The kiddo and I made our first solo road trip when he was just a few months old, when we moved from Wisconsin to Ohio. Once in Ohio, Hubby was gone two weeks per month, leaving me home with a baby boy. Because I wasn’t working, the kiddo and I could take off whenever we wanted. We tagged along with Hubby a few times, but the kiddo and I became great road trippers, logging thousands of miles on I-74 to visit family.
Traveling with kids is challenging, but for me, not traveling would’ve been harder. Here are a few tips I have learned, and some helpful equipment to use, to help you on your road trips with little ones:
1. Plan places to stop, and have back up plans too.
There is nothing worse than having a screaming baby, or needing a bathroom break, only to find that the closest exit has nothing but a rundown gas station four miles down the road. Or, seeing the sign for the next rest area, only to approach and find that it’s closed! I always liked to know where the “dead zones” were too- that is, where there is no exit, no gas station, or no food stops unless I stray from away the interstate (or have to pay to exit the toll road). There are parts of the Midwest, like on the Indiana toll road, that have 60 miles between exits, so it’s important to know where you can and want to stop.
2. Find places that are baby or kid-friendly.
When the kiddo was little and eating every few hours, I needed to find comfortable places to nurse (or pump) or give a bottle. This is a matter of preference and comfort with breastfeeding in public, and I was not comfortable at all. One of my favorite places to stop was Buy Buy Baby stores, which have nursing rooms with gliders and changing tables, and are generally located close to interstate exits! The bonus is that I could also shop for anything I forgot to pack.
As the kiddo got older, my favorite stops were McAlister’s and Starbucks. Starbucks, or most coffee shops, have whole milk for the kiddo, which meant I didn’t have to pack it and worry about keeping it cold as we drove 4+ hours in July heat. The PB&J Protein Box is also a perfect lunch for my kiddo, and includes a half PBJ sandwich, cheese stick, cucumbers, carrots, apples, and chocolate-covered raisins that I steal for myself. I love McAlister’s because, even though they are fast casual, they bring food to the table. This is a key feature when traveling solo, because I always had full hands carrying a baby or pushing a stroller.
Now, with an active four year old, Chick-fil-a or McDonald’s with play places, and rest areas with playgrounds are easy places to burn off energy while still having easy access to bathrooms and snacks. And, Chick-fil-a will bring food to your table!
3. Know your kid’s schedule, and travel accordingly.
When the kiddo was little, he napped at 10am and 1:30 pm. I left my house just before 10am, stopped for lunch at 12pm, continued around 1pm, and arrived at my destination by 3pm. My kid slept for most of my driving time, and I didn’t disrupt his nap or eating schedule. Sometimes we traveled at night after the kiddo’s bedtime, though I was more inclined to do that in the summer when the days were longer or when traveling with Hubby. Safety always comes first!
4. Have multiple ways to keep the kids entertained.
I will preface this by saying that my kiddo has generally been a good road trip companion. When he was little he slept in the car at his nap times (and still does), and he has always been content listening to music and looking out the window for stretches of time. He looks forward to seeing fields of wind turbines, and will spend time counting them or visually sorting them into those that are spinning or not spinning.
That being said, we still have lots of things to keep the kiddo entertained. He loves to look at books, and will “read” them to us, so I always have a dozen or so in the car. One of the cars has an entertainment system, so I have assorted DVDs to watch. In the other car, we have a tablet that is only used when we travel. He has an activity box, with a chalkboard on one side and white board on the other, that he uses to draw or practice letters. (It was a gift purchased a craft show, or I would link it!) He can also use the inside of the box as a surface for playing with his Magna-Qubix or Plus-Plus blocks. He also like gel window-clings, and he makes up stories and moves them around on his window. And, we listen to a lot of music of all kinds.
5. Snacks. Lots of them.
I have a general rule that when we travel, I will allow the kiddo to eat snacks that he would not normally eat, and eat more snacks than he would normally eat. I keep stashes of pretzels, Goldfish crackers, graham crackers/cookies (Bitsy’s are my go-to), and fruit pouches in the car for road trips. If we stop at a restaurant, I always order something for him to eat there or eat later.
6. Use your stroller as an extra set of hands.
When road tripping with the kiddo, I always bring my stroller and use it to transport my kid from car to rest stop or restaurant. This may seem silly when it’s only a few steps. However, the stroller can double as a high chair when one isn’t available (like at a rest stop). Most importantly, it keeps him nearby but contained while I order food or use the restroom.
7. Stay organized with a “road trip bag” that has everything you need in it.
My “car bag” is this Collapsible Car Storage that was gifted from Lotsa Style Shop.
This is our road trip container that has all of our essentials- diapers, wipes, change of clothes, books, blankets, snacks, water bottles, chargers, headphones, DVDs, and car games like travel bingo or gel clings for the window. I keep it in the car, replenishing as needed. This way, we always have everything we need without having to dig through a purse, diaper bag, suitcase, backpack, and computer bag to find the charger for the headphones for the car’s entertainment system.
If you’d like your own Collapsible Car Storage, use my code PEOPLEPLACES30 for 30% off. And, if you sign up for the email list at Lotsa Style, you can get a discount on your first order of all of their fabulous organization and home products!
What are your tips for road trips with young kids?
