A baby at the back of the car is perhaps the last thing on your mind when you think about fun road trips. Just the thought of changing nappies every now and then, calming tantrums, and doing countless peek-a-boos is enough to make you exhausted. But hey, it’s not impossible to have a smooth, enjoyable trip with your child. Your preparation game plan just has to include these things:
Work as a team.
It will be extremely hard to juggle both driving and dealing with your kid. You won’t arrive at your destination faster as you would want to if you’re constantly pulling over to the side to ease their meltdown. It’s also worth noting that you could be in great danger when your child starts to throw a tantrum.
According to a number of studies about car safety, car crashes are more likely when there are kids at the back. For the obvious reason that they need to be attended to from time to time. In other words, they could be a distraction from driving. The ideal set-up then is to have a designated driver and caretaker. With this, you can get to grandma’s house in no time — and in one piece. Take turns with your spouse, if possible. When you’re the one at the back, sneak a wink of sleep while your baby’s resting, so you can be refreshed once you take on the wheels again.
Keep your baby in a good mood.
When the baby’s happy, everybody’s happy. For sure you know already that infants only get grumpy when there’s a need that’s not being met. A child may be hungry, bored, dirty, or uncomfortable when he cries. Based on these needs, keep your supplies within reach: bottles of formula or breast milk, small toys, wipes and nappies, and an extra blanket to shield them from the cold. Remember, these should be easily retrieved. You may have done a good job packing everything in one tote bag, but if you downed all these necessities in there, you and your baby will certainly not be in a good mood, with you taking a long time digging through your stuff just to get some wipes. Of course, it’s also important to equip your car with comfort essentials, like, for instance, secure, unshaky infant seats that have ample padding and auto window tinting that Scottsdale specialists provide.
Get ready with entertainment.
If you’re going to be on the road for long hours, you certainly need to have some activities lined up to dispel your baby’s boredom. Sometimes, them playing with small toys won’t cut it. In those situations, play some songs. Prepare a playlist of nursery rhymes before the trip, and then keep them in the loop as you cruise through the roads. Of course, you can also sing yourself. Do a duet of some sorts with your spouse to make it more fun. If tickling your baby’s ears don’t help, relieve their boredom with touches. Massage their face, hands, legs, and feet. This helps not just in ‘entertaining’ them, but also in releasing tension from stiff little bodies.
It’s not an easy task to go on a road trip with a baby. But it’s possible to make it less stressful. As long as you got the right supplies, the right techniques, and the right company, you can survive it.
