Travelling by car without the electronic babysitter!

[KnittingisbetterthanTherapy]

Does anyone still do this?

We are planning a trip to Scotland next year (we live in SE England) with our two DC who will be 18 mths and just under 3 at the time. We are already being offered loans of DVD players and hand held computer games.

I'm not completely anti-tv (the boys watch about 5 hrs a week, so not a huge amount) but not keen on computer games (neither have used them at all) and it got me wondering whether anyone still travels long distances with their DC without these devices.

Without wanting to sound all wistful, my three siblings and me travelled all over the country when we were kids with nothing but trusty i-spy, sleeping and making up words using number plates to keep us occupied .

Please reassure me that I'm not the only one contemplating life for my DC without constant technological stimulation!

[KnittingisbetterthanTherapy]

Thanks everyone, think we will stick to our guns and go without - and try and resist the service stations on the way!

[Roo83]

They sell dvd players etc.at the services these days...along with books,CDs etc. Why don't you set off without-if you really feel the need for whatever reason you can always get something en-route.

[PurpleCrazyHorse]

DD is 15mo and she's happy to play with toys, shake her head to music (our choice on the stereo or radio) and generally look out of the window or dose. We chat to her etc too. We don't have kiddie music or story tapes yet. I do keep plenty of snacks in the car (and drinks for her) as she does get grouchy when hungry. We also tend to drive at night if possible and have a travel grobag that fits into the car seat.

Our general rule is to keep driving if she's asleep and only stop if she wakes. We did think DH would have to do laps of the service station car park as I needed a wee but DD was asleep!!!

[fedupwithdeployment]

I had 2 x DSs (nearly 4 and 6) and I am with you Knitting...no DVDs in the car for us. I think it is good to allow them to chat (nicely!) and play eye spy etc. We also have CDs and radio, and lots of toys and books in the car.

Lack fo electronic gadgets has never been an issue for us. We may get one eventually, but while they are happy we'll continue...and we drive to Yorkshire several times a year (from London) and at least twice to the south of France. This Christmas we're getting overnight ferry, arriving Dieppe c3.30am and intend to drive all the way to the southern Alps. Friends do think we're slightly mad, but it works for us!

[SkyBluePearl]

Everyone i know seems to have electronic devices for the car. My kids don't have car DVD's/games etc but we travel 6 hours to yorkshire and back several times a year. Mostly we chat, singalong, play games, listen to stories, dose, have sandwiches, eat treats, have nice stops (Off M1 near Wakefield is the Yorkshire Sculpture Park - great for coffee, play and run round)

[bilblio]

DD is 3. This summer we drove from Manchester to Cornwall over a couple of days, then spent a week travelling round. The return trip from Penzance to Manchester took 9 hours.
MIL suggested buying us a DVD player, but I think my look of horror put her off. Could a 3 year old even use a DS? Sounds more like a cause fo massive frustration and tantrums to me.

DD slept through most of the long journeys... she now seems to hate motorways though because they send her to sleep. We're lucky she loves looking at books and magazines. (her favourite was the Tesco catalogue :) ) She also directed us on "her" map - thankfully Daddy had one too. Or she just told us stories.

The only bit of technology we purchased for the sake of the journey was a car stereo which we could hook the ipod up to. This was my treat from our wedding money. :) We spent most of the week listening to the Muppets & the They Might Be Giants kids albums. I highly recommend them, they are very very listenable, even after a week of constant listening. Since returning I have created a playlist with a combination of these 2, plus some of our favourites that she should like, with the aim of slowly including more of the ones we like. We only got to listen to our music once she fell asleep. One evening we spent 45 minutes, driving round country lanes on Bodmin Moor trying to find our campsite listening to "You are my Sunshine" on repeat". You could start a playlist now if you're not going till next year.

We also made sure we had plenty of snacks for when she started getting bored.

Oh also make sure the passenger can reach in the footwell for when things get dropped. We usually fill the footwell with coats, wellies etc so it's easier for DH to reach round and get things.

We had a 7 hour trip to Somerset when she was 18 months old but she slept most of that journey.

[KnittingisbetterthanTherapy]

Totally agree MrsTed, and I see the effects of it every day at school . I know what you mean about not being able to cope with the noise - I missed my motorway turning the other day cos DS2 was crying and DS1 was trying to get me to look at something which I obviously couldn't do .

At least both dh and me can take turns driving so won't be so bad (and the other one can turn round and talk to DS1!).

Franca, suspect DS1 would be equally unimpressed with a steering wheel - when he's not asleep he loves staring out of the window and asking questions which is great when I'm not driving!

[KnittingisbetterthanTherapy]

@ Franca!

And love the ABBA story - but it is children's music!! DS2 dances along to Neil Diamond with me, he loves it .

[Francagoestohollywood]

I got my ds a steering wheel when he was about 2 yrs old (but it was a very simple one, with no noises) and he showed no interest in it. A total failure.

[Francagoestohollywood]

You are not alone Knitting!

[KnittingisbetterthanTherapy]

Thanks everyone! Bikerunski, don't you find that incredibly irritating? DS1 loves pretending to drive but I haven't bought him a pretend steering wheel cos I find his electronic toys irritating enough at home!!

[ivykaty44]

Oh a I never ever played chidlrens music - I told them my music was for childrena nd made them sing along they think abba is for chidlrens sing along time and can't beleive a film has been made out of the music

[KnittingisbetterthanTherapy]

MrsTed, I think you missed the point of my OP - I don't think I need them, but everyone I know in RL seems to think you can't travel without them!

Just wanted reassurance I wasn't going to come a cropper by insisting on not using them and then having the journey from hell - but looks like I'm not alone .

I'm impressed that you would turn round and go home though!!

Thanks inky, not brave enough to attempt a plane trip yet - maybe one day!

[ivykaty44]

I havn't used one on eiehr of my 2 dd's one now 18 and the other is just 12. I have travelled on my own with both dd;s through spain and france on "a" roiads and never had a problem. One trip coming home as dd1 was ill and I drove from 9am in the mornign till 1am the follwojgn mornign 700 miles and they never complained and were both angels dd2 would have been about 4-5 at the time

Even now we still do a few hundred miles throguh Belguim and Lux and through france and don't have an entertainment.

if we drove to Mullion I would get up at 4am and be in Mullion from Warwick at 9am and they slept ont he way and we had a full days, but we never left that early on the way home.

[BikeRunSki]

These! even

[Francagoestohollywood]

not? I meant now

[BikeRunSki]

DS is 2.3. We travel W Yorks to Somerset with one of these www.mothercare.com/Tiny-Love-Travel-Wonder-Wheel/dp/B000JFBNAW?_encoding=UTF8&.

[Francagoestohollywood]

Oh there are all sorts of lovely story CDs on the market (Mog collected stories is a firm favourite here, even if mine are not 6 and 8).

And don't forget sticker books and snacks (and earplugs for yourself).

[InkyStamp]

Yep, we dont own a in car DVD player, or even a DS!! Mine are 5,3 and a bub and we do long trips (5+ hours) quite a bit. Managed to fly from Oz without them to!

[KnittingisbetterthanTherapy]

Thanks karen, these are really all very heartening stories as I really was beginning to think I was on my own on this!!

[KnittingisbetterthanTherapy]

Unfortunately reading to them is not an option as I get travel sick if I read . But I could make up stories, and story CDs would certainly be an idea. Or I could entertain them with my amazing singing .

[KarenHL]

For the past couple of years we travelled from mid-England to Scotland (journey apx 7-8hrs each way inc stops). DD is now 4 and last journey of that kind (to holiday cott') was done 3 weeks ago. Every 5-6 weeks we go to visit my Dad which takes 4 hours each way if traffic is good.

We have never used a DVD player, books of any kind or hand held games on a long journey. We listen to the radio, a CD, or enjoy some quiet time. We try to point out things of interest to DD and she tells us of any that she has spotted before us! DH and I talk to each other and she is encouraged to join in.

[Francagoestohollywood]

We've always travelled long distance with the dc and don't have dvd players or hand held computer games.
We listen to CDs, both music and stories, and play "I spy", or spot various things. They also draw etc.

Actually, when the children were very quite small we even drove from the UK to Northern Italy without a radio in the car. I had all sorts of books which I read over and over again and arrived to Italy with no voice left