My husband and I spend a lot of time at home. We don’t travel much because it’s just too hard with young kids. Even together, handling 2 kids exactly 2 years apart can be a hassle. When one starts crying, the other will follow shortly after. On top of that, they feel the stress you are experiencing and it can make their behavior worse. It’s all normal behavior, nothing crazy, but we find it much easier to deal with this when we are home. But sometimes, you have no choice but to leave the house.
We took a trip to Southern California for a wedding in the Summer of 2019. GPS told us it would take about 5 ½ hours, but we knew better. We had a 2 year old and a 3 month old. It took us 8 hours to get there and 9 hours to return. Surprisingly, we made it through without pulling all of our hair out. The truth is, a trip like this most likely won’t be easy, unless you drive all night while they sleep. Even then, kids are always full of surprises.
Here is some advice to help you on your journey.
1.Plan Ahead With Packing
Duh, right? Of course you’re going to plan ahead. Maybe it’s just me, but I can’t just pack a bag without a well planned out list that I have been putting together for a week. Seriously make a day out of this. Write down everything you use for your kids as the day goes on. Then when you pack, look at your list and pack for however many days you are gone. I know this seems silly, but I can’t tell you how many times I have forgotten something as simple as wipes, because I didn’t have it written down.
Also, make sure you don’t pack the last of your supplies, otherwise you will come home exhausted and need to leave again to go shopping.
2.Don’t Have Your Heart Set On Timing
Sure, you can have an overall goal. If you achieve it, then great! As I said before, it took us an extra 3 hours to get where we were going. We left early knowing that 5 ½ hours was never going to happen. It became a day trip. We kept that tip in our back pocket for when we made another Southern California trip later that year to visit Disneyland.We made the drive down a 2 day adventure, with fun stops and a hotel stay.
3.Bring Entertainment
This will look different to each family. Toys and music seemed to work the best for us at the time. Our girls would calm down to Disney soundtracks and Kenny Loggins Lullabies. A stuffed animal to cuddle helped as well. As kids get older, they will need more things to do. Interactive toys can be annoying to listen to, but it’s so much better than the cries of a bored child.
4.TMI? But…Assume What You Heard Was Not Just A Fart
Do I even need to explain this one? At that point, something has already happened or it’s brewing. Do yourself a favor and find a place to stop. The last thing you need on a long trip is trying to clean poop off of a car seat.
5.Bring Plastic Bags
When accidents happen, you don’t want nasty clothes sitting around in your car. We’ve learned the hard way that soiled clothes left in a hot car don’t exactly leave a desirable smell. After changing them, do yourself a favor and find a restroom to rinse out the clothes, put them in a sealed plastic bag, and leave them somewhere you will remember to take them out again. Hopefully your destination has a place to properly wash your clothes.
Traveling with “littles” is no easy task. You can prepare yourself for every possible set back on the way and children will still find a way to surprise you. The most important thing is to stay calm when things don’t go as planned. Children can sense the stress in your voice and tend to act out more when that happens. Just take a breath and deal with things as they come.