5 Toddler Road Trip Tips
Welcome to the September 2012 Natural Living Blog Carnival: Kids in the CarThis post was written for inclusion in the monthly Natural Living Blog Carnival hosted by Happy Mothering and The Pistachio Project through the Green Moms Network. This month our members have written posts about kids in the car.
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We love to travel, and with all of our family members residing out of state, we take a lot of road trips. These car rides with our two year old son and baby girl are typically very smooth, thanks to five guidelines that we follow:
1. Travel during nap time.Although it can sometimes take a while for Big Brother to fall asleep in the car, he will eventually sleep for a couple of hours if our trips includes his typical nap time. There is nothing like sleeping children to make a car ride easier!
2. Pack some of your toddler's favorite foods.Eating always kills time, and it's really helpful if you don't have to rely on takeout to satisfy your child's hunger. My son loves to snack on fruit, drink kefir or green smoothies, or nibble on finger foods as we drive.
3. Sing songs, and play fun music.There is nothing like a few rounds of your toddler's favorite songs to keep them happy. Our current favorites are Wheels on the Bus and Tony Chestnut (Toe Knee Chest Nut). My son loves interactive songs. Both my toddler and my baby girl love listening to the Baby Einstein: Traveling Melodies
4. Be on the lookout.Be on the lookout for things your child loves through the windows. My son loves cars and trucks, and he has a ball watching for dump trucks, backhoes, police cars, etc. You can look for clouds that are fun shapes, trees of certain colors, people wearing a certain item of clothing, license plates with letters or numbers that your child can recognize, specific road signs, etc. The lookout list is endless and takes up the majority of our road trips.
5. Make conversation.In the car, your little one is not distracted by toys, TV, or friends. She can focus on you and on really developing a conversation. Our toddler has said some of his funniest and most insightful statements as we all talk in the car. It's a rare opportunity for the whole family to focus on each other without distraction, and I treasure many of our road trip car conversations.
What are you favorite tips for road trips with a toddler?
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Visit Happy Mothering and The Pistachio Project to learn more about participating in next month’s Natural Living Blog Carnival!Please take some time to enjoy the posts our other carnival participants have contributed:
