the dvd player saved us! Especially after it got dark and there was nothing else he could see or do.

 

[mistaroo]

We just drove 14.5 hours each way with a 2.5 yr old and a 12 month old. We travelled during the day and found our 12 month old took a morning and afternoon nap which was unusual as he is down to just one nap most days. I guess the car helped him sleep more- no complaints from me. My 12 month old is also still rear-facing so my DH sat in the seat behind him in the back of the minivan and played peek-a-boo when DS needed extra amusing.They all enjoyed it and my 2 yr old delighted in making my 12 mo old laugh. I swear the boys (and DH!) laughed their way to FL.

We also bought a couple small, inexpensive brand new toys. The boys didn't even see them until we were in the car for a number of hours. The favorite was a $4 "cell phone" cheerios dispenser. You don't need anything fancy, an item from the dollar store does the trick, as long as the item is new and different. The novelty of the new toys amused the little ones for miles and miles (and through meal and meals)

We have one portable dvd player that we didn't use much on the way down. It was a lifesaver and great distraction on the way back though as my 2 yr old came down with a cold and wasn't feeling well. My 12 month old couldn't even see it but then again, he is just not into watching tv or videos, etc.

Good luck! Have a great trip.

 

[Desnik]

Isn't the baby still in a rear facing car seat?
When we drove down with DS when he was 1 we had tv's in each headrest(we also have a 7yo who was 6 at the time)we were able to use that mirror with the suction to put on the rear window. You know the one you use for the driver to be able to see the baby in a rear facing carseat? Anyway, we were able to angle it so that DS could see the tv from it! This worked great and kept him quiet. He also took alot of naps. We bought him "little people" toys he liked holding.

If the baby is facing foward then either way I would definately get a DVD player. It really is worth every penny and a life saver for long car trips! We like to bring long movies like Harry Potter, DS will watch anything DD does.

Good luck!

 

[rt2dz]

I don't know exactly how old your 1 year old is...22 months is soooo much different from 12 months... But mine wouldn't pay much attention to a tv until very recently (just turned 18 months) and then what he will pay attention to is exteremly limited. But that is child specific.

We always take several long drives (over the 3 hour range up to 24 hours) since the kids have been very little (4 months), and we find the very best thing we could do for them is stop often and let them out of the car. Rest stops with running/playing chase. Getting out for every meal. (And driving like nuts when they are/were sleeping. We leave at night for that reason alone.) It may add time to the trip, but it makes the trip so much more pleasant and feel shorter.

While in the car, you'd be amazed at how much time even a 1yo can spend happily playing with a magna doodle. Some other favorite toys and a few new ones from the dollar store also performs miracles.

 

[NUHuskies#1]

This is great! Just what I wanted to hear. Still getting use to having a baby/toddler again. Bring on more!

I definitely will pick up some "little people" stuff and the DVD player. Surprisingly, he is my most attentive child. The other two had the attention span of a flea but not him, he sits right down and doesn't let anything distract him away from his beloved Barney! Looking forward to visiting Barney at Universal Studios with him!

 

[mommystieg]

We drove this past June from Texas with a 6 month old. Going to WDW we drove straight through and we left here around 11:00 pm. It worked really well since we could get 8-9 hours of uninterrupted driving. Once the kids were awake we stopped about every 3 hours and got out of the car.

 

[kimatigger]

We are also driving from NJ with a 2.5 year old and a 13 month old. We plan on leaving after dinner and putting the kids in their pajamas. They will probably fall asleep an hour or 2 into the trip. I figure by the time they wake up we can change them and eat breakfast and continue the rest of the way. We have a DVD player and I plan on bringing some new cheapie toys for them. I found a great toddler tray and table on ebay for my 2.5 year old so he can use his mess free color wonder. I hope it all works out like I think it will.LOL