17 Hr. Car Ride! Any Ideas to Keep 13 Month Old Occupied?

Hi K. M,

My name is D. and I totally know what you are talking about as far a long drive with a younger child. I have been traveling to Michigan from North Carolina off and on for about two years. My youngest is two now and he is a very busy boy! So i do the same with the dvd's and the music, and i also have a few toys that make him happy to have and play with anything that make noise helps keep him busy and make him laugh. I found something that was like a steering wheel that had light and a horn and music on it and he loved it. I also brought cars and I know you have a lil girl but girls like the way the car will roll around and she can push it while being in her sit. If I could have sat in the back with him I would have just to help keep him busy but lucky for me I have two older boys that would play with him. If she is talking maybe some flash cards with pic of animals on them will help pass time to by making the sound of the animal on the card and the name of it. Well I hope you have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving!

D. B

You are very brave! I had to take my 17 month old son on a long plane ride and it was very challenging. At least you can take breaks. Anyway, one thing I did that helped was stocking up on a ton of cheap toys at the Dollar Store. I must've bought 30 little toys so there was always something new to look at and explore. Another idea: We're not big fans of McDonalds, but on a long car trip, McDonald's (unfortunately) is a great place for breaks because the child can run around and play in the kid playground area. Good luck!

WOW- everyone has already covered everything I was going to suggest!!!!

One other suggestion for when she gets older- we bought one of those metal TV trays that have legs on them (the kind where the kid sits on the floor and the legs are just the right height). Then, we cut a piece of non-skid shelf liner to fit. My almost 4 year old daughter LOVES to have a desk to color on, eat on, etc. I guess the biggest concern is safety for this piece of metal on her lap, but boy, has that idea saved us many times!!!! It also cuts down on messes in the carseat and van, too. Any spills, drips, etc. are contained.

We will be travelling 6 hours for Thanksgiving and an 18 hour drive for Christmas. People think we're crazy for the long drive at Christmas, but have you priced airline tickets and rental car for a family of four, even with one ticket at 1/2 price????

Good luck and prayers to everyone travelling this holiday season!

When my son was small my ex-husband and I did many road trips. In fact we did one cross country and my son was 18 months old. This is before DVDs. Anyway, what I would suggest for you to do is take her favorite snacks and take a couple of breaks between the road trip. I know this will be during the evening hours but, when you stop off for gas and she is awake take her for a walk, it will do wonders. Make it an adventure. Sometimes you will have to sit in the back seat with her in order to keep her attention when she gets fussy. Remember to make it fun for her. Think of road games during the hours she is awake. The worst part will be when she gets tire of sitting. Keep in mind she is little and being restrained is a challenged. Start learning road songs. I don't know how her vocabulary is so keep that in mind as well. Word of caution DO NOT GIVE HER CHOCOLATE (m&m's, candy bars)Being in the back seat will cause her to throw up. I made that mistake with my son and we had to stop in Colorado over night to wait out the upset stomach. NOT FUN. If you can while driving the long road. Make a pallette for her so when she gets sleepy she can lay down. I know you want to keep her in the car seat but make sure she can stretch out. I did this for my son while traveling cross country. (Washington state to Viriginia). This is why you are sitting in the back seat with her. You your judgement. 17 hours is long and even if you want to get there quickly, remember that she is learning to travel. I know it is late now but, practice on taking her to small road trips. 1 hour than 2 and so on. She will learn to be a good traveler. My son was an excellent traveler. We began when he we 2 weeks old. GOOD LUCK! and be patient.

K.,
We travel a lot with our two girls, ages 3 1/2 and 17 months, including long road trips. This summer we drove from NC to Michigan (about 18 hours). We did it over two days to break it up. I packed a cooler of lunch and snack items and we stopped at rest areas for a picnic. That gave the girls more room and ability to run around than stopping at a restaurant. We take DVD's. The "Baby Songs" videos are good because they are full of music that she can do actions to and are appropriate for a 13 month old. Kid music. New toys- bring one out at a time as a new surprise. Snacks, snacks and more snacks. Be prepared to play a lot of peek a boo or patty cake and singing Itsy Bitsy Spider. And be prepared to be flexible with your travel schedule. Obviously, you want to get off the road as fast as possible, but sometimes the best thing is not to keep going but to stop and let her out of her carseat. Good luck!

PRAYER!!! Actually it shouldn't be too bad. I would definitely plan to make extra stops so that she can get out and stretch her legs so that the crankiness will not set in. Having DVDs in the car is such a great feature and I am not sure how I as a kid ever survived without this awesome gadget, so that will definitely help. Other than that, stock up on her favorite toys and have them very accessible to either you or your husband so when gets tired of one thing she can be handed another toy. I would also consider buying a couple new toys, and bring them out after the first half of the trip, she will be excited to see the new toy and it might make things go a little smoother. Good luck and have a safe trip.

Kim, My prayers are with you. I hate the vehicle time. You never know how the kids are going to act. We recently took a 12 hour trip. Just me and my 2 children. I was really worried because being by myself I couldn't help entertain them.
Leaving at night is VERY wise. She should sleep most of the way. Remember to have your inlaws lined up when you get there because mommy and daddy are going to need a few hours sleep and she is going to be ready to play. Take her a few toys and music. The more you stop and get her out the more she is going to want out. My 4 year old does great in the car UNTIL the first stop. After that it is down hill. Besure to pack some snacks that she can eat in the car.
Good luck! and have a safe trip.
M.

Hi K.,

I know exactly what you're facing. I take my 2 boys (now 5 and 3 1/2) from Charlotte to Boston every year. They each made their first trip when they were 6 weeks old.

I buy them each a few new toys, something car friendly like a small magnadoodle, a new toy car (doll?), and a couple of new videos. If your child loves one particular kind of videos (Wiggles, Barney, whatever) a new video will take you a long way. I pack a few special snacks and a litle cup that I can give them a small portion of whatever they like (Goldfish, cereal, or ?). They can snack from easily in their car seat without make a huge mess. Then, whenever we stop for gas, I let them go in and look for a "prize". They may have to wait until later, or I may let them have a bite or two (if it's food), but they feel special because they got to pick out the crackers or whatever. Sometimes they get it right away or, if they forget about it, they may not get it at all! Then, it becomes a prize for another day and it served a dual purpose.

I usually don't let them play in the play yards at the fast food restaurants because, then, they don't want ot settle down and get back into a car seat. They're too wound up. Only you know whether that will work for you.

If you're streesed about it, she'll be stressed about it. Just know that it's going to be fine and you'll all have a great trip. Good luck!

You may want to try and remember to change her actual outfit, say, when she wakes up from that long nights' drive or in the morning when she is up and about her carseat more...she will probably actually feel refreshed and a change of clothing into her favorite outfit or one that's comfy, she'll be sure to love you for that! Happy travelin *

One thing that really helped us when driving 28 hours to Iowa was color wonder marker sets and secret suprise bag with little toys so everytime we had to stop once buckled back in they got to reach in the bag and pick 1 thing. Also we had a small TV we bought a car adapter for so they could watch movies. We also started our trip out at about supper time so then we would stop along the way for something to eat and put jammies on so we could start driving at night hence the little ones sleep. :)

Hi K.:
That is a long trip ! . My husband has family in mississippi so sometimes we drive to there. It is a 9hr drive. I have found that for the kids you need to pack lots of snacks, games, drinks, movies,blankets and patience. Travel at night so your daughter will sleep but also you need to plan on stoping for a while if she gets cranky. Stop long enough just for her to strech her legs and move a little. Sleeping in the car seat can be unconfortable and of course she might need a diaper change. Sometimes we plan our trips so we can stop along the way to visit friends and spend the night, rest and continue the trip. The kids enjoy visiting with friends too.
I hope this helps.
M.

Haha......apparently alot of us moms have done this before! So, I'm not going to tell you a bunch of stuff thats already been said, my only suggestion is to get a magnadoodle(they have travel size for small hands too!)My girls absolutely love theirs and it was a life-saver in the car. It's great because they can draw without you worrying about them drawing all over the backseat or losing crayons and freaking out about it. I think if you take half of the advice you've been given, you'll be okay!:) Good luck and Happy Thanksgiving!

My solution is one that is frowned upon quite often but here goes. Buy like 5 toys (inexpensive of course) and anytime she starts getting a little crazy whip one of those bad boys out and you should be set for a little bit. Thats my 2 cents and it has worked for me in the past and let me say my kids are not spoiled and they are very giving so I don't think it ruined them in any way but has saved my sanity!!!! Good luck!

Sounds like your doing ok, I would also get her a few car toys. They can get a little nerve racking but when it comes to having a screaming toddler or an annoying toy. I'll take they toy. Also take breaks before she gets to upset or out of control. Your daughters personality sounds so much like my 5 yr old. Good luck and hope you have a safe trip.

We take an 8 hour drive to visit our family in Florida alot and bought Sean the baby einstein cds to listen to in the car and he loves them,also have you thought about hanging toys on the bar of her carseat for to play with, might keep her entertained for awhile, or do you have a dvd player in the car, bring movies for her.Sorry couldnt think of anything else,have a good thanksgiving and a safe trip.

Pack more diapers than you think and when you think you have enough pack more also snack she likes but nothing too sugary or your going to have a crash and burn that could get ugly and make for a very bad trip.
You said that this will be a 17 hour drive and your plans are to drive straight thru? No way! For your sanity sake, your going to have to stop every few hours. To exercise the families legs and to allow a certain bundle of energy to expend itself. I flew from North Carolina to New Mexico with a 11 month old power ball. Nice thing about it is that there were several people around me who were patient with him and there was a grandma that didn't mind the holy terror toddling back forth between the seats.
Although I realize that you aren't flying remember that this trip is going to be an experiance that you will share with her as she gets older. And if you are a person of faith please pray before you get in the car for your trip.

We took a 14 hour car trip when my son was 12 months old, and again when he was 14 months old. It sounds like you're very well stocked for the trip, and leaving at night is a good idea. We also left at night and the one problem we had was when we finally decided to stop at a motel for a few hours sleep, the baby woke up wide awake and wanted to play!

Singing songs with hand motions (wheels on the bus) is good, bringing along toys they haven't seen before is a great idea, and taking turns in the back seat with the baby helped us as well. I also brought a baby blanket along and my son played peek-a-boo with us for nearly an hour. You'll probably have to stop more times than on your last trip for the baby to get out and run off some energy, so expect the trip may take several hours longer. Good places to stop are rest areas with grassy areas for her to run around in, or truck stops since they are full of interesting things to look at and little stuffed animals to let her pick out something new.

Oh, we also made 2 separate CDs for the car - music for baby to play to, (wiggles, muppets, etc.) and music to put Baby to sleep (lullabys).

The best part is when you get to your family's house, you and your husband can hand the baby over to excited grandparents and go to sleep. Good luck and have a great Thanksgiving.

We're going to be making a 10-hour trip come Christmas with our (then) 11-month old. He'll have toys and everything, but since he's still under a year, he'll be rear facing, so it will be hard to keep him fully entertained. Even though we'll be leaving during the night to go up (from the Charlotte area to the Buffalo area) we will be travelling back during the day.

He sleeps a lot in the car, but one thing we have found to work is sometimes I hop into the backseat with him. That way he has some company with him to chatter with and I play with him as daddy drives.

We LOVE the Baby Einstein DVD's!! That could be something to consider. It's not just a cartoon they're watching, they are learning, too. My son just goes nuts over them, and even has his favorite scenes where he just cracks up laughing.

Have a wonderful trip!!

My daughter is 4 now, however, we travel a 9 hour drive once a month or so since she was nine months. I make sure she has her favorite toys, blanket, and pillow. When filling up, if awake, I would get her out of the car to stretch, get fresh air and such. I also purchase traveling toys like a magnet doodle to keep her entertained. Chances are if your daughter slept most of the way, it will be the same this time around as well. Oh, and bring plenty of snacks and drinks just in case.

We have five children (set of twins included) and we travel to Florida quite a bit (11 hr). The week before I hide favorite toys and put them in a backpack that then gets put in the car. Start using them one by one as your daughter gets bored or cries! Also ziploc (or store brand) have snack bag size which is perfect for a one serving size on snacks. Fill them with different snacks. We also take a dry washcloth (put in ziploc bag for after use), go through a fast food (usually McD) and get a cup of hot water, pour on cloth but let the cloth cool some and wipe your daughter down. It's kind of like taking a bath. Good Luck!!

Hopefully, she will sleep a lot of the time since you are leaving at night...that was a good idea. I would also bring lots of drinks and snacks, along with everything else. My 15 month old isn't interested in tv at all...lol. and before it gets too late at night, I would also make little breaks every once in a while so that she can move around and such ...maybe it will keep the cranky factor low....(obviously, before she passes out for night time)---and when she wakes up in the morning, it might be nice to make a pit stop at mcdonalds or something so she can get out again and enjoy herself and stretch some more....

Good Luck and Enjoy your thanksgiving..I don't know if I helped at all, but hopefully it will be uneventful....it seems like you got everything handled :P

Everyones advice sounds really good from what I have read but something that helps us on long drives is to eat at a place live McDonald's or even pull over for a short time at a park, so that the kids can run around on the playground and get a little bit of energy out. & most of the time when we get back on the rode our kids doze off w/in a few minutes. Good Luck! & Happy Holidays!

Driving through the night should really help cut a big chunck of time she should sleep a good portion of it. Dvds will help as well. Alls I think about is those new Crayola things where you can finger paint and what not on thi sspecial paper and it only marks on the paper theres no mess on her or fabric. But not real sure how good that would be in the car. Remember to bring some toys she can play with in the car. And to take a pit stop often when she is awake. Toddlers have difficulties staying still for long period times. Maybe stop for a streach every couple hours at a McD's and let her run around the playground to help get wiggles out.

I've done this with a 2 yr old and a 13 mo old so I know what you're in for. I stopped at every official state rest area (which were almost evenly spaced every 3 to 4 hours) and let the kids run around for a while (even if they were asleep, I stopped.) There was lots of sidewalk, grassy areas and they could make noise and stumble around without bothering anyone. In addition, I stopped to eat a fast food restuarants that had areas where they could play. Chick Fil A's all seem to have toddler areas as my 13 mo old couldn't play on the big areas. This gave them a chance to run around some more.

For starters make sure you leave your home to start this lovely road trip about the time that she usually goes to sleep at night. Try to get a sitter IF possible to sit for you guys right before the trip. You and the hubby take a nap and rest. And off you go. If she sleeps the entire night she'll only be awake for about 7 hours of the trip. So that shouldn't be too hectic.

Hello! We make the trip from Charlotte to NH all of the time because we are from NH. Where in NH are you going? Our last trip (drive) was this summer. To keep out 14 month old (at the time) busy we brought lots of snacks, books, cds to sing, we are buying a little dvd player for our next trip because we will have two children at christmas time, and a LOT of patience. Good luck with all of this! Let me know how she does! we also try to leave either early early in the morning or bedtime at night and drive as far as we can into the night to save on screaming time.

good luck!

-M.

K. - if you can tolerate reading in the car, take some children's books to read as well. It's been a long time since I did a 'cross country' trip with my kids in the car (they are 19 & 17 now!)- but we did a few from UT to NJ when we were in the military and my children were little (back then we didn't have DVD's LOL)but I do remember taking some small toys that they could play with and read stories and had their favorite music tapes to play (we didn't even have a CD player either!). We did stop at rest stops and let the kids out to run around - it helps to let them stretch their legs and get some fresh air - then they sleep again! We all made the trip in one piece - and it actually wasn't too bad - it had it's moments, but looking back on the trips the good and fun stuff always out weighed the bad.
Just remember to write down what worked and what didn't so you'll know for next time and can pass the info on to other mom's too! Have a great trip, we will pray for safe travel for you!

Hi - Been there done that! And about to do it again with 3 kids! My husband is from NYC (Bronx)and we left from Huntsville, Al. We left at 6:00pm right after baths and their pajammas were put on. My girls were 4 and 9months then. And also had good ole' mother in law with us. Bring tons of books too and I also like the color wonder stuff by crayola! They dont get messy! We packed lots of snacks and made frequent breaks once it turned daylight. We stopped and got gas every time it was on 1/2 a tank so the girls and us could stretch and change diapers. It was about a good 15min. break. Also, if you have to go thru New Jersey they have to pump your gas b/c its the law and its usually long lines so get out of the car b/c its going to take forever to get gas especially with holiday travel. Hope this helps!

The DVD's are a good idea! I have taken a few trips with my daugther and they were a life saver! Maybe you could bring some crayons and a notebook...a few smaller toys, snacks,and books. That is what I bring for my daughter and she has for the most part been very good on our trips. Hopefully she will sleep a lot :) Good Luck!