Road Trippin’ With Baby
Babies change everything, but by following a few simple tips your family road trips can still be a great time.
The transition into parenthood is truly eye-opening, which is funny when you consider how sleep deprived most parents are the first year, it’s like you have weights on your eyelids.
The addition of our kids can turn formerly spontaneous activities, like a spur of the moment road trip, into an ordeal that requires careful planning. It’s important to continue adventuring, so here are some ideas on how to road-trip safely and comfortably with a baby.
Here’s five tips that will help make the time spent together in the car as enjoyable as possible.
Timing is everything. If your kid’s morning nap occurs around nine, plan to hit the road just as their eyes droop, counting on the background noise and movement of the vehicle to lull them to sleep. If you can coax them into an afternoon nap, you’ll make plenty of progress and they’ll be well-rested by the time you arrive. If their naps are disrupted because the travel has thrown their routine off, tips #4 and #5 on this list will help you out.
Stop constantly. Between nap #1 and nap #2 is the time to stop and stretch, snack, and take in the scenery. When you’re packing, take time to consider which items you’ll need quick access to throughout the trip. There’s nothing worse than digging through bags and suitcases only to finally locate a diaper buried in the furthest corner of the trunk.
Maintain a comfortable temperature in the car. Infants lack the ability to regulate their body temperature the same way adults do. Kids can quickly go from comfortable to too hot, and they’ll let you know when that happens. One huge advantage is solar window tint on our car, because it noticeably reduces heat and glare in your car’s interior. Modern solar control films don’t have to be dark – nearly transparent ceramic films can give you all the heat rejection qualities you want without changing the look of your vehicle.
Installing window tint will make a huge difference in the temperature while you travel – you’ll find the interior temperature of your cabin to be more consistent and you’ll use less AC. Comfortable baby = less fussing. Read more about solar control window tint right here.
Find some toys that occupy the mind. Infant car seats face backwards, how boring is that? Finding a few soft and lightweight toys (hard objects can quickly become projectiles during a sudden stop or accident) will help occupy your little one(s) during long stretches of driving. There’s no need to break the bank on this one, inexpensive dollar store items are perfect.
Pack double of everything. Kids can be very particular about certain things, like pacifiers or blankets. Pacifiers come in all shapes and sizes, and every kid has a favourite, which means they’ll loudly reject any and all substitutions. Road trip veterans will recommend packing double of finicky items that would be hard to replace en route, like your kid’s favourite brand of pacifier.