Need help, driving with 8mo, getting nervous!!

[Desnik]

Hi everyone!
We have driven to WDW 5 times already and DD 5yo is so use to it. Even at 8mo she didn't give us a problem. Now my DS is another story. He will be 8mo for our trip and whenever he is in the car for a long time he starts getting really cranky. We do have a DVD player in the car, but he is still in a rear facing car seat.(he was really sick at 4mo and is now only 12lbs) I know how to keep DD happy. We plan to drive about 10-12hrs the first day, then stop overnight. How will I keep him happy for such a long time? Any suggestions?
TIA

 

[homeschooler]

how you can keep a 5 year old happy that long. I would be so sore. Oh well, I digress.

I am sure I will get a lot of flack on this but I would strongly suggest a very VERY low dose of tylenol. For whatever reason, it seems to take a nervous edge off. I am NOT talking enough to make him sleep or even dopey, just a little mellower.

Other than that, I would try to sit in the back or when I am driving DH to talk with him, play, etc.

Good luck and have fun.

 

[momofmikey]

Would you consider driving throught the night? This is what we did our last trip with our then 1 yo, and we'll be doing it again next month with our now almost 3 yo and 8 month old. We're leaving from Long Island around 7 at night and planning on driving straight. We left last trip 7:30 at night, and got to Disney around 4 the next afternoon. It was hard (will be even worse this time with 2), but it's the only way we think we can do it. The kids should sleep in the car, and you can get 10 hours or so of solid driving. My DH and I just switch off, and drink lots of soda and coffee. We'll stop when the kids need a break, and I'll bring stuff for them to do. There's a cute remote control driving gadget for the carseat I saw on the etoys website which I might get for my younger son. It makes noise and is bright and colorful.

Good Luck!

 

[disneysteve]

We drove with our 5-1/2 month old daughter. We have a minivan. What we did was take out the middle row of seats and cut a scrap of carpet to pad the floor. At each rest stop, we let her roll around and play for a bit. We also brought along her Exersaucer and put her in that at rest stops.

I think if you play music, sing, talk, etc. and take frequent breaks, you'll be fine.

Our DD is 8 now and we'll be driving down for her 10th trip in a couple of weeks.

Steve

 

[Ratpack]

We drove down this past summer with DS 5 months and was worried as well. We also have a mini van with built in VCR and TV so DD 5 is fine but DS is turned the other way. What we did was put DD in the back seat and then DS in the middle seat. Then when he would get fussy, DW would move back there with him and play and talk to him. Usually kept him occupied for an hour or so before fussy again. Then we would just stop somewhere for a little while and get him out of the van. We also tried to schedule driving around nap time. We knew he usually went down for a nap at 10 am, so that is when we planned to leave and we were able to get a good 2-3 hours on the road before we started the process.

 

[susy]

I wouldn't drive all night, but what about leaving at 4am? If you can transport the baby (asleep) to the car, you will be fine. Have a bottle nearby just in case. If you can do the same with your DD that would be great. Hopefully the kids will sleep for a few hours while you make really good time on the road. When the baby wakes up keep driving for an hour or so, then stop and have breakfast. Then back in the car. Hopefully the baby will keep to his regular nap schedule.

 

[Desnik]

First of all thank you to all who replied!!

homeschooler: DD is so great on car trips. She is content drawing, coloring, watching a movie. She has been going on long road trips since she was born and has always been great! I won't give you any flack on your suggestion of Tylenol!! If he gets to an uncontrolable point then I would do it.

momofmikey: I would drive through the night if it was just hubby and I. We did this once when my MIL came with us and it was ok because of the extra driver and I was taking care of our DD, 9mo at the time. But, we were all so tired the day we arrived. It took us another whole day to get back to normal!! Also with a 5yo who will need numerous potty breaks, I just don't feel safe stopping at those rest stops in the middle of the night.

disneysteve: Great advice, but we have a car, no minivan.

ratpack: Thanks for the advice and I will probably spen alot of time in the back seat!!

susy: Leaving that early sounds like a good idea! We might try that.

 

[ahutton]

I've given my DDs a small touch of Benadryl when we've flown, it tends to make them sleepy, and helps with touches of motion sickness. I've also used a bit of Tylenol to help with the leg aches that come with holding still for too long. Our 2nd DD had terrible reflux, so riding in the car was always a bad trip for her. It was just a bad position for things to back up in her stomach, and once a reflux reaction started they continue for a while and are very uncomfortable.

Too fight boredom I've done lots of singing and reading to my girls. And ironically, if I can get 1st DD to sing to her sister, she is way more interested than if I'm involved. Also, maybe books on tape, Wiggles tapes/CDs, anything that he may enjoy. What about a mirror that will let him see the videos? I've seen them placed so you can see them by looking in your mirror, maybe get down low and see if you can line that up? Taking off our shoes and socks is also a big game.

 

[disneymom3]

We have done the drive from MN with a baby who was just over 12 months, but still rear facing--I advocate keeping them that way for as long as possible (He just turned around at 2) We had lots of stuff that could either suction cup to the window--there is a fun one I think is by Tiny Love--check your local right start store--things that hung from the hanger hook thingie, toys that strapped onto the carseat and some of those toys, mirrors etc that are made to hang over the seat where one would normally rest one's back.

We also kept plenty of bottles and baby appropriate snacks on hand. He was still drinking a warm bottle when going to sleep, so I got a travel bottle heater that plugged into the cigarette lighter. And we did travel through the night and he slept most of the way through to the other side of Illinois. We did have a few screaming back arching hysterical tantrums after rest stops, but most of the time they really seemed to help him face the next leg of the journey.