Driving to Florida with Two Year Old - Need Encouragement!

We are driving to Florida in August for a two week trip to Disney. My DH does NOT fly. Will not do it - it's sort of a phobia, I guess... So me, DH, two step sons (12 and 9) and two year old Thomas will attempt to drive. We plan to stop overnight once and stop SEVERAL times during driving.

I am getting extremely anxious about it... I KNOW it's going to be torture. I'm afraid I am going to be so stressed out that I will be miserable and end up having our wonderful first trip to Disney(first for step sons too) ruined because of the stress of the drive to and from... DH will undoubtedly be stressed too, and already feel he has no right to be and better not "lose is cool" when Thomas is screaming and the boys are fighting since I am bound to feel it is "his fault" that we are driving all the way to Florida instead of flying.

Can anyone share any successful long drive trips with toddlers and any tips or advice?

I want to make the best of the situation and enjoy this trip to the fullest!

Thanks!

Re: Driving to Florida with Two Year Old - Need Encouragement!

DH will not fly with our boys either. We are driving with 2 6 month olds the first week of June. I am just sort of winging it and leaving at their bedtime so they sleep most of the way. I don't have much advice, but good luck!

Re: Driving to Florida with Two Year Old - Need Encouragement!

We drove before we had kids, and only to the panhandle and we said never again

I think Thomas will do ok, I would just take your time and stay overnight if you have to and stop and eat.

I would fly with Thomas tho if it were me, but I'm a brat

Re: Driving to Florida with Two Year Old - Need Encouragement!

Best tip to give is leave at night. I've dh and I have drove there 3x's with in the past 7yrs. One time we drove their my youngest (at the time) was turning 1, the sec time we drove there my son was 2 I believe. Everytime we we drove there we left around 10-11pm drove straight through and the kids slept 95% of the trip. Wasn't bad at all! We did stop a few times to eat or use the bathroom as well. Good Luck

Re: Driving to Florida with Two Year Old - Need Encouragement!

My cousin and his wife go down to Disney twice a year and they drive every time. They leave around 8pm (the kids bedtime) and drive through the night, taking turns driving so the other can sleep. Their kids are 2 1/2 and almost 10 months. They just went in February and had no problems. They brought movies and stickers and games for the 2 yo to play with but she slept most of the night so she was really only up for a few hours the following morning before they reached FL.

Message edited 5/12/2009 10:17:19 AM.

Re: Driving to Florida with Two Year Old - Need Encouragement!

What type of car are you going in? I would only go in a mini van or that type of car so there is plenty of room in the back for the boys to stretch their legs and aren't on top of each other the whole trip.
Bring a DVD player and let them each pick their own movies. Each kid should take a turn watching the movie of their choice to prevent at least a little fighting. Also, if the older kids have a handheld play system, bring that too. You want lots of choices of entertainment so no one gets too bored.
Bring PLENTY of snacks (salty, sweet as well as some healthy choices) and drinks.
Bring a bunch of garbage bags. Both for garbage as well as if someone isn't feeling well - I am sure there are plenty of moms that can attest to their once perfect child suddenly developing carsickness

There are also games you can buy that are good for long car trips. I have this thing that looks like a plastic tube filled with little tiny beads. It is like a scavenger hunt thing and you have to find all the items that are hidden inside of it.

Re: Driving to Florida with Two Year Old - Need Encouragement!

You are very brave! DH would love to do this but we aren't brave enough.

I would say if you have a DVD player - to get a couple of new DVD's that he has never seen before so it is something new, and bring some of his all time favorites. I would go to the store and maybe buy some new inexpensive toys that you can pull out when the fussiness starts.

I would make sure you have the car stocked with his favorite drinks and snacks, as well as some active toys (like balls etc) for breaks - try to find some grass and let him run around and get out a lot of energy when you do your stops. Also if possible maybe try to drive when he naps or sleeps more often so you will have less awake time.

You might also want to plan in more than one night stay on the way there and back so you can break up the ride even more and allow more free time/run around time.

Re: Driving to Florida with Two Year Old - Need Encouragement!

honestly, i'd fly with thomas and meet them there. but if you don't want to do that can you start your drive at night and have them sleep on the road?

i think thomas will probably do better than the rest of u guys though.

Re: Driving to Florida with Two Year Old - Need Encouragement!

I would fly with my baby and let Daddy and his older boys have a fun trip driving.
I would have zero interest in taking my 2 year old on that trip. But it also depends on the child. We drove to Canada with Molly when she was 9 months old for a wedding. We stopped overnight to get my MIL in MA. Then we stopped the every 4 hours to change her. I had to pump in the car but that is not a huge deal for me. We also, slept overnight in Maine. My MIL was in the backseat to help me with Molly. Molly was always pretty good in the car and was not mobile yet.
Jason at 2 would have been miserable in the car for that length of time. He is just not a car travel kid. The drive for 3.5 hours to MA every few months is hard for him. He has a leapster, DVD player and his Fisher Price MP3 player. And he is still asking to get out of his seat at various points.
But if you really want to go I would make sure that you keep on his schedule. that will help A LOT with cranky. I would bring a TON of snacks- now is not the time to worry about giving him a cookie when he should have an apple ;)And get him NEW toys that you pull out every few hours to give him something new to do.

Re: Driving to Florida with Two Year Old - Need Encouragement!

Its going to be no problem.

My family moved to Tampa from NY back in the 90's. All our family were in NY.

Each summer my mother would load 7 of us in a van...all ages...teens to newborns...we would do the drive.

make it fun. stop at south of the border.

stop in nc overnight.

stop in DC and run around.

I have done the trip with my kid from NY to NC and from NC to Disney.

My biggest fear is getting tired while I drive, if you guys have 2 drivers you will be fine.

I would stop at rest areas as well...pack lunches and let them stretch.

Re: Driving to Florida with Two Year Old - Need Encouragement!

we did with just DD when she was almost 2.. we had a DVD player which was a lifesaver. We left at 5am and stopped in Potomic Mills in MD and had DD run around. We then stopped at the outlets in NC and then South of the Border and then for the night in NC.. we got there about 5pm. We left the next morning at 7am and stopped a few times but ended up in Orlando at 2pm . I packed plently of snacks and drinks so we were able to stop anywhere..

Good luck .. it was lot of work!

Re: Driving to Florida with Two Year Old - Need Encouragement!

We just took a 16 hour drive (each way) with DS at 20 months. We were so nervous, but he was great! My suggestion is a DVD player with his favorite shows. Have a bag of toys and snacks for him. Also, make sure you have extra batteries for his favorite toys.

And a BIG extra: If his favorite toys have battery compartments that are screwed on, bring a screwdriver. We brought extra batteries for his favorite toy, but couldn't change them without a screwdriver. DUH!!!

Re: Driving to Florida with Two Year Old - Need Encouragement!

when i was little our family started driving to florida for family easter trips...

- Make enough stops. Bathroom breaks are important and stretching of legs...Stores will also make it easier.. I love to stop at JR's in North Carolina- you'll see plenty of signs for it.. There is South of The Border as you cross over to SC- however it use to be a tourist trap- but they have mini golf and rides for kids.. and in Georgia/Florida you'll see Bealls outlet- they have some great deals in the clearance section- they put colored dots on things and every so often the dot then moves to the next larger discount..

- Being the drivers(dh and i drive to florida almost every year now)...try not to drive too late.. like stop by 9 pm.. its amazing how monotinous(sp?) the roads can get sometimes, better to be safe...

-Keep enough snacks/drinks in the car. Sometimes you wont like the food options or they wont come up for a certain amount of time...

-Keep enough entertainment in the car- not books for motion sickness but my family use to have Roadside bingo... Portable DVD's or gameboys would work well.

Re: Driving to Florida with Two Year Old - Need Encouragement!

I've been doing every year with DS since he's 5 months old. We do not stop overnight though, my dad insists on driving straight through, better for us though because we get an extra day to spend down there.
The trip down really isn't that bad! I give DS dinner and a bath and keep him up until we are ready to go, we leave around 10pm. He sleeps in the car most of the night and wakes up when we stop for breakfast. When he was a baby I changed him at the 1st reststop in each state, depending on how big the state was, we got out to stretch our legs a little and had lunch.
I recommend bringing a dvd player, books, crayons and baby wipes!

Re: Driving to Florida with Two Year Old - Need Encouragement!

I travel long distance trips often. We go back and forth between NC/NY many times a year, and drive at least half of the trips.

For us, once DD started walking it because important to stop and let her stretch several time son the trip-gets her tired too. In the car, we keep books, snacks, travel toys (some new stuff so that it grabs her attention).

It will be fine!