I recently embarked on a Spring Break trip from Richmond to Hilton Head with my parents and two-year-old daughter. Roughly 500 miles. Approximately eight hours in the car, per Google Maps; though in reality, it took twelve to get there and ten to come home. And neither my parents nor I own a 4G wireless mobile device.
My husband had to sit this one out due to work. I think he was secretly relieved.
But surely there are others like us in the continental U.S. who still live in the Dark Ages – technologically-speaking – and thus must rely on old-school forms of entertainment for the kids on long trips. Remember when people used to play travel games - of the non-electronic variety? Yeah. Those were the good old days.
But even if we are in a league of our own, the trip taught me that when it comes to car travel with a toddler, a few universal tricks of the trade always come in handy – iPad or not.
1. Provide a variety of entertainment.
It goes without saying that you need to bring plenty of activities along when traveling with a toddler. But as Monica once told Chandler on Friends, “You want to hit ‘em all and mix ‘em up.” Granted, she was talking about a decidedly non kid-friendly activity, but the general sentiment is the same. From an arsenal of books of both the reading and sticker variety, to an etch-a-sketch and other coloring toys, plus movies and videos on a portable DVD player, we set upon our trip with a plethora of good, old-fashioned entertainment, and were prepared to suddenly swap one activity for another when sudden bouts of boredom or fickleness hit. At least my mom was prepared – I was like a deer in the headlights. Which is why it’s also helpful to travel with a long-time kindergarten teacher who knows a thing or two about entertaining young children.
2. Communication is key.
Toddlers understand a lot more than we often give them credit for – a realization that, unfortunately, often comes to light when they repeat some of our more colorful phrases in the car. If you want to use this phenomenon for good rather than evil while driving, simply explain to your child in advance of a long trip where you’re going, how long it will take to get there, and what to expect along the way. We made sure to do this periodically throughout our trip, which resulted in less whining, which in turn resulted in me maintaining my sanity. For the most part.
3. Make frequent pit stops.
On the way down to Hilton Head, we took a tour of I-95’s many rest areas, with no less than six stops. On the way back, we hit the equally plentiful Cracker Barrels, although that time we only made three stops. Which as it turns out, was not enough. Because not only do frequent stops help the living bundles of kinetic energy that are toddlers remain active, they also reduce the chance of acute constipation – an unfortunate side effect of travel in young kids, I discovered. Lesson learned.
4. Don’t bet on the nap.
It’s easy to assume that the rhythmic rocking of the car and hypnotic hum of tires on pavement would be enough to lull a toddler right off into hours of dreamland. Then again, you know what they say about people who assume.
If your kids love to sleep in the car, congratulations – consider yourself lucky. For everyone else (myself included), may I direct your attention back up to Tip #1…
5. Have fun with it.
Spending a day in the car can make anyone a little punch-drunk. So, when the goofiness hit we just went with it, singing along to Baby Genius CDs of favorite nursery rhymes and children’s songs and even making up our own silly songs as well. And for us east coasters traveling the I-95 corridor, the kitschy fun of South of the Border simply cannot be ignored. Oh, yeah – we went there.
Though content to let my mom do most of the heavy lifting in terms of entertaining her granddaughter on the way down – while I, in turn, attempted (mostly in vain) to get lost in a book – I nonetheless felt thoroughly travel weary by the time we arrived in Hilton Head. Coming home, however, I was more alert and engaged with my daughter – which to my surprise, caused the trip to pass much faster. Proving that there’s something to be said for making the most out of a somewhat adverse situation.
In the end, not only did we survive our adventure, I came away from it with a new appreciation for my daughter’s adaptability, as well as a greater awareness of my own capabilities (and limitations) as a parent. Still, for a still relatively new and naïve mom, the entire experience – as well as vacationing with a toddler, for that matter – was an eye-opener.
But then, the same could be said about parenthood in general.
Do you have any tips for car travel with kids?
