Long Ride with a 10 Month Old

I agree with everything, still leave him rear facing. If he likes to watch cartoons, they sell pretty cheap portable dvd players now that hook on to head rest, if the seat happens to have one of those. Baby Einstein movies are very colorful that my kids LOVED when they were that age. That might keep him occupied for a bit. Good luck!

You're best off keeping him rear facing and, if pulled over for any reason, you could get in trouble if he isn't. The reason they want a child to be rear facing is because the neck muscles, etc aren't very developed and if in a crash, the head is much better supported when they are rear facing. A lot of people recommend keeping the child rear facing past the first year and for as long as a possible for that very reason.

Pack lots of toys and books for him to play with. Hopefully you'll take breaks along the way to stretch your legs and he'll nap some of the way too. Pack a lot of snacks for him as well. Eating keeps them occupied I've found.

Hi J.,

When you pack your son's cloths, you can pack them in the ziplock bags that have the zipper according to shirts together, pants together, bibs together, socks together, etc. This made a recent trip we made so much easier during our stay. That way you don't have a messy suitcase to dig thru once you get there. Also, don't forget to pack a shout stick to remove stains. Good luck! Just remember that sometimes traveling with kids can go better than you imagined as long as you get a good night sleep before you start out on your trip.

I would make sure I packed laundry deter. My son on a camping trip got Diareha and spoiled his clothes over and over and all our sleeping bags. I always packed a ton of clothes but lived in the NortWest and you never know it if is cold or warm but there is always cold. So we have a lot more clothes to take. Once we took a trip from Seattle to Ks and someone told us we did not need jackets boy were they wrong. We however took them just a little to afraid to not have our jackets. The way weather is all over I would not be prepared for any kind of weather. G. W

I agree with the other mama's here. I'd do rear facing unless it's not possible in the motorhome.

Even though your child isn't into tv I would bring a dvd player and have baby einstien, franklin, blues clues...any of those just in case. He might like them if that is all there is to do at times. Also, bring books for you to read to him on the ride.

Stop at least every two hours unless he's asleep so he can get out of the car for a few minutes...and longer at meal times.
We drove to New Orleans last summer with a two and 4 year old and it took us about 3 hours longer than it did the rest of the group that was going with us but it was worth it to not have the kids crying and screaming because they were bored and uncomfortable! Oh, one more tip, I always keep my kids up extra late the night before we go on a road trip and then get them up extra early that day so they will sleep more on the road.

Hope that helps! Good luck. and be sure to let us know how it turns out!

Hi J.,

My name is B., and I moved from Madisonville, TN which is just about an hour south of Knoxville. I lived in AR for 2 1/2 years and my little one has been making long trips since she was 6 weeks old. I have been blessed, all three of my children have been great travelers but anything that he likes to play with the longest that's what I would take. They also tend to nap a lot too. I will be making this trip on the 25th, I would pack a little and do laundry just so that when you get back you have less to put away. Good Luck! Have a great trip.

B. Bowers
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If you get a long with your in-laws this should be a fun trip & an easy one on you! Whoever isn't driving let them help you take care of the baby!!

The car seat still needs to be rear facing & it's a good idea to stop frequently & let your child move around. No one likes to be strapped down for long periods of time.

I always packed 2 sets of clothes & brought detergent. Don't stress about finding a washing machine. Just hand wash in a sink & air dry.

Be positive about the trip. As moms we always think about all the little stuff that needs to be done & then stress about it. At least you're going on a vacation & will have people to help you!! I'm so jealous!!

DVD players work wonders in the car!

If the seat physically won't go rear facing in the motor home, or you have to "rig" it to do so, I would think he'd be safer forward facing. Besides, I'm pretty sure the rear-facing recommendation is for the standard passenger vehicle. A motor home is a different ball game.

Definitely get your hands on a portable DVD player and bring along all the Baby Einstein videos. I usually pack 2 outfits per day simply because it's a pain to do laundry on a trip, and baby clothes are small, so it's not like you don't have the space. I typically pack a separate bag for the kid(s) because their stuff tends to get lost in the grown-up things. I just bring a whole package of diapers and a whole container of wipes. Wipes are used for about 100 different things besides diaper changes when you're on the road! Lots of hand-wiping on-the-go. I also pack a small duffle of toys and books.
The most important thing to keep in mind when traveling with a baby/toddler is that it's best if you're not in a hurry and "trying to make good time." It may be hard for your in-laws to understand that, but even if you just pull over at a roadside rest area, it's worth it. When we traveled with my daughter at this age we pulled off the road at one of those places and just let her walk around for a few minutes, got a fresh diaper on her and she was fine for a while.
On a recent road trip with my 2 and 4 yr old we literally stopped every hour on the way to our destination (made the trip from Denton to Killeen take forever!). By the second day of travel they are usually used to the car and we can drive for longer intervals. The first day out is the hardest. By the time we head home, they are great and sleep most of the way.
It's also good to note that when you do stop, EVERYONE should try to take care of business, get food, stretch their legs, whatever, because when the baby sleeps, there's NO STOPPING :-).

I would still have him REAR facing. The rear facng protects them better in the case of an accident.

Take 2 sets of clothes per day and the detergent also. I always overpack for my kids and rather not use it then run short and have to run out to do laundry.

Toys: Do yo have the kind that attach to the car seat with lights and music? Have some Kiddie music that he likes and play it for him to calm down/enjoy now so that when he hears it on the trip it will be familiar but don't overplay it as you will drive yourself crazy. At this age, he will enjoy the people around him more than toys.

Be sure to plan for lots of breaks every 3 hours or so unless he is napping. They like to move around and being in a car seat is not fun for them.. or us for that matter.

Relax and enjoy the trip and your stay. Sounds like fun.

If you can put his seat rear facing you should. It is the safest way for him to travel. As for toys my son loves to have books read to him so I take plenty with us. Music and singing keep him happy. When we travel we make sure we take his normal stuff if we can. All the stuff he plays with on a normal day. It helps him when he has familure things and his somewhat regular sched. I take extra clothing since my son can be messy but if I run out I can always wash clothing.

When my son was 12 months old we drove to Ill form Texas. We found a vetech activity desk, for about $29 dollars, that fit across his car seat like a desk. It was for 9 or 12 month old. It made music taught shapes sounds, animal noises, and colors. It kept my son entertained for long peroids of time. Every so often we would swich out for other toys, read books for awhile, or watched a veggietale show on dvd in between playing with the desk to keep him from getting board. It was 8 years ago, but the way techology is, I am sure there is a fancy new type version or other learning toy that would fit like a desk across the carseat and be just as entertaining.