a question or two about long road trips

Do you plan trips where your LO is awake during the ride?

I'm freaking out, because we usually plan around his naps, but hes napping 1 3 hour nap and the trip is at least 8 hours.

Help me out, how wold you plan an 8-9 hour road trip? If he naps for 3 hours (I hope he will in the car as reliably in the crib).

Do you do anything to make the car seat more comfortable for sleep? We have Graco MyRide 65, and I really don't like how he looks when he's asleep in it. He gets marks on his neck from the strap
Is there a pillow or something you use?

What else? Snacks and Books? We have a DVD player, but he's so not interested lately.

Re: a question or two about long road trips

for a trip that long i would plan on leaving right around his nap time so he sleeps the first half. then when he wakes up stop for food and let him get out run around eat, play, etc. then maybe he could fall asleep again or if hes up try to occupy him. when we drive for long periods of time my dd really likes when we sing, dance, read, play peek-a-boo, play with her "babies" and just usually silly stuff we do at home. my dd is almost a year and so far we haven't had any road trips where she cried for most the ride. good luck!

ETA: i'm not really a fan of letting them snack in the car since i'm so paranoid about choking and not being able to get her out of the seat quickly. i would bring his fav blankie to help him sleep. i also sit in the back the entire ride to keep DD company.

Message edited 7/30/2011 11:35:54 AM.

Re: a question or two about long road trips

I leave at 4 AM

throw them in car with pjs...still dark out...they usually go back to sleep for a few hours.
at 4 am...if i went to bed at 9:30...then i am rested enough to do the drive.

at 9, i pull over...give them food, let them run around in pjs...then i change them into real clothes.

Re: a question or two about long road trips

OR you could put them in the car at their bed time and drive through the night...a long drive for you though!

Re: a question or two about long road trips

Re: a question or two about long road trips

We plan around naps but my dd is a beast in the car. We now live in Boston and ts a 4 hr drive to LI. We tried leaving for her bedtime that didn't work she was up for 2 1/2 hrs than crazy that night. Then we tried leaving at 10 am and that seems to work for her. She gets tired around 10:30 but usually naps at 12. She has both times slept for almost the whole ride.

We did a 6 hr trip and left at 4 am. She was up for a few hours then slept for a bit and was up on and off. Coming back we left at 9 am and she was fine again.

Dd does not sleep in the car unless it is her naptime. Leaving a bit before her nap has been the best for us so far. She's uP for a bit then sleeps then is up again

Bring toys, blankets, loveys, water cup. I sometimes do cheerios but I really don't like her eating in the car. Paly games, sing.

It also helps to get out a stretch and eat for 1/2 hr or so.

Good luck!

Re: a question or two about long road trips

We just drove 22 hours last week with DD from NY back to FL. She did so great, the first day we did 13 hours and the 2nd day 9 hours. We left in the morning both times and drove through the day. DD slept a lot the first day since she was still sick, but when she was up we gave her some new interesting books, watched some DVD's, played with her new toys. The 2nd day she felt much better and was a little more antsy in the car but still took a 3 hour nap and enjoyed her DVD's, snacks, we gave her the aquadoodle and some more new books.

I say leave in the morning, he'll be up for a few hours and then nap.

Re: a question or two about long road trips

I just did a 7 hr drive from ny to maine on Thursday night & I found easier to leave at bedtime & drive through the night. Both boys slept the majority if the trip. For us, the night driving is the only answer.