I have friends that will do long drives at bedtime but I prefer the opposite. Similar to flying, I prefer to start super early to allow for plenty of daylight in case something goes wrong (traffic, car trouble, car sick kid, etc). I’d be much happier to arrive early at my destination than to drive tired at night, but that’s just me.

Anonymous wrote:Hello I am planning a 5 hour car trip with my almost 2 year old this summer. It will just be the 2 of us in the car and she will be backward facing.

I read a recent thread about activities I can give her (thanks for the tips!) but I am curious about the dynamic of not being able to help her if she drops something or needs to switch activities bc I will be driving.

I plan to depart at nap time and hope to get 2+ hours before she wakes up. When she does I will stop get her situated with snack and activity. My hope is that I get another 90 minutes and maybe one more stop before we arrive.

I am happy to let her watch tv/movies but I have some concerns bc there will not be anyone else in the car to manage it for her. At home she watches short shows (Teletubbies, Mr. Rogers, some Winnie the Pooh episodes). Also even very G rated Winnie the Pooh can cause her to get upset if something bad happens to one of the characters.

Am I over thinking this?

Drive after bedtime.

Hypnotic tv shows for kids that age:

Peppa pig
Booba
Twirlywoos
Mickey Mouse clubhouse
Mighty Bheem
Little baby bum

Those awful YouTube channels with a cartoon baby that makes burgers, sorts things by color and shape, etc

I did this many times with my kid backwards facing. The keys for me were:

1. Set up the car so there is lots of stuff in arms reach. I'd put her in her car seat with her water in one cupholder and a snack in the other. I'd also put something next to the car seat that would enable me to put a container with books and toys (see below for ideas) within arms reach. Yes things fall but if you have a selection, it's not a huge deal. Usually I'd put a cooler next to the car seat and then strap a little fabric sided box to it with the items I wanted her to have access to.

2. I never used screens. I'm not against them, I just found I didn't need them. We'd talk or listen to music, sometimes I'd put on a story podcast, or she'd look at her books. I also found some car games for toddlers. The two big winners were (1) a little LED device with a pen she could write on -- like an etch a sketch but easier, and (2) a little magnet puzzle set that came in a metal box -- very minimal issues with dropped pieces because everything was contained to the box and magnetic.

3. Plan to stop frequently. I don't plan exact stops in advance because you don't know when she'll fall asleep or for how long. As a rule, I would stop when she woke up from a nap -- she will need to get out and stretch legs, it's a good time for a snack, and also good time to reset in her car seat with fresh water and activities. Beyond that, I'd aim for every 90 minutes or so unless she's asleep. Stop before she gets cranky. Try to stop places with playgrounds if you can (look the route up beforehand so you have some idea of where these might be, pull over to find one if you're in any kind of town and don't know for sure). But even just a grassy area where she can run around is good. Bring bubbles or a ball to kick around.

The backwards facing was no big deal to me. My kid is forward facing now and while I know it makes a difference to her at this point (she likes being able to see me), it doesn't really change the dynamic on a long car trip much because it's not like I can interact with her directly beyond the occasional glance in the rearview mirror.

TL;DR: I don't think you are overthinking it but I also know this to be very doable. There might be some trial and error but it's really no different from any other day with your kid -- make sure she gets enough food, sleep, and you have a few activities planned, then just roll with it and be willing to take breaks when necessary. In many ways, a 5 hr car ride is easier than a 5 hr airplane ride because there are fewer variables in the form of other passengers, delays, turbulence, etc.