Traveling with friends and family is an adventure of a lifetime. Road tripping with babies, on the other hand, though an experience worth remembering, is memorable for reasons quite contrary than when you are by yourself or with friends.
However, if you’ve planned and prepared for everything and anything even traveling with an infant can be a joyous experience. Parents, who are struggling to reach their destination while their baby throws a tantrum in the back seat, should consider these tricks to help you make your journey a little easier:
Travel Light
When you think of being prepared, you mostly just want to pack everything and anything you can grab with your two hands. Don’t do that. When you have a baby to carry, why have your hands full with items you might not even need?
Keep only the essential items like passports, clothes as well as toys for the little one. There is no need to pack things you can buy at your destination if or when the need arises.
Expect the Unexpected
You never know what the next moment will bring, so being prepared for the worst is essential not just for traveling with a baby but as a general life rule.
You might feel like everything is going wrong when you have a flat tire, the baby is crying or vomiting, and you haven’t a slept a wink, plus the sudden weather changes. However, the perfect way to deal with such situations is to keep an open mind. You’re on the road with a baby something is bound to go wrong; accepting that fact will help make the situation bearable.
As Hans Selye, an endocrinologist of Hungarian Origin, said, “Adopting the right attitude can convert a negative stress into a positive one.”
Prepare Entertainment
Babies, infants, toddlers, even kids, need constant entertainment. They can’t handle long hours on the road with the end nowhere in sight. So have their toys nearby and within your reach so even if they throw the toy, you can handover a replacement.
You could also tie up a string from one handle to the other to hang up toys. It will keep the babies entertained and avoid them dropping all the time.
You can also get children songs and audiobooks at discounted prices via coupons that are available on websites like PennySaviour, for example, for them to listen to, so there are other options at your disposal if one doesn’t work.
Bring a Buddy
There’s no need to travel alone when you have a baby with you. Have your spouse travel with you or bring along a friend so if the baby gets a little too fussy, they can handle the situation without you needing to stop the car.
Moreover, if your friend or spouse can catch some Zs with the baby in the back, they can take over the driving later on so you can get your rest. It’s best to tag team, when on the road with a baby.
Pit Stops and Nature’s Call
Yes, babies need to poop and they do so more than you. So plan frequent breaks and pit stops to change diapers, stretch your legs, eat and change out of sweaty or spit-ridden clothes.
Conclusion
Road trips are the best part of one’s childhood, so don’t deprive your young one the chance to experience new things in life just because you fear to be on the road with a baby. Follow these few hacks, and you and your child are in for an adventure of a lifetime.