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You’re doing it! You’re packing up your little bundle and hitting the road for a grand adventure! Are you a tiny bit terrified?
I know how you feel. We took our daughter on her first road trip at 5 months old (while our son was only 2) and we didn’t start small. Her first road trip was a 15-hour drive in one day, followed by a 7-hour drive a few days later, and then another 13-hour drive home!
Here’s what I can tell you: you’ve got this.
Road tripping with babies can be done and it can be sweeter than you think! There are two things you need to make your new mantra: plan and be flexible.
Plan
Before you strap your little cutie into their seat and hit the road, it’s time to get overprepared.
When you’re driving to your destination there are no baggage fees, no penalties for overweight bags, and no oversized luggage to drag through an airport. That freedom to bring all the supplies you could ever need is one of the biggest benefits of taking a road trip.
Well before your trip, walk through your daily routine with baby and make a note of all the none-negotiables. What are the things that make your life easier and keep your little love cooing?
Start by making a list since most of those life-saving tools will be needed up until the day you leave and it will be easy to forget. Here are tips to consider when you’re preparing.
1. Bring extra. Extra diapers, extra clothes, extra wipes, extra clothes, extra pacifiers, extra clothes, extra snack, extra clothes. Anything your baby might make a mess out of, bring more than you think you’ll need. It’s better to bring too much then be stranded on the side of the road with a mountain of poopy clothes at your feet and your baby wrapped in napkins. It might even be a good idea to slide an extra outfit for yourself into the diaper bag just in case baby makes a Jackson Pollock painting of your shirt at a rest stop.
2. Keep it handy. Don’t bury your baby items in the trunk. Have a bag with all the most important items up with you in the front of the car, or right beneath baby’s car seat. Then keep all those extras easily accessible at the front of the trunk so you’re not unpacking your carefully tetris-ed suitcases on a busy highway.
3. Save some for later. When packing your baby’s toys, especially any new toys, hold some in reserve for the ride home. The first drive is full of excitement and novelty as you blaze a new trail to an exciting destination. The return trip will find you all a little more tired and a little less excited. It’s incredibly helpful to have fresh and new modes of entertainment set aside for that boring trek home.
4. Leave early. Now, my big kids are too excited to sleep when we hit the road. When they were babies, though, we spirited them into the car at 2 am and got a good 4 hours of driving done before they began to stir and notice anything was amiss. It will be more tiring for the grown ups up front but drastically reduces the amount of time baby is aware they are in the car!
Here is a list of products that we found super useful on our road trip with our babies.
-Wet Bag – This can seal up dirty diapers so your car doesn’t smell for miles and will also keep any messy clothes confined. https://amzn.to/4wd3aDN
-Puppy Pads – Cut a slit to thread their buckles through and line baby’s car seat with these puppy pads in case of any blowouts. https://amzn.to/3QSyuaP
-Formula Dispenser – This little container allows you to store formula for up to three feeds and pours easily into a bottle on the go. We traveled with enough of these that we wouldn’t have to portion out any formula while we were on the road. https://amzn.to/3QQvjjY
-Wipe Dispenser – These pouches kept our wipes from drying out and were super easy to grab when heading into a rest stop bathroom. https://amzn.to/4f2plq3
-Portable Highchair – This fold and go booster style highchair was a staple in our house on every road trip and every beach trip for years. They were so easy to use and clean on the journey and at our destination. https://amzn.to/4tcgKVj
-Scent Blocking Diaper Disposal Bags – You know why you need these. This one comes with a handy holder that click right on to a diaper bag. https://amzn.to/4wd496X
-Soft Busy Board – We got one like this for my daughter when she was a baby and she still uses it to this day in the car. https://amzn.to/4d87EDd
-Pull String Teether Toy – We had a similar toy to this and it was the greatest hit with our kids ever. https://amzn.to/4nbQYPL
-Pop Tube Giraffes – I don’t know who liked these more, me or my kids… https://amzn.to/4wcAcnF
-Amazon Fire Kids Tablet – It took us awhile to give in and get one of these, but it’s been worth every penny. I like that they’re less expensive and this one comes with a case. This case made it easy for my toddlers to hold on to. When you’re on hour 11 and they’re losing their minds, this little baby will be a lifesaver. https://amzn.to/3QS2xzt
Be Flexible
You may need to stop more than you’re used to. You may need to hop into the backseat to feed your angel a bottle on the go. You may need to give in and let your screaming sensation have a little bit of iPad time to preserve your sanity.
Plan and plan and plan again for all the physical things you can. Then take a deep breath and appreciate that this is new to all of you and you’re going to do just fine.
Remember: your baby is crawling into a completely brand-new situation away from everything they’re used to. They will be cooped up and cuddle free for hours on end, without the benefit of a prefrontal cortex that understands the lure of your destination. They may get upset. They may keep you on your toes. They also will trust you and follow your lead.
If you can keep a flexible, positive attitude, they’ll echo that back to you. If you act frazzled and nervous, they will too.
Soon enough you'll be back home and scrolling sentimentally through all the precious pictures from this family adventure!