Traveling by car long distances with kids...

Lovemylife

Sun, May 11 2008, 8:17 am

My husband and I are planning to go to NY from Miami this summer and I have a whole bunch of questions...(we have a 2 year old and 15 month old)

1) After paying $4 a tank + hotels, is it worth it to drive?

2) What would I pack, bring along for entertainment in car?

3) Drive through the night or through the day?

4) Any great places to stop and visit off the I-95 along the east coast?

5) Am I NUTS?!

Any tips, suggestions or advice very welcome

downsyndrome

Sun, May 11 2008, 10:27 am

If it's a trip you are making by choice, then yes, I think you are nuts!!
Now, if I can help you in any way let me share our experience with you, even though the ages don't quite compare.
This past Fall we traveled on an 11-hour trip with our 4.5 year old daughter. We hung a DVD drive from the mini-van ceiling and we had tons of DVDs for her to watch. We also brought along a full snack box all her own, which rested at her feet. We also had her furry blanket, pillow and a comfortable sweater. She also got a doll as a gift before we left, so she had that for hugging and cuddling.
Good luck!

greenfire

Sun, May 11 2008, 11:04 am

hm ... not so sure I would do it with that age ... especially as you said with the gas prices ... but entertainment is the key & comfort as downy said ... many stops along the way - places to check out for FUN ... well packed coolers, tapes, books ... adventures ... it can be done ...

Mommy3.5

Sun, May 11 2008, 11:13 am

you get better mileage on the highway then in the city, You can easily do between 300 and 400 miles on a tank of gas. But to see if it is worth it, price tickets + car rental, before you commit to it.

We did 2 8 hour drives with our 4 kids, we found driving through the night meant that the kids slept through most of the trip. We had travel pillows and blankets, and the kids traveled in PJ's. We did not have a DVD player, and the kids did great anyway.

chaylizi

Sun, May 11 2008, 11:53 am

how long of a trip is it? we travel to & from ny a lot- a 12 hr trip. my kids do fine & I go bananas. the last time we took a trip- I flew with the baby & he drove with my older daughter so we would have a car there. it worked out much better.

RachelB

Sun, May 11 2008, 12:20 pm

Well, if you really want to drive with young kids....like others said you need entertainment-DVDs, music, new books (smth they didn't read before)-you will most likely stop every 2 hours for a bathroom, diaper, "I feel sick" pit stops LOL

I would not drive with my kids, and in the summer prices on tickets and hotels go down in Miami - that's when we try to go !

chaylizi

Sun, May 11 2008, 12:23 pm

if you are going to drive though- go at night. the kids will hopefully sleep. plus there should be less traffic & you won't hit rush hour until morning. unless of course you are going to take a "road trip" and stop off in different places on the way down. it will take forever to get down there though.

gryp

Sun, May 11 2008, 12:24 pm

I would do as much traveling as possible by night. We did NY to Georgia with a 2 yr old and 7 month old and they were desperate to get out of the car and be free from their carseats to crawl around and play. I felt so bad for them, they were so upset every time we put them back in their carseats. And we stopped at hotels on the way about an hour or so before dinner/bath/bedtime until the next morning, and you can't imagine their relief that they were able to crawl and play normally.

The magnetic doodle pads are a great toy for traveling though. I would even buy mini ones because the regular size can be pretty bulky.

I would fly, personally.

justanothermother

Sun, May 11 2008, 12:50 pm

I hate flying, I always prefer driving. We have done the NY-Miami and back many times starting when the children were 2 months & 20 months, and every few months after.

We do DVDs, but not too many, usually two a day. The rest of the time I have a variety of activities and snacks.

Every few hours we stop at a rest area. DH takes a 20 minute nap and I let the children run around and burn energy.

We stop for supper at a rest area, then run around, take them to the bathroom and put them in PJs.

We find they won't settle down in a motel room, so we drive till late in the night and only stop when they are all sleeping. Since DH had some naps in the day, he can drive longer.

I have a bag with dollar store toys, every timed interval I give out a new toy, so they have what to look forward to, even when stuck in the car.

**Edited to add, driving with a two month old nursing only baby was no picnic, I would not recommend it, but once they are on some solids or can take a bottle, it's not too bad.**

justanothermother

Sun, May 11 2008, 12:57 pm

We had gotten advice to start out in the evening and drive through the night and we tried it once. To make a long story short, not everyone can handle hours of nighttime driving. You have to know yourself and your limitations, because it could be dangerous.

chaylizi

Sun, May 11 2008, 1:10 pm

justanothermother wrote:

you are right, it is not for everyone. when we did it- dh & I switched off driving. I slept while he drove & vice versa. but if you think you can't it's best to have a plan to stop at a motel along the way or stop by a relative on the way down. when we go to ny- we call our relatives on the way back to ask if we can bunk there if needed. it's nice to know we have a contingency plan.

Marion

Sun, May 11 2008, 1:14 pm

I would actually drive. Once you're on a plane (or even in the airport), you're stuck until you get there. A road trip can be adjusted; you can stop somewhere for the night, change reservations, change routes, etc...along the way. That said, I did fly with a 7 week old and a 22 month old, 12 hours plus taxi and airport time. (You still can't drive across the Atlantic.)

RachelB

Sun, May 11 2008, 1:31 pm

Just remember, that infants should not spend more than 3 hours at a time in a car seat, it is dangerous for the spine and can create blood clots and head shape problems.

chaylizi

Sun, May 11 2008, 1:34 pm

RachelB wrote:

Just remember, that infants should not spend more than 3 hours at a time in a car seat, it is dangerous for the spine and can create blood clots and head shape problems.

source please?