Drive 8 hours in a car with 6 and 8 yr old?

[theroadtohell1]

I have an 8 hour drive to do to visit my parents with my DD8 and DS6. First time I'll do it on my own since separating from DH.

The thought of it fills me with absolute dread. DD is sensible and easily entertained. DS, however, isn't ( he has SEN.) I'm seriously wondering whether it's actually safe to attempt it. They are likely to argue, possibly fisticuffs after a few hours, not to mention the endless "are we there yets?". I'm worried about getting badly distracted on the motorway.

Obviously I can make plenty of stops for the endless fake "I need a poo mummy claims but should I do it in 2 days instead, spending a night in a Travelodge half way to break the journey?

If you must put a forward-facing seat in the front when there is an airbag present, make sure that the car seat is as far back as possible and the child seat is securely held to maximise the distance between the child and the airbag.

It is better not to place a forward-facing restraint in a seat with an airbag; try to avoid this if possible. If it is not possible, then check the advice of the vehicle manufacturer. Find out how far the airbag extends when deployed and ensure that your child is well outside the expansion area. Ensure that the passenger seat is as far back from the airbag as possible, that the child seat is very securely fitted and the child is securely held by the harness or seat belt.

Off A42 run-around possibility - Conkers in the National Forest? Similar distance off the main road to Calke, but a bit earlier

www.visitconkers.com/

Oh, but, just checked entry charges & they’re a bit silly for a short stop. So Calke a better bet (& it is lovely!)

When we have done long journeys with 2 kids we have left around 4 - 3 hours then stop for tea/run around. Then they usally fall asleep and we do the rest of the driving in the evening. With mine if I woke them at 4am there is every chance they might not fall asleep and then be super grumpy the rest of the day.

OP

Top tip for travelling by train.If the booking system goes down (which it always does on busy trains) then you still have an entitlement to a seat, head for first class and when the conductor comes tell them you have a reservation, they have to find you a seat then.

Back to driving.

If you do need to stop anywhere have a look at farms, lots do B and B and there is usually somewhere for children to run around.

www.farmstay.co.uk/Accommodation/SearchResults?page=1&pagesize=10&guid=1563682703928

We used to leave around 3am. Pack the night before then just put sleepy kids in the car. Mine used to sleep till 8ish. We would have breakfast, then carry on.

Doing it overnight is not bad but they'll need decent high back boosters to keep them in the seatbelt and it's only OK if you can stay awake. If you did that I would do 2 stops. Each chunk of the journey 2-3 hours. Not terrible to wake them up then. Def wouldn't stop once an hour - unless you need to this is madness and will make everything drag. Each stop adds at least 20-30 mins by the time you've come off motorway, parked, got everyone out of car, stretched legs/wee/shops, back all in correct seats and merge again, so stopping 7 times will add about 3 hours to your trip and that's assuming you don't do any long stops. Noooo. The way to go is to do as long stretches without a break as you (and DC) can reasonably manage.

Overnight you get clearer roads which helps a lot (in the UK especially) and you don't have to worry about overheating and sun. But it means the first day of the holiday is a write off.

If you choose to do it during the day, plan your stops around traffic jams. (Use google). Better to be sat in a service station for an hour than a queue for an hour.

Teach DD some basic useful things to help e.g. looking at the upcoming traffic on Maps, checking alternative routes, googling service stations/what's at each one. So she can do that while you're concentrating on the road. Maybe download some car game ideas she can read and explain to you all too?

My lad with ASD can be entertained for a bit with fidget type toys. You can buy tubs of them and dole them out like sweets once he's bored of one.

Junction 26 of M1 has an IKEA. Cheap tea/coffee, food etc and I think an outdoor play area. If your kids are anything like mine then they treat the indoors like a play area too.

I used to do a 9 hour trip to the ILs twice a year with 5 DCs in tow. I had a small dvd player and screen that was wedged between the two front seats. This was obv ages ago...

It's very doable though tiring. The DCs will settle into their own little bubble as you travel - you shouldn't have to plan activities for them.

Get iPads and noise cancelling headphones. Put luggage or a big box in the middle of the back seat to separate them. Get fidget toys and blu tack for DS. Bring pillows and blankets for comfort.

Maybe look into audio books?

Snacks - pots of hummus (it dries to a powder if dropped into clothing) bread sticks, string cheese, bananas, sweets to bribe with - do not give sweets except as rewards for behaviour such as not asking are we there yet, putting up with each other, etc. Bottled water.

Bring coffee or tea or other caffeinated drink for you, and some very strong minty chewing gum, which will wake you up if you start to feel drowsy.

Don't make long stops. Quick trip to the loo, quick stretching of the legs, dispose of rubbish from the car, fill up your tank, and head off again.

I've done it a few times OP. I think it's easier to just power through. If they fight can you put the older dc in the front seat? Load tablets with all their favourite things, take a charging bank and ignore anyone that claims these are bad things to use on journeys.

Thanks.

Where can I get tubs of fidget toys from? Amazon?

And what's a charging bank? I have a lead so I can charge iPads/ phones from the cigarette lighter in the car....

My mum has suggested giving them a large dose of Piriton too to help them sleep 😱. She knows DS well. We once drove from Devon to Kent, leaving at their bedtime. Due to traffic we didn't get there until 3am. DS did not sleep for a single second....