as anyone took a toddler on a long trip? like 10 hrs of driving?

Penny - posted on 01/11/2010

Driving? Headrest DVD players on Amazon are a LIFESAVER!! Cost around $250 for the set. check it out.

Vicki - posted on 01/11/2010

When my kids were younger, 3yr and 1yr. we went to Japan. I wrap up small toys as presents and gave to them to unwrap. It helped entertain them on the flight and they loved getting a present.

Shay - posted on 01/11/2010

I took my son 21months old on an 11 hour trip to Florida. We did not have a DVD player. We left in the middle of the night so he slept most of the time. I let the other kids entertain him the rest of the way. When we stopped for gas or to eat I took him out so he could run around and get out of that seat some.

Sondra - posted on 01/11/2010

We took our son on a 16 hour trip that turned into 20hrs because of the snow storm. He did wonderful. We had plenty of snacks in the car and juice for him. We also had his lil DVD player and some of his favorite shows (Elmo, Wiggles, and Barney).

One thing that we didn't do was get him in and out of the car. We learned on our first trip that he got so aggitated when we got him out at the stops because he would want to run around. So we just changed him in the car at our stops and he did much better. When he got real agitated (only happened once) we stopped at a McDonalds for an hour and he played and then he went back to sleep when we got back in the car.

Emma - posted on 01/11/2010

took my son on a 23 hour plane ride.. would be easyer to drive there straped in there seat !

Marlene - posted on 01/10/2010

Hey Jessy - I am replying from Johannesburg South Africa, I have a 2yr old and 10yr olsd - both boys - we often visit my parents who live at the coast in Durban and that is a 6 hour drive. It suits us best to leave at 2am that way baby is asleep all the way - and would only awake when we have reached our destination. Makes travelling such a pleasure. Have not done a longer trip yet! But good luck on your travels

Stephanie - posted on 01/10/2010

Breaks are important.. I bought a DVD player for our first trip and used it, but since then it stays in the bag, we listen to books on tape ask questions, listen to music and we were on highway on our last trip and the scenery kept him busy. My son is three and my little girl is 9 months. We just did a two week drive with many stops and living out of suit cases. The kids were great. Keep your cool, do not get fustrated with the little things, occasionly pop in the back seat it really changes the mood in the car. We had a blast and kept most of journey time to 4-5 hours with one or two breaks. Hope this helps. It will be fun.

Kristin - posted on 01/10/2010

We were potty training when we drove across the country (6.5 days of driving 8 hours a day). I am generally against the use of pull ups, but in this case they were great! My son could usually last around 2 hours before he needed to go, so we tried to schedule stops with that in mind. It was also a good idea to wean him off of his potty seat before we left, so I didn't need to lug the thing into the rest area/gas station bathroom every time we needed to potty. We did have some backsliding, but when we got where we needed to be we spent some time getting back to basics and doing some extra laundry until he figured out that he wasn't wearing a pull up. (Now he can tell the difference between that and his undies and totally takes advantage of the pull up... oh well, they are expensive anyway!)

Kristin - posted on 01/10/2010

We just drove from South Carolina to Washington State with our son who just turned 2. My advice is - get a dvd player if you don't already have one! Matchbox cars worked well too. When he was on the edge I would pull out a new car to play with and that could keep him entertained for hours. We also tried to stop at night with enough time to run around in the hotel room and get some of the wiggles out before bedtime. And we brought the toddler mattress he usually sleeps on and put it on the floor of the hotel room, but we had lots of storage room for stuff like that b/c we were moving. Crayola color wonder is also really cool - they get to play with markers, but they don't mark on anything but the paper.

Good luck! Don't think too much about it beforehand, and forget the rough parts before you have to turn around and go home again!

Beth Anne - posted on 01/10/2010

I take my son on long trip quit a few times. At first it was hard but then I got a DVD player with some good movies he likes and he enjoys it. make sure you pack lots of snacks and fun things he can do. But we have had no problems. I can now take him to my parents by myself.

Susan - posted on 01/10/2010

Hi, By the time my Daughter was 2 1/2 ,she has bee on 5 flights! The longest trip was from NY to New Mexico. Lots of Bottles, binkies for the flight and lots of new interactive toys. Books that talk and have things for them to push or spin. New Phone,,New New New is the key. Try Craigeslist or E Bay for deals, wash um up with Baby wipes, they contain Alcohol so they kill germs. Don't sweat it. If your doing a car trip invest in a Portable DVD Player for the back of the seat, if ones not in the car. Kids are really adaptable. Last yr was a road trip to FL 35 hrs of driving with one night stop. I hit the Dollar atore stocked up on Oddles of Coloring books, Majic Ink Books, New Movies, puzzles nything age apprioprate,,Happy Trails to you!

Kelly - posted on 01/10/2010

my son was 2 and daughter 5 we drove to new york 18 hours with all the stopping. Best thing portable dvd player, lots of toys and snacks, leave at night so they sleep most of the trip.

Leah - posted on 01/10/2010

We took our daughter on a 10 hour drive a few months back. We made sure she had her favorite toys and blanket. We dressed her comfortably. She slept a lot of the way....which is surprising because she is extremely energetic (She never stops moving). Have enough of snacks and drinks. It will go fine, and don't hesitate to stop so your little one can stretch!!

Brittany - posted on 01/10/2010

I loooove our DVD player! We lived in VA and visited family in NY and we borrowed a friend's DVD player and it was a lifesaver for us. That was when my daughter had just turned 2. We have now moved to NY from VA and purchased our own DVD player from Wal-Mart for like $70 and it is perfect for any long drives even 30 minute ones. She stays occupied and I don't hear the whining and nagging all the time.

Bridget - posted on 01/10/2010

i agree with other suggestions. We took my son back and forth from Chicago to S.Carolina (16 hrs) and the dvd player was a life saver! He is a very good traveller tho, and sleeps a lot in the car. My daughter is not so good of a traveller and we have to make frequent stops for her to stretch her legs and run around. She wasn't around yet when we made the trips from IL to SC, so maybe that is why she's not as good at it?

Jen - posted on 01/10/2010

We've been on a few trips, the first long one was from Michigan to Tenessee, which wasn't too bad. The kids were 28 months and 6 months old. They mostly slept the whole way! We did have a DVD player, and the oldest just wanted to watch the same movie over and over (so I know "The Wild" by heart)! We were in a large conversion van, and had enough room for the potty (we were potty training) and everything we needed. The next long trip we took was this last summer, from Michigan to Texas. We stopped overnight in Missouri or something, but we took frequent breaks so the kids could get out and play. Again, they slept; we still had the DVD player (one screen for each child now), but it wasn't terrible. Just remember to pack enough snacks, keep a change of clothes for each child in the car that you can reach easily (in case of accidents), and bring along their favorite toys. Singing and playing "sight games" are also good! Hope this helps!

Karen - posted on 01/10/2010

we've taken our daughter twice on roadtrips to MI from TX (19 hours straight thru). the first time was when she was just 3 months old and she basically slept the whole time & we would stop when it was time for feedings. the second trip was this last summer, right after she turned 2. she did MUCH better than we thought she would. we just made sure that when we stopped for gas or food, we took her out and let her run around to let out some of that energy. we also made sure to do alot of our driving on the way there at night... so she slept in her seat. that made for a nice quiet drive :P

Kara - posted on 01/10/2010

We did when our son was 10 months and he loved it. The car has always been our sons favorite. I was really surprised that he did so well. It was very enjoyable.

Katie - posted on 01/10/2010

Do it at night So They Sleep In The Car

Mandy - posted on 01/10/2010

Did a straight through 16 hour drive with 22 month old daughter in spica cast (full body cast). Most inportant things is to stop and move around when they need it. And you will know when they need it, lol.

Julieann - posted on 01/10/2010

I agree with Carolyn Staples-portable DVD player! We do not have one installed in our minivan, so we just got ours at Target. We bought the player and a zippered case that has space to hold the DVD's and we can just zip it up and bring it with us wherever we go. It has a charger that plugs into a lighter or another outlet in the van. Our van is a 2005 and we have an outlet in the back seat so we just plug it in there. It also has an internal battery so you can charge that and have it play with no electricity needed. Enjoy your trip!!

Nikki - posted on 01/10/2010

We took our 14 month old daughter to Australia and also Canada when 30 months. Best advice is plenty of snacks and buy drinks inside the terminal. Aqua draw do play mats which can keep them entertained & argos do mini magna doodles. Plenty of stories and maybe a 100ml bottle of calpol incase they are getting tired but too much activity to settle. Always good to try & travel through the night and wear them out so they nap during the afternoon.

Shauna - posted on 01/10/2010

We took our boys to Bradenton, FL from Tupelo, MS last Christmas. They had just turned 2 years old. It was about a 17 hour drive. We stopped every hour and a half because the older twin would just start to cry. But it was nice to stop and let them run around for a bit. We also had a DVD player, plenty of toys, snacks, and drinks.

Jacqueline - posted on 01/10/2010

My baby is 2 years old and we went to Jeddah about 17 hours long drive...I think theres nothing wrong with that...

Jessica - posted on 01/09/2010

I have a 1 yr old and im pregnant with another, we took our daughter across the U.S. My husband and i drove to WA from CT with our 1 yr old. She was fantastic she enjoyed every minute of it...we played games like peek a boo and she liked to point things out at the rest stops...we made sure we packed plenty to drink and snacks for while we were driving...

Kelly - posted on 01/09/2010

My husband and I took our 2 year old to South Florida.. a 11 hour drive.. considering I'm pregnant :). But, we left late evening and drove all night long. It allowed him to sleep through the night in his car seat and we didn't have any problems whatsoever.

Tara - posted on 01/09/2010

I have done it from New Orleans to NC with 3 girls, but they sleep alot cause thats all there is to do, and make sure to have snacks and something enterraining. My daughter had been walking for a while, so she hated to sit still for long periods of times, so I made sure to stop some where and let her walk around that helped a whole lot. Good Luck on your trip, your a mom we supposed to know how to do everything LOL :)

Robin - posted on 01/09/2010

I took both of my girls (3 and 7 months) to VA from Maine. It took me 16 hours to get down there. I drove down during the day, and made a few stops, for gas mostly. They were cranky here and there, but slept when it was night time. On the return trip, I left at 6pm. They slept most of the way, until we were in Maine. Got home at about 9am, and the kids needed to be changed badly. My older one even peed in my hand after I unleashed her from her diaper. (she has developmental delays, so she's not potty trained yet) All I could do was laugh because by then I had to pee too so I knew how she felt. Couldn't use a DVD player because my daughter wouldn't have been interested in it anyway. But it was a fun trip, and was glad I did it.

Kristin - posted on 01/09/2010

We took a trip from St. Louis, Missouri to Daytona, FL with my 2 year old. We did stop at Grandma's house in Huntsville, Alabama, but it's still a REALLY long trip. I encourage you to drive through the night! You can play movies and he'll watch them and fall asleep. I also think it's a good idea to take a bag/box of books, some toys without a lot of pieces, and be prepared to sing a lot of songs. Make several stops during the day to let him stretch his legs and run around.

Serena - posted on 01/09/2010

Portable DVD players are the best invention ever, My son watched cars the whole way and though I know it word for word and would suggest headphones if he would wear them...it really helped. And remember to take a lot of pit stops just to let him out and run around. Its easy to get caught up in making good time but a happy toddler makes for a more enjoyable car ride. Good luck and have fun.

Lori - posted on 01/09/2010

The only thing that works...DVD player!

Valerie - posted on 01/09/2010

We took a trip last summer with our then 18 month old and it went well. We left super early in the morning, like 3am, just so he would sleep for a large part of the journey. Then we also made sure we had a couple of new toys for him to play with as well as plenty of bottles and snakes up front that he would enjoy. We brought some music we knew he liked and sang along with it to give him some physical activity while we were driving. We also stopped more often than we normally would have just to let him out to walk around and check his diapper, etc. We enjoyed the trip and it went well, but we were also prepared for grouchy times when we just had to keep going no matter what mood he would be in. The trip was better, I think, because we left so early and were able to get a lot of road behind us before the entertainment had to begin.

Amanda - posted on 01/09/2010

Starting from an infant we took 8 hour drives with my daughter NE to IL with no DVD and she would nap or talk to us about what she saw out the window. Now that our drives are 16 hours we bought a DVD player and it is a lifesaver. I also suggest driving at night. The kids will sleep and you won't have to stop as much. It just makes for a very long day for mom and dad.

My real advise is if your child starts crying or wining to get out of the car don't stop every 30 minutes. It won't stop the crying and it just prolongs the trip even more.

Sarah - posted on 01/09/2010

My in-laws live about 8 hours away and we drive that several times year. Our son does it quite well. We started him young and he would sleep most of the way. Now we make sure that we are going during his nap time so that we have some quiet time. We do use a portable DVD player but closer to the end of the drive when he is starting to unravel. Save the big guns for more desperate times otherwise the enchantment may wear off. We try to do more with books and toys with buttons. Those little laptop things and other things like that are a God send for that.

Holly - posted on 01/09/2010

We have 3 children ages 11, 4, and 3. We always spend Thanksgiving at my sisters in Baltimore, which is about 5 1/2 to 6 hr trip. We always leave on Thanksgiving night at around 10:00 pm and get there in the AM. We use the portable DVD players but since we leave at night, it gives me and husband alone time since the children sleep.

Sian - posted on 01/09/2010

Hiya :)
I did my first long trip when my daughter was just 7weeks old. I live in the uk and had to drive from worcester to Stranraer which took 11hours and then do 6hours on a ferry to Larn (Ireland) and then from Larn to Belfast which was another 4/5hours. Not the most ideal thing but after doing it 4/5 times a year my daughter has got used to it aswell now. And like everyone else has said get a portable DVD player!!! They are a godsend!!! Good luck!! x

Barbara - posted on 01/09/2010

No not yet but this summer we are taking all 6 of our lil ones to South Carolina and we are driving. Any suggestions?

Lisa - posted on 01/09/2010

Did anyone deal with the motion sickness problem with their children?

Tina - posted on 01/09/2010

We travel 8 hours every holiday to Maryland From South Carolina. Its about an 8 hour drive. The best thing to do is to get a portable DVD player and take lots of snacks such as goldfish. If your child is still in diapers, stop at a rest area every 2-3 hours depending on how much your child drinks. There is nothing worse than traveling with a child in a soaking wet carseat b/c his diaper leaked! Also if your child has a favorite CD bring that too so you can listen to it together. Hope this helps you!

Holly - posted on 01/09/2010

we ttook my 2 year old daughter to Texas and it was suppose to be a 17 hour drive but turned out to be more like 24 hours. It was actually fun tho cause we took her trike and just stopped at every rest stop. she did really good but slept alot. I recommend in getting a car seat pillow.

Laura - posted on 01/08/2010

We took are daughter at the time 18 months on a 4-6 hour trip. I took a dvd player and books and toys. She was good for the first two hours and then she got car sick. We had to stop every hour and make sure she was ok and stretch a little. :)

Tabitha - posted on 01/08/2010

yea i have we went from oregon to califonia to visit family and we are going this year and we got a 7 yr old a 4 yr old and a almost 2 yr old we went when she was 8 months old what we did was we brought alot of snacks and drinks for them kids music also hand held games also i made sure there was diapers in the car instead of the trunk i hope this helps and we drove for 13 1/2 hours

Jackie - posted on 01/08/2010

We went to New England for Christmas this year with our 21 month old son. It took us 12 hours to get there. He did really well. Just make sure to have plenty of snacks,diapers,toys,books etc..we took a portable dvd player as well...that was a huge help. Make sure to make plenty of stops along the way to let him stretch his little legs.

Cindy - posted on 01/08/2010

Yes several times I take my toddler on a 10 hr road trip from Galveston to Oklahoma ...my best advice for you is to take plenty of snacks,drinks, and when you stop let your son out to play and walk around. also maybe take some of his favorite toys and books...

Sara - posted on 01/08/2010

Jessy, on the potty training thing, it may set him back, but it may not. The first trip we took while training my oldest set her back some. But, on the next trip, just a couple months later, she was able to tell us along the way when she needed to go, we stopped, and she never had an accident. It would be best to stop every hour or so, or however often you think he will need to go to the potty, that way he can stay in his routine as far as timing/frequency is concerned. Also, I would put him in pull-ups or the like instead of diapers. Those worked the best for my daughter when we were training and traveling.

Amanda - posted on 01/07/2010

Oh my trips to Massachusetts were about 18 hours.

Amanda - posted on 01/07/2010

I took my two daughters on a trip to Massachusetts the past 2 summers. Last summer my oldest was 2 years and 3 months & my youngest was 16 months. The best tips I can give you is to bring lots of toys, try to do a good amount of driving at night so your toddler will most likely fall asleep, & we got some portable tvs for the car and they were awesome! :)

Sharlotte - posted on 01/07/2010

I took a 6 month old all the way from TX to NY and she did GREAT on the trip. Just make sure he has toys to play with :)

Shannon - posted on 01/07/2010

i took my 3 year old on a 14 hour trip where we drove straight through (we took bathroom breaks and stuff) and he did really well, but we had plenty of snacks and we had a dvd player in the car so that kept him busy.

Chelsea - posted on 01/07/2010

I also suggest the portable Dvd player and lots of stopping to stretch their legs. And lots of snacks!