This last weekend we went away to Derby to visit family, it took around four hours to get there, including a stop. The way back however was a whole different story, it took us eight and a half hours with two brief stops. Unfortunately a couple of junctions on the M5 were closed due to an accident. We followed the diversion which turned out to be bumper to bumper and at a standstill. By the time we finally got through the diversion the two junctions had already opened.
E was so good with the long journey, she had a half hour nap and for the rest of the journey I tried to entertain her. The iPad helped but even that lost its novelty after a while, luckily we had some treats in the car that I kept giving her, there was also colouring, a magazine and her doll to play with.
The experience of this trip has made me reflect on being more prepared for long journeys or incidents that might delay your journey.
Traffic jams and motorways aren’t really enjoyable at the best of times but if you are travelling with a moody toddler hours can seem like days and trying to explain to a toddler why they have to sit still for such a long time can sometimes be difficult. Here are a few tips on being prepared for long journeys.
Keep the lunchbox hidden. If they see it, they will want it, before you are even out of your postcode.
Take Breaks If your toddler is awake, take plenty of breaks to let her run around and burn off excess energy. Many motorway stops or pubs near the motorway have playgrounds or play areas for children.
Allow for Extra Time – If you have to be somewhere at a certain time, allow some extra time for short breaks.
Bring drinks and snacks – Pack plenty of finger food snacks such as fruit, biscuits, yoghurt in squeeze pouches as they are less messy, some sweet treats and plenty of water and juice.
Be prepared – Travel with spare clothes handy, there is chance you wont make a toilet stop in time or they might even throw their drink over them – I have experienced both of these incidents. It might be worth putting your toddler in a pull up just in case you get stuck in a traffic jam.
Take children’s cd’s and have some sing a long time. E absolutely loves it when we were singing in the car.
Play games – toddler friendly versions of I spy – looking for different colour cars and lorries. Since the horrific journey E loves looking out for lorries now.
Take Audio books – this is one I had never thought about until after the journey. Julia Donaldson does a few audio books, I think E would have loved these and it might have given me a bit of peace.
Prepare for the inevitable ‘are we there yet’?
Accept that there is nothing you say or do that will stop your bored toddler from kicking the back of your seat.
Remember that the children can hear you swearing at the Sat-Nav/ spouse and WILL repeat it in a later conversation, or at school.
No matter how sneaky you think you are being, your children can hear the rustle of a sweet wrapper from miles off. So can your spouse. If you have one, they’ll all want one so be prepared to share!
Have some car toys – toys or books that are put aside for long car journeys, as these are not played with every day when you go on long car journeys they are a novelty. These could be kept in the car so they are there when required.
Consider taking a magna doodle if you don’t want crayons to be lost in the car seat or pen being used to draw on everything but the paper this could be a great alternative.
These are just a few tips I have thought about, much of my advice I shall be putting into action the next time we go on a journey to Derby or any other long trips.
Do you have any tips for traveling for long distances with toddlers?
