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Original poster

How / what time would you do a long car journey with 10mo?

18 replies

lovely74 · 17/08/2010 10:07

We've got a long but unavoidable car journey coming up. Prior to DS it would take about 5hrs on an average traffic day. Now it takes us 7+ once we factor in breaks.

Because of DH job we can't leave before 3pm (not practical for me to drive and him get the train as train is stupidly expensive plus I'd struggle to drive that far alone, particularly if DS is screaming..., and for us to ge the train without DH, the stations are not in the towns where we live / are going so for me on my own would also be a no no).

DS is still in a rear facing seat, he's quite small so prob not big enough for the next stage one yet.

So do we leave at 3pm? Or do we wait till DS bedtime at 8pm? But then we arrive in the middle of the night (and then have to survive the family function we are going for!)

When they are this age do you still have to stop every 2 hours (assuming they aren't hungry, kicking up a fuss etc)?

I'm also paranoid as DS has started pretty much sleeping through recently, and definitely since the last time we did this journey, so I don't want this to ruin it.

Oh gawd! If I could get out of it I could but that's not an option. Help!!!!

OP posts:

IMoveTheStars · 17/08/2010 10:21

Personally I would leave after bedtime, and only stop if/when DS wakes up or you need a break yourselves. I know the guidelines say a couple of hours in a carseat but as a one off I'm sure it'll be fine?

I guess the alternative is to split the journey, is there anyway you could stay overnight somewhere about half way down?

Original poster

lovely74 · 17/08/2010 10:27

Thanks Jareth. No the problem is DH has to work until the day before the family event so we have to leave at the last minute.

Leaving at bedtime on the one hand sounds like a great idea, but then the journey doens't cover the whole night so he would get hoiked out of his car seat at 2/3am. We all need to be somewhere at 1pm the next day too, so we'll all be shattered.

OP posts:

IMoveTheStars · 17/08/2010 10:35

Hmm...

In that case I would leave as early as possible after your DH finished work, do a couple of hours (sit in the back with DS to entertain him perhaps?) and then stop for dinner somewhere, have a proper break and and then by the time you set off hopefully DS will sleep the rest of the way.

wedding by any chance? :)

Original poster

lovely74 · 17/08/2010 10:38

A bloody wedding that none of us want to go too, which make the journey all the more annoying, gggrrrrrrrrrr!

OP posts:

IMoveTheStars · 17/08/2010 10:41

In that case I'd suddenly develop a highly contagious D&V bug or something and not be able to attend

sorry, prob not that helpful

thehairybabysmum · 17/08/2010 10:43

We do long journeys fairly regularly to see family with our two.

Our tactic generally is to keep driving until they get tetchy. or to drive at bedtime.

In this case though, i would say leave at 3 pm (can your DH finish at 2 or 2:30 pm even??) and drive til 5/6pm ish, i.e tea time, stop for a decent break for all of you to eat something. Put your ds into his pyjamas then set off again. Hopefully your ds will then sleep until you get there.

I have never stopped every 2 hrs (unless they are unhappy)...it is just an occaisional journey so cant imagine it would be harmful.

When that age my DS's would sleep a lot in the car. I wouldnt worry about the affect on his overall sleeping as he will quickly resettle into his normal routine when you return home, mine always seemed too anyway.

Original poster

lovely74 · 17/08/2010 10:45

The temptation is MASSIVE!!!!! I would, I reallyt would. We only have to go because a family member couldn;t go without us (ill health, NOONE else to help) and they desparately want to go. We really have no choice. Have to suck it up.

OP posts:

thehairybabysmum · 17/08/2010 10:48

Dont sit in the back, unless you want to sit in the back for evermore!!

I reckon if you are in the front then they are more likely to go to sleep and less likely to whinge. If they can see you they want to play with you and so want to get out etc.

Plus its nice to actually have a conversation with your DH. I always think it looks a bit wet to see mum and baby in the back with the OH sat in the front, i always feel sorry for the OH; ill probably get flamed for saying that though!

Original poster

lovely74 · 17/08/2010 10:50

Hairy that makes me feel a bit more confident. Last time we did the journey DS had only just started solids so we could miss a meal (just have milk) but we can't really do this now so we have to stop for at least one long session.
DH and I had a lovely row this morning about him not being able to finish earlier but he really can't, that is already way earlier than normal (and the bloody wedding is on a friday so that's a whole day off we can't afford...)

I'm probably coming accross as a horrid cow but I actually don't like the bride / don't know the groom and am ONLY going as family support, they know it too )

OP posts:

Original poster

lovely74 · 17/08/2010 10:52

And that's interesting what you say about sitting in the back. I get a bit car sick so hate sitting in the back. And if I have DS in the car with just me I put him in the front (no airbag) and he definitely fights sleep. So I think I'll stay in the front unless he gets really upset.

OP posts:

IMoveTheStars · 17/08/2010 10:53

Oh, I only suggested sitting in the back for the first leg to entertain so your DS was more likely to stay awake, therefore more likely to sleep for the rest of the journey.

[shuts gob]

PomPotty · 17/08/2010 10:55

Our problem is always that we set off and kids sleep for 2-3 hours or until we stop and then after the stop don't want to sleep anymore as they aren't tired.... So I think the idea to sit in the back for the first part of the journey to play with your DS and keep him awake is a good idea, then stop for tea and change into pjs and then get in front so he can sleep in the back.

Good luck!

PomPotty · 17/08/2010 10:56

oh took too long to post.... agree with Jareth!

Original poster

lovely74 · 17/08/2010 10:56

Ooooh that's a good point too, tire him out. Please can someone get me one of the things they used in Star Trek to just transport us there?!

Off to clean up after breakfast....

OP posts:

ben5 · 17/08/2010 10:58

when we used to drive from scotland to devon( my parents) or kent( dh mum) we used to leave around 3am and get there about 11am. we would go to bed early so we weren't tired. we used to drive till about 7am before having a break. we missed all the traffic.

IMoveTheStars · 17/08/2010 11:37

tis the thread of x-posting PomPotty (is your nickname deliberately like PomPoko, or am I reading too much into this?)

PomPotty · 17/08/2010 14:16

jareth... no it's not, off to google... I just like the sound of it... kind-of-rolls-of-the-tongue

LoveBabyLoveTravel · 24/08/2010 20:42

We drove 2000 miles this summer with our DS. We did on average 3 hours a day and only stopped when he became fractious. My top tip if you're leaving at 3pm (which sounds like the best option to me) would be to keep the back seat free so that if needs be you can sit beside your baby and entertain him while you want him to stay awake. I did a lot of singing and peek a boo!! We had a toy box with all of DS's favourite toys which I brought out in stages. It's also amazing the fun you can have hiding behind a muslin square!!

We had a great time and really enjoyed the car journey, I'm sure you will too. We did 6 hours on our first day, I was dreading it but it was absolutely fine.

I have a website with family travel tips which you might find useful and have written a couple of posts about car travel.

www.lovebabylovetravel.com/packing-for-a-road-trip/

Comments and questions are always welcome.

All the best,

Anna

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