Driving with active 14 month old

[LSUmiss]

Any tips for driving to WDW with an active 14 mo old that doesn’t really love being in the car & doesn’t nap much? Driving overnight is not an option b/c we are afraid he won’t sleep. He doesn’t sleep in the car much at all...30 min if we are lucky so we won’t gambles trying to drive at night. We are breaking up the drive in 2 days so we only have to get through about 4 hours each day. He’s not big on videos or movies either. Will watch for maybe 20 min & then he’s done & wants out. His favorite hobby is walking around so any time he spends in the car cuts in to that lol. So we figure we’ll stop a lot & change beteeen videos & toys. Anyone have any tips for a similar situation that I haven’t thought of?

 

[MadMadamMim1]

Best tip I have is to take him to a playground before you leave and at lunch break. Wear him out!
Also I always make sure I have new toys and books in the car. They always get excited and are more interested when something is new!

 

[LSUmiss]

Best tip I have is to take him to a playground before you leave and at lunch break. Wear him out!
Also I always make sure I have new toys and books in the car. They always get excited and are more interested when something is new!

Good idea! I was thinking of leaving right at his usual nap time but wearing him out more than usual first is a good idea. I’d also planned the new toy thing.

 

[Bjkandma]

Stop every two hours for a break. Take a ball and bubbles. We used to do this, and one stayed with toddler, while other used restroom or went for "peaceful stroll" just a few minutes than switched. That little break does wonders for them. They get to stretch their legs and run after ball, just make sure it's a rest area. (This was recommended to us 30 years ago and we now do it with grand kids.

In the car, is there any music that toddler likes. You can borrow from library. Tom Chapin? (Any toddler music will do)

Any toys or "cuddly" needs to be brought. Add a few books or the "color wonder" or little magic books. They come with one "marker" and paint\color picture. My 2 year old granddaughter loves these.

 

[LongLiveRafiki]

My DD was that age when we moved across country. It was a 46.5 hr drive and we stupidly didn't splurge for a hotel. She did sleep for some of it thankfully, but whenever she was getting restless, one of us would sit in the back with her. We read her stories and had her point out the dog, etc. I also had made a small I Spy Bottle that she enjoyed playing with and using as a noise maker. We liked the Water Wow books because we didn't have to worry about her leaving a cap off and a marker drying out like with the Color Wonder. She had a stuffed animal that had a zipper, snap, button, and shoelace made for little ones to practice on and that kept her entertained here and there. I also had a sticker book that I brought out towards the end of the trip when all other entertainment had worn off. She couldn't get the stickers off herself, so I sat back with her and handed them to her (probably for the best so stickers didn't end up everywhere), and she enjoyed putting them in the same exact spot on a paper, probably 100 stickers high. We also had loads of snacks and bribed her with one whenever we had to get back in the car after a rest stop.

Good luck.

 

[Caseheidi]

When we did this, I had a new tow to unwrap (like presents) for every 30 minutes or so. Most were purchased at the dollar store. This gave DD something new around the time she got bored with the last item. Stickers were a huge hit, as well as one of those magnetic drawing boards.

I also second the planned stops to run off some energy. I found kid friendly stops every 90 minutes to two hours. Sometimes just a local park with a playground. Did wonders for us all.

 

[YesterDark]

Whiskey.

 

[LSUmiss]

Thanks for all the ideas. We planned to stop every hr b/c we aren’t on a schedule. Love the sticker ideas b/c he usually doesn’t have that now b/c of the potential mess.

 

[Betty Rohrer]

Thanks for all the ideas. We planned to stop every hr b/c we aren’t on a schedule. Love the sticker ideas b/c he usually doesn’t have that now b/c of the potential mess.

look for the color books that use the special pen to color with. they were the best thing when our kids were young and grandkids love now. if you are traveling during hot weather watch crayons fall in sides of carseat and melting during stops. ps bring a towel to cover carseat during stops so sun doesn't shine on the buckles

 

[stephk1981]

We have about a 3 hour 20 minute drive down to WDW. I had hoped our DD1 would do better this time around( last trip was at almost 16 months, now she is 20 months.) We left this morning...yay!!!!!.......at 6:30 a.m. and finally arrived about 11:30. My DD can unbuckle her car seat harness now, so I have to sit in the back with her. We play peek a boo, read books, ...watch Minnie bow-tique for 5 minutes at a time.....but we have still had to pull over every 45 minutes!!!! Torture, so I think 4 hours a day is a good expectation. I hope it goes well for you all, if you find a magical solution, let me know too. Have an amazing trip,!

 

[la79al]

Be careful with too many stops. Sometimes going back into the car is worse than just toughing through it. Get some toddler movement songs on CD (we have some Wee Sing CDs that are very popular with ours) and plan on riding next to him. Mom or dad being goofy to music should buy you some time. Plan your snacks carefully. Something that is 'trickier' for him to eat will buy you some time.