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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU for not visiting my parents because toddler travel is too difficult?

118 replies

Mamma112782 · 26/06/2026 04:57

DH and I have an 18mo and an older child with complex SEN. Before baby we used to drive 2h to visit my parents who are in their 70s. After baby my parents visited us on public transport, also 2h, so we wouldn’t have to put a newborn through the drive.

It turned out she hated the car anyway. I have to sit in the back with her and we’ve barely driven her more than 30 mins as we can’t take more than a few minutes of her screaming - it’s especially unfair on older child who gets very dysregulated (and potentially dangerous) with her crying even with ear defenders. DH also has to commute to work every day so he finds additional driving during the weekend very tiring. She enjoys the car a little more now but I’m a ball is stress in the back passing her distractions every few minutes and eventually she starts up again. I think some of the time she wants to sleep but she can’t in the car seat without 10-15mins of screaming first, other times she wants a comfort feed.

We could take public transport but as she’s gotten older she’s obvs become more resistant to it - again anything more than 15
mins on a train is very painful as she just wants to climb and move around.

So my parents have continued to visit every couple of months and they keep asking if we can come in the car yet. I feel bad for them but I can’t see an end to it. Is it usual not to visit any family while baby/toddler is struggling with cars for a prolonged period?

OP posts:
GrumpyInsomniac · 26/06/2026 10:38

A couple of things from me. My brother used to be like your daughter. We never found out why, only that it did at some point stop and from around the age of 4 he suddenly became fine with the car, so for your sake I hope your daughter goes that route. Me, on the other hand? I’ve had car sickness my entire life and cannot sit in the back of a car for longer than a few minutes without it being an issue.

It could be that your daughter gets motion sickness, so I would try the travel wrist bands and see if that helps. But also, if she is feeling unwell on public transport as well as in cars - which would make sense if she feels sick there - it will take her a while to unlearn the fact that travelling makes her feel ill and that she gets stressed in anticipation of the horrible thing happening, which of course makes it almost inevitable.

I don’t know how you’re set up with technology, but in the accessibility setting for iPhones and iPads there is a motion sickness option that puts dots on the screen and uses the accelerometer in the device to guide their movement on the screen and apparently helps a lot because it provides an artificial horizon of sorts for people to look at. I’ve not had a chance to use it myself and test how well it works, because I mostly drive myself, but I’ve heard good things from friends. So maybe if that’s an option, give her a chance to try it and see how that goes.

Also, cars, public transport, all of those things, are noisy environments. Have you tried putting ear defenders on your daughter to see whether that helps her? Something in the environment is causing her distress, so what you need is to try to work out what that is.

To pick up on what another poster said about migraine, my son and I both get migraines and he used to scream the car down if we ever dropped below 30mph. I first worked out he had migraines when he was about 7 and a loud noise made him puke, because that was very familiar to me. Adults with migraine often start as children with abdominal migraines, because of all the neural tissue in the gut, and so it is possible that this is a factor but she’s too small to be able to communicate what she’s feeling.

While this all feels quite hard to solve right now, there is no harm in talking to her GP about this and about what you may be able to do to support her either with car sickness or possible early migraine signs. My father was of the “she’ll have to get used to it” school of thought and every childhood road trip was a misery to me as a result. I did my best to make sure I didn’t repeat that with my son because a childhood full of “stop being so dramatic” never actually fixed anything. Quite the reverse.

But first step: talk to the GP. If nothing else, being able to tell the grandparents that the doctor has suggested X, Y or Z and so you’re going to have to stick to that while you work out the cause may actually make them more inclined to be understanding.

Notmycircusnotmyotter · 26/06/2026 10:42

YANBU and I say that as someone who drove to France when my two were 2.5 and 6 months, 3.5 and 1.5 and regularly drive a couple of hours with both (now 3 and 5). Mine like the car. It's easy. Yours do not and it's hard work. Your parents should travel if they're able.

Frazzlesforever · 26/06/2026 13:26

Could you or husband drive down the night before and then drive your parents to yours the next day? Take the strain of them a bit. You could do this every so often so you give them a break of doing the travelling themselves.

Shinyandnew1 · 26/06/2026 15:16

Why don’t you drive and take the older child alone every other time? Or go on public transport? Do your parents not drive?

What about meeting halfway somewhere?

If you want to see them more often I’d shake it up a bit so you’re doing different things and different people are travelling each time.

Unsure1045 · 26/06/2026 15:27

I totally understand why you can’t have your DD screaming her head off in the car with your SEN DS.

She could have a bit of motion sickness, or she could possibly be used to you with her and it’s creating the anxiety more and more.

I would maybe take her on public transport a few times a year to visit whilst DH drives DS.

I know why you’re doing this because of DS but it’s doing DD no favours and could possibly increase her anxiety if she’s not used to longer droves or public transport

Happytaytos · 26/06/2026 15:46

HelloCheekyCat · 26/06/2026 06:35

Surely that would be worse, I would not want to drive 2 hours with a screaming child in the back, it would be so distressing/distracting

The child wouldn't cry for that long.

I've done plenty of journeys with a screaming toddler. You tune it out.

Onautopilot · 27/06/2026 03:08

Just a thought, probably already suggested. Was she a colicky/windy baby? My son was windy and as a toddler the car seat seemed to cramp his tummy. We regularly had to travel 120km each way from birth and noticed he developed this in his toddler years after the newborn capsule seat.
I gave him dinefords wind remedy, or phenegen travel syrup half an hour before and it settled his tummy. He was fine after 3 years old.
Good luck OP.

BruFord · 27/06/2026 03:16

I agree with the mixing it up suggestions. Also, have you tried driving with your DH sitting in the back with the children?

The novelty of having him with them might make a difference. Mine are older now but I also found audio books and podcasts to be soothing on long car journeys, even if they can't quite follow the stories yet. Hearing the different voices (even better if songs are involved) is distracting. Once they can follow audio books, it can be difficult to get them out of the car if it's at an exciting part :-).

thepariscrimefiles · 27/06/2026 07:55

ToddlerBoy383291 · 26/06/2026 07:12

Building tolerance just means putting the toddler and the OP through hell for what? So 2 elderly people can play with a toddler who doesn't want to be there for a couple of hours. And I think the building tolerance stuff is bullshit, toddler will grow up and can either explain what the issue is or grow out of the discomfort they're feeling.

I agree. All the posters saying that they're 'old school' and that OP and her toddler need to 'suck it up'. Why can't her parents 'suck it up' and do the travelling if they are so desparate to see their daughter and grandchildren?

WeatherOrNothing · 27/06/2026 08:05

TheVeryAngryBanana · 26/06/2026 06:40

The get used to it brigade are insane! Why would you deliberately stress your child? She'll probably be fine by 5, and likely earlier. Your parents can do the travelling for a few years or you just don't see them so much. 4 hours traveling in one day is too much anyway, and since you can't stay out doesn't make sense. You're going to be a doing a lot of travelling when they're really old, so they need to share the burden while they're capable. Go once every 6 months and stay longer in an airbnb, or get a holiday cottage somewhere neutral.

This, as an adult a 4 hour round trip is a big fat NO from me. Theres no way I’m putting my kids through it. We have done long trips but for a holiday and a very good reason.

Op not sure what the solution is but I wouldn’t be putting the kids and my dh through that. Your parents can make the trip until your kids get older.

catslovehairties · 27/06/2026 08:37

thepariscrimefiles · 27/06/2026 07:55

I agree. All the posters saying that they're 'old school' and that OP and her toddler need to 'suck it up'. Why can't her parents 'suck it up' and do the travelling if they are so desparate to see their daughter and grandchildren?

Why should it be on a pair of seventy odd year olds to do all the travelling and make all the effort?

RiceR1ceBaby · 27/06/2026 08:52

’they don’t cry for that long’ is nonsense. We recently did the 2.5 hrs to my parents and our toddler slept 30 minutes, woke up and then screamed another hour, until we decided to try giving him a phone with some Night Garden to watch. It’s horrible and I completely understand/ sympathise. Like other posters, I’d consider whether forward facing is an option, we turned out eldest at about 18 months because she would scream in the car and it was really unsafe for the driver. Also have you tried any screen time? Ours is 18m and I thought it would be too young but he just settled down and watched it. We’re very restricted on screens at home but have found them really useful for long car journeys between ages 2-4, so we’d do as much of the journey as possible and if all else fails use a screen. This was essential because both our parents live a good way away and we have phased it out now that our 5 year old can cope with these journeys and play car games/ sleep.

MeetMeOnTheCorner · 27/06/2026 08:54

is the older child a toddler? Op just says older? However, I’d split them
up. Separate visits. Then grandparents come for third visit. Most babies end up sleeping in a car! When does baby nap? Set out just before a nap. Get ear defenders for older dc. Definitely don’t have more dc!

PatchworkCow · 27/06/2026 11:27

catslovehairties · 27/06/2026 08:37

Why should it be on a pair of seventy odd year olds to do all the travelling and make all the effort?

Because they're the ones who want these visits? The OP is at the "just surviving the days" phase of life right now. The grandparents can also go home and recover after, taking it easy for a few days. OP can't do that, she's a parent to littles.

thepariscrimefiles · 27/06/2026 12:08

catslovehairties · 27/06/2026 08:37

Why should it be on a pair of seventy odd year olds to do all the travelling and make all the effort?

Because they are the ones who want to see more of their grandchildren.

catslovehairties · 27/06/2026 12:45

PatchworkCow · 27/06/2026 11:27

Because they're the ones who want these visits? The OP is at the "just surviving the days" phase of life right now. The grandparents can also go home and recover after, taking it easy for a few days. OP can't do that, she's a parent to littles.

Edited

Of course they want to see their grandchildren! But that doesn't mean they should do all the travelling Confused

catslovehairties · 27/06/2026 12:46

thepariscrimefiles · 27/06/2026 12:08

Because they are the ones who want to see more of their grandchildren.

Of course they do, but that doesn't mean they should have to do all the driving and travelling!

PatchworkCow · 27/06/2026 12:48

It does mean exactly that, if it isn't realistic for OP to travel, which at the moment it isn't.

BeSunnyLemonSheep · 27/06/2026 12:52

YABU. You’re making a mountain out of a molehill.

You need to use the car consistently and regularly, several times a week, or she won’t get used to it.

There are 3 seats in the back of most cars. Your older child can sit in the back too and he will just have to deal with it. Regardless of circumstance part of life is just dealing with stuff you don’t want to.

BeSunnyLemonSheep · 27/06/2026 12:53

PatchworkCow · 27/06/2026 12:48

It does mean exactly that, if it isn't realistic for OP to travel, which at the moment it isn't.

It is realistic. She absolutely can, she just would rather not.

catslovehairties · 27/06/2026 12:54

PatchworkCow · 27/06/2026 12:48

It does mean exactly that, if it isn't realistic for OP to travel, which at the moment it isn't.

Of course it's realistic for her to travel, it's just stressful.

They could offer to meet the parents halfway, at least.

Cornflakes44 · 27/06/2026 12:58

Mamma112782 · 26/06/2026 05:47

I understand what people are saying about baby needing to get used to it. But I have to consider my older child as well as he has complex SEN as he’s hypersensitive to sound - if he’s dysregulated in the car while she is screaming it’s awful for him. He has one time started to throw things. He can also sometimes show a lack of care and interfere with DH’s driving. He sits in the front as there’s no room in the back. DH has the car during the week as well so we would only have the weekends to acclimatise and for now she needs at least one of us to sit with her in the back, so DS has to come too.

Bearing all this is mind it’s worse for you to travel than for them, so for now they have to come to you. You can’t put the whole family through what sounds like a massive ordeal. I think expressing your gratitude for them taking the hit for a while more would be nice. Maybe offering to upgrade them to first class occasionally or cooking them a special tea when they get there might help them feel appreciated. But ultimately your needs not to travel are higher than there’s.

Xmasallergies · 27/06/2026 13:04

I’ve had similar issues and I would take one child and dh would have the other, next time we would swap.

Okiedokie123 · 27/06/2026 13:05

@Mamma112782 too late now but another time, I suggest posting this sort of question in the SEN section of MN which should hopefully reduce the hpnumber of horribly unhelpful and unsympathetic replies. xxx

PatchworkCow · 27/06/2026 13:11

BeSunnyLemonSheep · 27/06/2026 12:53

It is realistic. She absolutely can, she just would rather not.

Because it's a massive ball ache and upsets both her kids! Which is a good enough reason not to do it. She's got her hands full parenting a SN child, she doesn't need to be running around after grandparents too. They can come to her.