RF toddler on long car trip - configuring entertainment safely? (DVD player or iPad)

[justKate]

We're moving at the end of May, and there will be a 2,000 mile drive involved.  We are going to take our time, but still, DD will be in the car with just me quite a bit.  She is 26 months, 33 inches, ~26 lb. RFing in a Britax Blvd.  I drive a Ford Edge.  DH and my mother have decided that she will be miserable in the car, and that she needs a DVD player or iPad to watch videos on the drive.  We are mostly TV-free, but she does have some movies, so it would be a treat for her. I think she will be fine with or without "screen" entertainment, but they are adamant. 

So how would this work?  Is it possible to set up a DVD player or iPad in a way that DD will be able to see but not touch it?  (If she can touch it, she will turn it off or otherwise mess it up, and I'm not going to be pulling over every 6 minutes to fix it.)  It doesn't seem like it would be safe to put it on the rear headrest, because in an accident her face could go into it...  The Boulevard IS tethered, but I guess there could still be cocooning in a serious accident. 

If i put it on the middle headrest, the angle of the seat and the wings on the seat back would keep her from really seeing it.

I really don't feel like making a DVD player easy to watch is a valid reason to turn her FF, even just for the trip....although it would make things easier.

Thoughts?  I'm stumped.

[an_aurora]

There are cases to hold the iPad and some portable DVD players come with a case and straps that allow it to be attached to the headrest.  

We did a 2400 mile trip when our girls were 3 and 1.5, and we did have a factory installed DVD player in the van.  We used it when they were antsy and bored, and only about an hour twice a day.  It did help break up the day but it certainly wasn't a necessity.  I am doing a huge road trip with my kids this summer from AK to AZ, to CA and back to AK.  I'm not taking a DVD player.

[Honey693]

We had a portable DVD player strapped to the headrest in front of DD1 and she's rear facing.  We have a strict no touching with hands or feet rule.  If she does it goes off and she can be mad and bored.  On long drives we save the DVD player for when it's too dark for books and toys.

[LaurenAnanas]

Do you have a smart phone?

We took a road trip to Florida and loaded a few videos on our iPhones. DD very quickly learned how to hold it so as not to touch the screen because it would interfere with the shows.

We only had to pull it out a few times. The rest of the trip she played with toys and read and napped. Also, Crayola Color Wonders markers really work as advertised and were a big hit. She was so excited to have markers because we only use crayons at home!

(My in-laws lent us their van with a built-in DVD player and my hubby was so excited about the technology and did something crazy with wires and his cell phone so that the van had wifi and we could have watched Netflix or anything else online on the van's screen. Which, of course, didn't get used even once because DD is rear-facing and we were sitting in the front most of the time. At least he had fun setting it up!) 

[justKate]

Quote:

Originally Posted by LaurenAnanas 

Do you have a smart phone?

We took a road trip to Florida and loaded a few videos on our iPhones. DD very quickly learned how to hold it so as not to touch the screen because it would interfere with the shows.

We only had to pull it out a few times. The rest of the trip she played with toys and read and napped. Also, Crayola Color Wonders markers really work as advertised and were a big hit. She was so excited to have markers because we only use crayons at home! 

We do have an iPhone, but I don't think DD has the self control to hold it without pushing the button.  She likes to look at photos of herself...

Maybe I could strap it to the headrest so that she can't get it....

So no one is concerned about an accident bad enough to break the tether strap and smash my DD's face into whatever screen is on the back headrest?  I'm the only "but what if" freak here? 

[SophieAnn]

How about books/stories on cd instead?  That would be a good compromise that would keep kiddo entertained and be safe/easy to change to a different story while driving.  You could maybe even find audiobook versions of your DD's favourite stories.

[Sorilla]

I vote 100% for iPad - you can control what you load on it, its very easy to use, little kid can not practically break anything and it has VARIETY. It would be totally boring to just watch DVDs!

[justKate]

Originally Posted by SophieAnn 

How about books/stories on cd instead?  That would be a good compromise that would keep kiddo entertained and be safe/easy to change to a different story while driving.  You could maybe even find audiobook versions of your DD's favourite stories.

 Hmm, never thought of that.  I'll investigate...    Thanks for the idea!