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Monday 1 December 2014

Advice for a long drive with toddlers

Driving 8hrs in the car with two toddlers!

Here are a few of my must have things/advice for going on a long trip with toddlers. 

First off we purchased an in-car DVD player, my sons favourite movies at the moment are (Planes and How to train a dragon). This was a life saver, even if they still fought sleep it kept them occupied and rested so that eventually they drifted off. 

We do tend to start our trips later in the afternoon so that the bulk of the trip is done during the night in the hope that they go to sleep as they would normally at bed time.

Next thing is food and drinks - (but no sugary treats, you definitely do not want to give them a load of sugar when they are strapped into a seat with no where to release this energy LOL). I usually pack fresh fruit chopped up in little cups, some dried fruit, crackers and cheese and some greek sippy yoghurt. I also pack some savoury sandwiches just in case they didn't eat much at the dinner stop. And of course their little drink bottles full of water :-)

Next we pack a little bag with some pencils and colouring in books, or one of those dry erase boards that they can draw on until their hearts content,  just wipe it off and start again. Great to use as they create less mess in the car, the colouring books and pencils seem to just end up all over the place! Also throw in a few reading books (some interactive with fun buttons to press).



Last but not least is some cozy blankets and their favourite cuddly stuffed toys, for when it is time to wind down so that they can feel as comfortable as possible and have a nice long sleep! :-p

All these little things help but the timing of your trip makes a huge difference. Leaving later in the afternoon means that they are only going to be up for a few hours before its time for bed, and if you skip regular nap time during the day they should be nice and ready for a long sleep once it reaches bedtime. We usually have one stop during our 8hr drive, around dinnertime approximately 6pm and usually stop for at least 45min and do A LOT of active play. Then we are all set and ready to go for the remainder of the trip.

Hope this has helped some of you out there getting ready to head out on a family holiday. Enjoy the christmas break! 

Have a great week guys. 
Talk soon. 



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