[Amanda1]

I know this has probably been discussed before but I cant find anything for this age.

We are planning a 12 hour drive to visit friends next week and I need ideas on how to keep ds (14 months old) happy from moms who've done it!

We camped 4.5 hour drive away last week and left early in the morning so he slept for most of it and planned the way home for nap time, but he was still awake for 2.5 hours of it and had to stop 3 times.

I'm not sure how to go about 12 hours, staying over night is not an option since the trip will only be 4 days, so it would take too much of the trip.

The only thing we can think of is to drive over night, which will be hard on us, not having a good nights sleep. We would take turns sleeping and driving. I have also thought of getting a dvd player, 2 issues about that...1) he has never watched tv and doesn't seem too interested and 2) i worry about how safe it is

I'll bring lots of snacks, music and toys but I don't think that will last 12 hours

Anyone have any great ideas or thoughts?????????

Oh, also he is still rear facing

 

[McGucks]

BTDT but only on an 8 hour drive. We are still RF too. Me and DS1 (age 15) took turns sitting in back. I learned how to "car nurse," which certainly helped. I gave him juice for the first time. He drank one of those small Juicy Juice boxes...literally drop by drop over about an hour. The novelty of the flavor and the fun of the straw bought me time when nothing else worked. We stopped with picnics at nice rest stops. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, despite the fact that I HATE traveling even without a LO.

We chose not to drive overnight just because we worried it'd make us too cranky.

Good luck, mama!

 

[Peony]

If you can't break up the trip and the drive is non-toddler time is 12 hours which of course will be significantly more with a toddler, I don't see how you could do it without driving into a good portion of the night or leaving in the middle of the night to start. Lots and lots of little toys to hand him, snacks, someone sitting next to the toddler, and frequent stops is always how we have to get through car trips.