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Car Travel with a Toddler
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Thinking twice on taking your kids along
for your vacation or when you travel?
Traveling with very young children need not be stressful.
Here are a few
more tips on
how you can enjoy your car vacation or trip trip to the beach with less trouble and more fun
when you have little children on board. |
Car Travel With A Toddler
Summer vacation is a great time to make family memories but if you
have toddlers in tow, you may be dreading it as much as you are
looking forward to it. Here are some tips to make everyone more
relaxed and comfortable:
Involve your child before the trip
Talk with your toddler about taking the trip, show them pictures of
where you will be visiting and explain how long it will take to get
there. For example, "we will be at Grandma's place in two sleeps".
Make a map of the route and keep your child updated with a colored
marker of where you are.
Keep snacks and juice at hand
A pit stop may not be for a while and your child is hungry, what to
do? Make sure you have brought a cooler with healthy snacks and
juice to nibble on along the way. Access to finger foods your
toddler enjoys can save time, money and a tantrum or two!
Keep them entertained
Our parents never had it so good. Portable DVD players work like
magic. Pack up their favorite DVDs and rent or buy some new ones for
the trip. Other ways to keep the little ones amused is to pack some
new (non-noisy) age appropriate toys that can be used in the car.
Spread them out as surprises for longer trips.
Keep carsickness at bay
Looking out the window can help prevent motion sickness so engage
your child with what is going on outside if they are feeling queasy.
It will help your child's brain register that the body is moving and
help nausea. Frequent snacks and staying hydrated will also help. If
your child is really prone to carsickness, speak to your doctor
about possible remedies.
Take many rest stops
You must take your cue from your child and go at their pace, not
yours. Stop at places where your toddler can run and get some
exercise and burn off pent up energy. Get take out food and visit a
park instead of going to a sit down restaurant. This will save some
time and let them run and play for a while.
Drive while they sleep
Try to schedule car trips during your toddler's nap or regular sleep
time, make sure to bring their favorite blanket or teddy bear to
help
settle them. It will make time go much faster for them and will be
down time for you. Some parents even plan long drives for overnight.
The only problem with this is that your toddler will arrive
refreshed
but you will not!
Have fun!
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