How do you fit everything in the car?!

[sam27]

Help needed! Staying with MIL at the weekend with a 7 month old baby. The last time we went we could hardly fit ourselves in the car with all the stuff we had to take. Does anyone have any handy tips? We have got a travel cot and microwave steriliser bags. What about the highchair? Do we need to bother with this or get one of those travel ones? And food.... I normally defrost a frozen homemade meal at home but maybe I should rely more on jars for the weekend?

Any advice welcome!

buy a people carrier
That's what we did

We have massive dog too

Get your MIL to buy second hand high chair, buggy etc (or you get one off ebay and get it delivered to her)

Might just do that! Can see why you need people carrier when you have more than one! I think I should just pack and go..... I spend far too much time worrying that I have forgotten something and packing all the extra things.....JUST IN CASE!!!

How often do you go to stay with MIL sam? Are you on good terms with her? She might quite enjoy 'getting some things in' for you - like a pack of nappies, wipes, jars of food, etc. But also could she beg, borrow, or steal a highchair, cot, pushchair for you to use for the weekend? Our parents and inlaws did this for us, (I used to travel up on the train with two under 2! so could only manage a single rucksack!) and it did make it easier for them to invite the children to stay on their own too, as they were all kitted out.

Another tip - whilst you are organising and planning, write a list an keep it on the PC: it will make it much easier next time you've got a journey.

Take less. Nooo, you don't need to take a high chair. Feed her on your lap (or MIL's lap). Take jars or boil up a bit of pasta at your MIL's house (presumably she has a kitchen and food??)
You don't really need much IMO. Just the buggy (or as CD says, ask her to get cheapo doubles), travel cot (or rig up chests of drawers around single bed or have her in with you - the chests of drawers works though!) a few outfits and your MIL can buy some nappies and wipes and have them ready for you or you can take a few with you. It's only a weekend! I presume she doesn't live in the middle of the Amazon rainforest so you can buy anything you've forgotten.

We probably stay every 2 or 3 months. She has managed to get a cot and will make sure she has bananas, redy brek etc. I think the highchair is the main problem.... they take up so much room!

Thanks for your help.

If you see a car travelling up the M1 on saturday over loaded with unecessary baby clutter then that'll be me!!

the first time we took ds to my parents for a long weekend, mum took one look at our overloaded car and said, 'This isn't the gobi desert, and I do have a washing machine, you know.' I now take 3 or 4 changes of clothes even if we go for a week, and I never took food if it was either set of parents.

It is a good idea to get a cheap highchair etc for use there if you're going to be there often, and we bought one of the cheap strollers that fold up really small and only used it if we were travelling.

Probably too young at the moment but we bought our MIL one of those strap on plastic booster high chair things, about £20.00 from Argos, asked them to buy in the yoghurt and certains foods, which they were more than happy to do. n Could you boy a roof box for the car for the future.

Agree with everyone here - take the minimum and leave it to your MIL to get the big stuff secondhand or borrowed, including some food jars.

But if you do prefer your own things around you then what about a roof box for the car? We got ours at Halfords and wouldn't be without it.

Our highchair is this one from Mothercare and it folds totally flat, but is a "proper" highchair.

Also agree with everyone here but...we have a Citroen Berlingo which has a huge boot. We've been known to take 2 high chairs and 2 buggies plus all other paraphenalia around with us!

Pack as if you were going on the train. Lots of people do, you know - so if you can't carry it, you will be able to manage without it - for the w/e at least!

That's a good tip Blu. I tend to just take EVERYTHING because the car is there and quite frankly I just annoy myself!!!..... and probably those people we go to stay with who think we have come to live with them!! LOL

What do you need a highchair for? My ds2 is seven months and whenever we go anywhere we just feed him in his carseat. We're going camping next month which I'm sure will be an experience.

With two and a looming fortnights holiday in France we've bought a slimline roofbox! That way we can still take the bikes on the roof too but get good access to the boot and box. I always take too much away with us and vow never to do the same the following year - although I still think that it is better to overcater than undercater personally! Can't help with a trip to MIL though as we never stay at ours...no space and so no problem!!! On short breaks though we do take a travel high chair as it gives them somewhere else to be other than draped on you all the time. I also take familiar things for the cot and a piece of blackout fabric to put up at the window as well as a non slip bathmat!! Can't be doing with accidents in other peoples houses!!! Have a good weekend.

Flip - our ds was too heavy for his car seat at 5 mths!

Take basics such as somewhere for baby to sleep and a familiar smelling sheet or blanket, buggy, special toy and her bowls/spoons/bottles. Forget high chair - can you use car seat or if you are likely to visit often could you get a cheap one there either 2nd hand or from Ikea. Can you steam some extra veg when you make a family meal and keep in fridge overnight. Presumably you can buy a supply of nappies, formula etc and anything you forget nearby anyway.

Flip you obviously have a normal 7 month DS. I have a big baby who doesn't fit into those car seats anymore! I will prob just hold him though and wear wipe clean clothes!

Thanks for all the tips... I will def stop worrying now. Just thought you might have some good ideas and wanted to know if I was the only nutter who packed everything but the kitchen sink!

Don't worry, I'm a nutter too. We first did big car trip when dd was 5 weeks and barely fitted ourselves in! Have got (marginally) better and it does get easier - although dd's addiction to her toy buggy presents a new problem .

Echo cheap Ikea highchair to leave or get a clip on one which takes up little bag space. I've also used the pushchair for feeding rather than get covered myself! My mum loved buying stuff to keep at her house and has a cupboard full of toys etc. So does my dbil's mum. If you are going to visit regularly I'm sure your MIL would be more than pleased to stock up for you. Have a good trip!

not read all the thread so sorry if im repeating what people have already said.

Dont get a highchair..buy those big pampers bed sheets...line a puschair with them and feed baby in that?

take cartons of ready made milk cos you can bring home what you dont use, but will still come back with less than you went with. Easier than waiting for kettle to cool etc when MIL wants a cup of tea as well!

As for the cot, can you borrow one? or failing that put baby in bed with you?

Has MIL got a microwave? buy those microwave steriliser bags.

take icecube trays of frozen veg/meat in a cool bag and use them? Probably no good if she is the other side of the country though cos of them defrosting en route?

Buy some of those bags from argos/index that you out clothes in then suck the air out with a hoover? They are great for space saving.

Good Luck!