10 Month Old in Carseat for 5 Hours

When our son was 10 months, 12 months and 2 yrs, we took him on 18-hour car trips. And we've regularly taken 4+ hour trips with him. The challenge is trying to time your departure so they get optimum sleep time. The rear facing seat is great, so they don't get uncomfortable. He enjoys music, so has fun with that. I pack a bag of toys and board books and keep it within arms reach along with plenty of snacks and drinks for him. Beginning at12 months, he had a "computer" he loved to play with for extended periods. We bring along a dvd player with a couple of dvds for him, but I won't break that out unless in dire need. And plan on a stop about halfway to break it up. She'll probably enjoy a stretch, a fresh diaper and change of scenery. You'll be ready for a break by then too. We don't make too many stops unless he really needs, because it can get difficult to get them back in the seat if they're bored with the trip. Just keep her busy and try to anticipate her needs and wants. Make sure you keep everything handy. And I'm one of those that gives the running commentary about what we're doing, everything we're passing, where we're going etc. He really seems to enjoy that too. Have fun on your trip.

First of all, if at all possible, start the trip right before naptime if your daughter does well sleeping in the car. That will hopefully get you through part of the trip without her even realizing it. Secondly, find someplace to stop halfway so she can get out for a while if she's getting fussy. Even if it's just for a snack, letting her crawl around at a playground for awhile may help. Lastly get some fun kid CDs for the car ride and some new toys and picture books that she can play with. Break a new one out once in a while to keep her busy...and good luck!

A couple of weeks ago I did a 5 hour drive with a 3 1/2 year old and a 12 month old. Best advice I have is to bring toys for her to play with, play music that she enjoys (my kids love music so it helps pass the time) and stop and take a break about half way through. Both of my kids slept for a large portion of the trip. Hope this helps.

When my children were infants we traveled by car a lot and we would leave around 4 am so by the time the children would wake up, it was time to stop for breakfast. So then basically we would only have a couple hours of awake time.

Here is how we have succesfully survived car trips:

- Plan on leaving soon before bedtime or nap time so she will spend part of the time sleeping for sure.

- Make sure you have all the necessities on hand.

- Break out (or buy) toys that you usually don't use. Of course, for us this usually means my cell phone.

- Plan on stopping more often and getting her out of the seat.

Don't freak out and she won't! Well, not as much. And good luck! I spend an hour and a half stuck in traffic in Vegas (we had already been in the car 3+ hours) and spent it singing stupid songs and making animal noises in the mirror.

Oh, another thing I did. If you don't have a toddler coddler or other head rest, take a bath towel, fold it in half the long way, then roll both ends, leaving 5 or so inches in between the rolls, then put the flat part behind her head so there is a roll on either side. More comfy sleeping!

We successfully took our 12 month old across the country and back for a summer trip. She did great (and we refused to buy one of those DVD players for the car). When she wasn't sleeping, she was singing along to children's CD's and watching the scenery. We did a lot of the driving during naptime hours. Good luck!

I have been in your shoes. We drove about 5 hours as well. My daughter is good about her carseat as well. The last hour or two is where it becomes too long. So what I did for the way back is stopped by a rest area, and let her run around. When we got back in the car she was so tired, she fell asleep. Good luck!

Take along some of her toys and her favorite music. I suggest one good break somewhere where she can get out and move about a little. Maybe a rest stop with a play area. You might be surprised, she may sleep most of the time. Mine always did.

Hi N.,
We just got back from a 6 hour trip with our now just about a year old B/G twins (their B-day is on Monday 3/10). For us their were a few key things: (1) bring toys for them to play with; (2) bring snacks for them to eat; (3) plan on making several stops along the way.

We stopped at an In & Out Burger, put them in car seats and gave them lunch. We also stopped in a park area to let them get out and walk around in the grass. (Yep, that's right, they're BOTH early walkers...)

Hope that helps!

Joni

ABOUT US: We have just-about 1 y/o B/G twins named Ethan and Madeline. They are the loves and lights of our lives as it took us 8 years of H-E-double toothpicks to have them. (We've sworn off swearing) They are sweet, smart, adorable and funny.

Timing is the key. Time it around a nap. I have been doing the drive from Santa Barbara to the Bay Area since my twins were 9 mos old. I now have a singleton (9 mo. old) and continue to do the same drive with all of them, many times without my husband. My 9 mo. old usually needs to get out once to feed and be changed, im nursing tho. The twins are 4, Dvd player for the car is the best investment!!

When Katie was that age she was prone to motionsickness (still is). We put the recommended dosage of liquid dramamine in her bottle with formula (with doctor's OK) and not only did it fix the vomiting problem but also made her sleep quite a bit. It sort of makes cherry milk. We took a two day driving trip and got through it with only one major cry. If the bably gets sick riding in the car this is a great solution. liquid Dramamine is hard to find. You will probably have to get the phamacist to order it for you. Check with the doc.

Hi N.,
Traveling with the baby is ok, just take frequent stops at least every hour and a half. i traveled with my baby from Louisana to California and as long as I made frequent stops I took my baby out of the car seat and made sure she was able to stretch her legs by kicking and playing with her after changing her diaper. Good luck on your trip.

I am not sure how old your daughter is but video's help a whole lot. Maybe cd's with her music and you sing along. Stoping at parks along the way is good too or anywhere to have her run around every few hours. Good snacks always a must. thanks good luck D.

dont worry about it... babies LOVE their carseat at this age... it's when they get older that it gets harder and they want to jump out every few minutes... we drove about 350 miles with our daughter when she was around the same age... and she was fine... see if you can go during naptime so she sleeps through most of it... and take breaks.. enjoy!

It is definitely too long for a little one to be in a car seat, so plan on stopping every hour to hour and a half. find out where the local parks are that you can stop at for 15-20 minutes. Bring lots of snacks and a surprise bag that has wrapped "travel presents". Make sure she has lots to drink and let her emotions guide you. If she is fussy - then stop. No point in making the trip miserable for everyone.

Make frequent stops, like maybe once an hour. Get out of the car and walk around, maybe have a picnic lunch or something. It will make your trip longer, but your daughter will probably enjoy it more.

We just got back from Mammoth, which is a 5 hour drive both ways, with our 8.5 month old. He did wonderful! He fussed for about 15 minutes each way, but that was it. I fed him a bottle and food while driving and he slept.

Our neighbors drove CROSS COUNTRY with their 7 month old.

In my opinion, you are totally ok!!!

i would leave about 1 hr before her naptime (if she can last in the carseat that long), then have her nap - if you're lucky, she'll take a long nap because of the car ride. after she wakes up and once she starts getting fussy, i would either let her stretch her legs or if you have a portable dvd player, play a movie for her - all depends on how hard you think it will be to get her back in her car seat. or if you don't have a dvd player - give her some snacks and a drink to munch on after she wakes from her nap.

My advice is you know your daughter. If she has always done well, then, she probably will do well this time too. Of course, you will be stopping and those stops will need to include a little leg stretching time. The car time will need to include singing or other talking games - so engage her (if she isn't asleep that is). On long car rides when my daughter was that young, she would talk and talk *very early talker) and then all of a sudden, she wouldn't respond to your question....she fell asleep. Aah, babies!
Good luck and have a wonderful get-away!

Try to find a place in the middle of your car trip where you can take her out and let her crawl around for 20 minutes and have snacks ready. Try to find a park or play place, just someplace to break up the monotony of being in her seat.

My ten month old son and I make a four hour trip at least once a month to visit family. I've found leaving around four a.m., after nursing him and getting him back to sleep, works best as he sleeps almost the whole way.

Hello I remember many car trips, five hours get to be a long ride for anyone. Can you start out near a nap time or late when your daughter would be sleeping? Take breaks and play along the way. I also had a little goodie bag of finger toys or snacks when my son got wild I would hand him a new something to check out. He also had a kiddie music player with head phones he loved to listen too. Good luck and hope you both have a wonderful get away.

My daughter and I wind up traveling a lot by car and plane because of our familly being close emotionally, but spread out geophysically. First of all, I try to make sure that right in the middle of the drive is a nap time - or I try to leave late at night or early in the morning as long as I've had enough sleep for that to be safe. That way she's sleeps through a lot of the travel.

For the part she can't sleep through, I pre-pack healthy snacks and plan a stop or two at parks where we can get out and run around a little (she's 21 months) When we go on planes I make sure she walks during layovers or at the airport getting to our gate. All of these tactics actually make the trip a little longer, but they break up the monotony and get her some exercise to get the jiggles out. I also have a lap sized aqua doodle (it uses water in pen-like things - $18 at toys r us) so she can draw in her car seat. I bring plenty of books including her baby leapfrog thing and I have a suction cup mobile that dangles from her window for her. I also make sure to have little kid tunes on my i-pod so I can play those in the car and I can choose ones that don't make me nuts!

R. M

good morning, my suggestion is, if it is planned to be a 5 hour trip expect it to be 7 hours, make sure you schedule time to stop even if only for 15 minutes or so, just that little bit of time to get out of the car and sit on a blanket or even lie down and roll for a minute (assuming there's grass at the pit stop) will give your little beauty some much needed attention and fresh air, also pack her favorite toys, songs and snack to keep her occupied when she's not asleep. All this unless you are comfortable with driving during the night then you could just leave at bedtime and she'd never no.

It's the same as when I travel with my large dogs who are always crated in the van when enroute. If the trip is for quite a few hours - three to seven or eight - we stop often - get out - play, maybe eat & have a potty stop (for the dogs or the driver, not the baby).

I remember when I had a young family (many years ago) I did the same with them. Make it a fun drive - it will make your little girl a better passenger as she grows older & it will give her a sense of adventure as she discovers new & different things on your stops along the way. It's also a way to have a bit of bonding - a little one on one would be good for both of you. Take along a lot of books & toys. If it's raining, you can get her out of her car seat & sit in the car or a restaurant with her & read or play.

Do yourself a favor and spend $100 on a portable DVD player to take along with you. We all try to avoid too much TV time, but when you are driving and your child is just sitting behind you wondering "are we there yet?" you won't be missing out on any real quality enrichment time anyway.

My son is a total champ traveler ever since I invested in one of these DVD players... he actually looks forward to the trip because he knows he is going to get to watch his favorite stuff on the way. We regularly drive 9 + hours to visit Grandma and Grandpa, and we can do it without stopping for anything but gas/potty and a quick bite to eat. Shaves hours off of our transit time, and the trip is enjoyable and relaxing instead of stressful and uncomfortable! ** It's a good idea to remember that you will be trapped for hours with the DVDs you select to bring on your trip, so be sure it's something that you can stomach on a constant loop for 5 hours if necessary... :0)

Another suggestion that works for me is to plan to leave your house very early in the morning if possible. Just bring your baby in her jammies, and plan to change her clothes later when she is ready to really wake up. Make sure she is warm and comfy and hope she sleeps for the first few hours at least. Then when she wakes and starts to get antsy, you can bust out the DVD player and enjoy the rest of your trip!

Good luck!

S.

Definately plan it aorund her nap! And try and stop at some point and let her out where she can run/crawl around, sometimes rest areas have grassy spots. The only drawback of that is she may not want to get back in! If you really want a life saver invest in a portable DVD player (they have cases that you can hang them from the seat) We travel enough so I've tried these methods, they seem to help.

hey there,
id say your best bet would be to break the trip up a little.make a pit stop about half way,get out,walk around,give her a snack,nurse her (if youre nursing,) change her diaper. take about 20minsd or half an hour.this may make her feel like its two separate trips entirely and hopefully will be much easier.make sure to have some fun music or kids songs too...my daughter always loved "dancing music" as she calls it.
hope this helps,and have fun.us moms need to take vacations from time to time even with our children.
sincerely,A. mommy of a 16 month old baby girl

Hello N.,
I have taken many long road trips with my son. My family lives in Northern California and I live in very Southern California and our road trips are about 10 hours. First thing, never plan on getting there in the time alotted. It will take longer! We usually stop every 2 hours just to get out and stretch our legs. If he's sleeping I just keep pushing through, but I wouldn't recommend doing it too often if there aren't many stops along the way. Also, some things that helped: putting toys on those links (you can get einstein or others) and link them to the back of the head rest if you have one in the back seat. My son loved to throw his toys over the carseat and then cry for me to give them back to him and while driving, this is very challening. Also, if your daughter takes a pacifier, buy one of the clips that holds the pacifier to their shirt. My son would also throw this over his carseat and I wouldn't be able to find it sometimes. So if it's on her shirt you can find it right away. You will be fine as long as you are not expecting to get there in 5 hours. that way if you do, it will be a great surprise, and if you don't you were prepared! I hope it all works out well, i'm sure it will.

The best advice: leave early or late, so it coincides with sleep :o) My in-laws live about 4-1/2 hours away, so we either leave at 5:30am (our daughter typically sleeps in until around 8 or so at home, so this works) or we go around 7:30pm. I prefer the evening- it's a late night, but she sleeps for pretty much all of it! We've never had a problem with her crying or anything, and she's nearly 3 now!

Other people had recommended to me that we break it up, but I'll tell you - I think it's MUCH easier to just coincide it with sleep! You never know if they're going to want to get back into the car for another long stretch!

She'll be fine. We travelled 3000 miles with our 2 year old. They are safe and comfy. Just take a few breaks at a lunch stop at a Play Place or park for some running around time. She'll be fine! What's harder is travelling with a potty trainer!

Try travelling at nighttime if possible. She'll sleep through it. I have had three 12 hour trips since my baby was 3 months old, he is 13 months now, and I drive at nighttime as long as you're alert to drive, if not try starting your trip early in the morning around 4 or 5. Then she'll be well rested aswell.

I'm all for the night drives! We always do bedtime as usual...bath, pj's and then hit the road. But do make sure you stop at least once in between...it's a long time for them to be in the car seat. Or if you can't do the night time, we've done five hours during the day broken up....we stop for at least an hour in between somewhere...and sometimes I've sat in back with her to play so she doesn't get bored. We've done LOTS of long drives with my 9 month old...they do better than we think they will! Have fun!

When my niece was around that time Itook her on a trip which was around 5 hours drive. If you have a TV the ones that go on the headrest you can put the behind the seat she is going to be on her carseat and when I played the first movie i heard her quiet and when i looked back she was aleep did not wake up after 1 hour away gave her the bottle and she watched the TV during the rest of the trip.... She will be fine...

Naytasha,

Just take a break every 2 hours, pull over, play with her, feed her if needed, change her diaper, spend about 10 - 15 minutes with her, so she knows you are there with her and for her. There are wonderful rest areas where you can enjoy a break. It's good for you too, to stretch your legs, stretch your body, make sure your back doesn't ache.

Have a safe and wonderful trip.

A little about me:
Have traveled much farther than that with my little one when she was 4 months old. I took the airplane from Oakland to Bangor Main and from there to Frankfurt, Germany, where we rented a car and drove to Switzerland to visit my family. It all went really well. Have quiet toys with you and just enjoy.

Hi N.,

I've found the following tips really helpful when traveling alone with a small child.

1. Try to time your drive around her nap time so that she'll sleep through a lot of it.

2. Make sure you take a break...to stretch your legs cause 5 hours straight in a car is a long time.

3. Stop for a meal if possible and go inside instead of eating in the car so your daughter can get out of the car seat for a bit.

4. Pack a few new toys that she's never played with to keep her occupied.

5. Bring music so you two can sing in the car.

Hope some of these ideas help.... have a great time.

:) B

www.zenmothers.com

I would just make frequent stops and get her up and moving around during the breaks. Good luck with your trip.

Schedule the driving during her nap time and stop often. Also bring a lot of snacks, they will keep her occupied

hi
we drove from LA to Lake Havasu, Arizona with our 10 month old daughter. it was during the day and we had one pit stop on the way. she did good as long as she had her bottle of milk, and someone to talk to or play with her.

the best thing to do is if you can, to leave around midnight. that way you dont get stuck in traffic and she will be asleep for most of the trip. and you get there bright and early in the morning. so as long as you can spare the sleep for one night, at least your car trip will be fine!

also if your little girl is one of those that hates car seats and road trips, definitely take a couple of pit stops on the way if she becomes too fussy.

Get her up a little early, have her be pretty active in the a.m., then plan the drive to include her nap. It's okay not to feel you have to entertain her; the world going by is interesting. Make sure you are able to concentrate on driving; if she starts to require your attention, pull over. Take breaks whenever she's really restless, and she'll tolerate it all better. If you are getting sleepy, you MUST pull into a rest stop and snooze (near lights and people for safety). But...don't get sleepy lol.

I wouldn't be too nervous unless your baby is prone to car sickness. I live 4 hours away from my family and take frequent trips. We pack snacks and drinks, stop for potty breaks to change the diaper and have toys handy. Most of the time my son would just fall asleep.

I would recommend timing as much as the trip around a nap or when she goes to sleep at night. If you can't do that i would definately plan on taking as many breaks as possible. Also, singing as crazy as it seems usually entertains my son for quite a while. Good Luck.

When my daughters were young & in a car seat, I would sometimes dirve out of town - 8 hours drive or 4 hour drive...I felt comfortable enoughto leave very early in the morning-4am or so that way she is still sleeping and only awake for about an hour or so...if you are comfortable - try to leave in the very early monring-be sure you have coffee or a energy drink and that are feeling awake to tkae the trip that way it cuts down on her being awake & knowing she is in the care seat for a long period of time....

When my son was 10 months old we went on an 8 hour drive. We left really early in the morning(about 4a) so he slept most of the way. We stopped around 8a to eat at a restaurant, stretch our legs, and eat something healthy. Then another stop an hour later at a rest stop. Dont give her too many toys or drinks, as she may throw them at you while you are driving. Just stop every hour to check on her. She may just sleep the whole time.Good luck and have a safe trip.

Yep, time it for max. sleep time, bring plenty of entertainment, sit next to him/her and sing or clown around when the above doesn't work. I've done two round trips of 5 hours, and we mostly got through it pretty well, but had moments where she went into a panic if I tried to put her back after breastfeeding. Good luck!

N.,
How about a picnic? You can not expect ANYONE to sit in a car for five hours without a break. Plan on it taking you at least six hours to get there and take at least two - 30 minute breaks. Are you driving alone? If not, can one of you sit in the back? Bring a lot of books - go and check out new ones from the library that she's never seen - and read with her. Bring kids music and plan on listening to that! Buy a mirror to place against the back of her seat (so that you can see her) and play "peek-a-boo" and talk to her, while making eye contact with her.
She will do fine. You, however, will be exhausted by the time you get there!
Just don't expect that you are going to get there in reconrd time. Take the time to make sure she's content.
Good luck.
J.

Hi, I have gone on several trips with my son...including a drive from San Diego to Portland....San Diego to Lake Tahoe...San Diego to Monterey and a few other long car trips.
Okay, so I usually make sure I have lots of his toys, books, snacks, cds...etc and map out a few places to stop on the way to your destination.

So, I usually try in give him a good hour to play and stretch before we leave, feed him whatever meal depending on the time and then load him up and he is usually up for an hour to 2 hours. Then, he usually falls alseep and is out of up to 2 hours. After that, I try in be aware of places that we can stop and grab a snack and he can stretch for a good hour or however long you are able. Then, we get back in the car again and do the rest of our drive...normally he will usually fall asleep again. If I am arriving to my destination at night, then I usually make sure I stop for him to play for a little, have dinner and then I dress him in his PJs for bed...so that wherever we end up...he is just ready to be transferred to bed.

I hope this helps...it is just great if you can map out some places to stop along the way....it really really really helps to let them out to excercise....even if you only let them out to stretch in the car or at a coffee shop or something. It takes a little longer for your trip, but it is worth it b/c you will both be happy campers.

happy weekend! o.k. when I was 3...i fell down the stairs and had to lay flat for while ...and my Mom came evryday to that boring hospital - brought her guitar and sang ONE SONG after the other ! I WAS SO PROUD OF HER!
So , if you do not know so many songs .... you can buy some Childrensong-CD's and learn them together , Time will fly by !

Have you checked out the new "car seat" toys at Babies R Us? My granddaughter just purchased one for their little girl (age 3 mos.) I believe it is by Einstien. It plays music has bright colors etc., It hooks onto the back seat, has a mirror on the top for baby to look at; the best part, front seat driver has a remote to the toy to control it or change the sounds/ colors. check on line with babies R us. good luck. Greatgrandmother in Ca.

A carseat is just a safer way for a little one to travel. If you really think about it an adult seat belt does the same thing for you and me. On road trips adults need to get out and stretch their legs too! So I say go for it and plan to stop every 2 hours or so. My daughter was taken to another hospital at birth that was 4 hours away. So we had quite a drive on hands to get her back home. The NICU staff recommended we stop every two hours. I know your daughter quite a few months older than my baby was at the time, but she will sleep for part of the trip so you can also plan around her nap time. The main thing is to make it fun for her too. Stop along the way, and let her stretch her legs. You could google a park, or rest area that is on the way. Have a great trip, remember that's what it's all about; to relax and have fun!

just make sure you stop every couple of hours, to eat a little and let her stretch!

Try driving either close to a nap time or later at night.

We've taken heaps of road trips with our 2 boys (3 & 1). The key is frequent breaks- find some parks on google maps or yahoo for towns every 1 1/2 hours or so. Give her some crawl and snack time. Also, a portable DVD player helps- you can put on a Baby Einstein or Elmo to distract her. And she'll fall asleep too at some point. If you are slightly nuts like we are, we found that leaving at 3 AM works well because they sleep for the first few hours and then you would get to where you are headed early in the day.
Have fun!

I had to go to Vegas every month when my little one was 4 months to present. I just drove at night when she was already going to be sleeping. The trasition to her bed from the car was tricky. Had to keep her asleep or she would be ready to play! wasn't easy with my Dad trying to hold her and talk to her. Good luck! G. mother of one amazing 4 year old girl, (and step mom to three teenage boys)

I too am a single mom and my daughter and I traveled a lot to see my family who lives six hours away. To be honest I scheduled my trips usually very early in the morning. (Literally at dawn). Because the motion of the car would keep her sleeping longer. I'd travel like around 4 or 5 AM putting me (you) at my (your) destination around 10ish. If she does wake up for a morning feeding or breakfast, use that time to fill up on gas ect...and grab a bite to eat yourself, then hit the road again. Early is better than late though for safety reasons...It always seemed to work well with me. Happy travels.

Some of my friends drive for that long with their babies. When I drive for longer than an hour, I stop every hour to take my babies out of their seats so that they can stretch out, eat or drink if they want to, and be changed if they need to be changed.

Lynne E

I used to live 8 hrs from my parents. When we would take a weekend trip to visit them we would stop every couple of hours and get my daughter out of her carseat. Just to get some fresh air and stretch a little. Did us some good too. Her first long trip was when she was only 3 wks old. Now she is almost 3 and is used to long trips. We would alternate different toys for to play with and have snacks handy(when she was old enough to have them). Good luck on your trip. Being a single mom is hard I was one for 5 years until I met my wonderful husband. Who loves my oldest as his own.

Make it an 8 hour trip and stop every 45 minutes to have a 30 minute play time or picnic with your baby. Pick pretty rest stops or places of interest and use the time to teach her new things. Take a blanket with you and lay it out on the grass and let her explore her world. It should make the trip less stressful for everyone. Make a day of it!

This is actually a very easy age for car trips. She will probably sleep for at least two of the hours. When she is awake, you may have to stop more frequently than you would traveling without a baby, but it shouldn't be too bad. I have three kids and we drive 10 hours every summer to the Sierras, so we have done it with pretty much every age, and that one is a pretty good one. Stop to eat and let her get out and eat, and then if you stop another time for gas and get her out/check her diaper, and put her back, you should be good. Good luck.

If you have the ability to leave when you want, leave when it's still dark. We went on a road trip from Orange County to Stockton, but we left at 4 a.m. Our 2 sons (then 10 months and just over 2 years) slept through most of the first part of the trip. Then we stopped for breakfast.

Since we were taking more people than we had room for in the family car, we rented a car and made sure it had the DVD player/TV in it and brought lots of Thomas etc. That helped the 2-year old but the 10 month old was still rear facing; he kept looking over his shoulder trying to see the TV.

I'm not sure I would recommend a portable DVD player for a 10 month old, because you have to sit there and hold it.

Other moms have recommended toys and snacks, and I second (third?) their recommendations. But try to maximize time on the road during times your little one would normally be asleep.

Good luck!

Hi N.!

Your beautiful baby girl will be just fine in the car seat for that long!!!! You are such a great mommy for being concerned, but don't worry! I think driving straight thru will be better than stopping here and there and prolonging the drive. You should buy her (or bring a toy she hasn't played with in a while) a new toy or 2 to give her to play with, that way she will be totally focused on that!!!

have a great vacation!

We did this often when our daughter was that age, and today she is a fantastic traveler even on planes. Here are some tips
Leave at naptime or early when she is still tired.
Stop exactly midway between the trip, eat and then find a place for her to stretch play some games with her , sing or read her a book. Change her diaper, and then it should be time for driving again.
If possible sit with her and give her toy she hasn't seen before, read to her, place games and play kid CD's.

We started driving from SW Virginia to Maryland when my daughter was 5 months old, by the time she was 2 we drove from SW Virginia to Alabama 10 hours easy, on the way back we stopped at a truck stop and played football for 30 minutes, she took along nap after that!

Stop as often as possible.

My two suggestions would be to make sure you travel at a time when the little one usually is asleep (i.e., early in the morning or at nap time). That way, most of the drive he is asleep. If you have an older child in the car, you'll probably be fine, because the older child will be back there to help entertain her. Bring some kids music CDs to play in the CD player and/or a portable DVD player so they can watch a movie. Plan on frequent stops, if necessary.

hi just get a compact dvd player. it worked well for us

Hi, I would have plenty of toys, books, and snacks for her. Also maybe stop somewhere for a little bit a couple times to break up the drive. Then you can take her out of her car seat for a little while. good Luck! :)

Hi N.,
Your five hour road trip will probably take about seven hours with a 10 month old. You'll want to schedule at least three stops for streatching and playing. Lot's of movement. She will be a little upset when you put her back in her carseat - but she'll be alright. Try to scehdule a stretch when you gas up, one stretch for a snack break and the last when you are about an hour away. It will also depend on what time you are traveling. If it's night - she will more than likely fall asleep and not need but one stop.
Have fun!
P.

N.,
5 hours is way too long, really for anyone to sit in one confined place. Simply stop along the way for feedings, changings, and to sttetch her little legs and arms. Take long a big blanket to lay on some grass, give hr 20-30 minutes to cruise around and get tired. Happy Trails! S.

I took a cross country trip with my five younger children, then 13, 11, 6, 4, and 14 months last summer. I started out earlier than they usually awake, and put them in their carseats with a lullabies CD on; they fell asleep for a good 1-1/2 to 2 hours. We stopped at a park-like rest area and they aired out, ran around, changed diapers, and ate breakfast. We also had healthy snacks--finger food cereals, pieces of fruit, and only water--in the car.
It helped to have the older ones along as helpers to sing to the baby, play little games, read books.
When my older ones were little, my husband drove and I often leaned over the carseat and nursed the baby.
Driving alone, I planned for stops at least every 2 hours, so you might consider planning two-three stops, but if baby's asleep, try always to keep going straight through. Enjoy!

Maybe you could stop a couple of times and let her run around. Or plan it so that she naps for a good portion of the time and then stop to eat when she wakes up. I took a trip to Iowa from Seattle with my cousin when she was about that age and she did surprisingly well. Good luck!

A. K

If you have the option to, put her in the car right before she normally naps. Bring lots of toys and books or items that the baby really likes. Also, bring snacks and water. You will get through it. My daughter would scream and cry right before falling asleep. I think it's because she didn't like the feeling of being sleepy. I just had to endure it and then she was out like a lightbulb. Good luck.

Can you drive during her nap time or at night? that is what I always tried to do. We all know that little ones can sleep in the car! Ha Ha!

i would just try to go during her naptime and also bring lots of books and snacks. and also keep some toys for her in the front seat so you can hand one to her when she gets bored.

We travel with my daughter all the time. We have found that if it is possible to leave in the eavening after they eat dinner and around the time they go to bed it works out great. She sleeps the whole drive and we don't stress. If you have to travel during the day just stop at a rest stop half way and have lunch and play a little b4 you get in the car again. Good luck take lots of books and toys.
Liz

I've had to take long cartrips with my daughter a few times. I usually leave super early (between 4 and 6 AM) so that the majority of the driving is done while she's sleeping. During really long trips (more than 8 hours), I leave early then stop somewhere with a park or play area in the middle of the trip so she can be out of the carseat for a while.

Good luck.

Wait until pretty close to a naptime. At her age you just have to plan on frequent stops if she's fussy and wants out.

my son was 10 months old when we moved from colorado to california. needless to say, it was a much longer drive then 5 hours! i made sure he had diffrent things to play with that were new to him and i gave him meat sticks puffs and cherios etc. also, we had a dvd player and he watched cartoons for a little while. he mostly slept-more than he would have if we were just at home, so i think your daughter will be fine especially if she already likes her car seat!

Hi N.,
We have a vacation home 4-5 hours away and have been making that drive with our children since they were born. Our son (now 12 months old) is fine as long as we plan the drive around bed time. We usually leave home about 7pm Friday night - he's usually asleep by 8pm and will sleep the entire time, we do the same coming home. If we leave during the day, we try to plan it close to nap time. The more they sleep the better. However, if you have a DVD player that you can strap in the back seat (since she is still rear facing), that will help, but not for the duration of the drive - she's probably too young to be over occupied by movies. Plan to spend allot of time in the back seat singing, playing or feeding her snacks. We've made many many 5 hour drives and have never needed to stop more than once and that was moreso during the early stages with 3-4 hour nursings necessary. I did spend allot of time climbing between front and back seat on the road though. I would really push towards the night time driving while she's sleeping - it really makes it the easiest on her and you.
Good Luck and enjoy your trip!
L.

Hi

When I drive to Utah (9 1/2 hours) I pack a lunch and 4 hours into our trip I stop at the half way point find a park we have lunch, play, stretch for about a hour or more. Then hit the road for the rest of the journy. Works every time. I have a 3 year old and a 1 1/2 year old both girls. Been doing this since my oldest was 6 months old. Good luck enjoy your journey.

Good morning N.. Here's where your gift of a child continues to keep on giving. Parenthood (I have 3)is a true adventure especially when traveling. Now instead of just getting where your going, you get to see a bit more of the landscape. When we traveled with our youngsters, we'd start at a time when about a half hour into the ride would be nap time. Then about a half hour after baby woke up and didn't want to talk to mom sitting next to them, we'd make a stop. We watched the road signs for something interesting or just find a park in the next turn off.
SOmetimes you have to be creative. Short stops really helped break up the stress of traveling with a antsy wiggling child who you just knew was uncomfortable. We always found something pleasant aling the road and it was a good break for us too. Good luck and make it fun. Family time even in a car can be memories that last forever. It's not the destination, it's the journey. Breathe deep the possibilities.
L.

I too am a single mom and we took several car trips. I am blessed with a car sleeper though and when he wasn't napping I'd make sure we were talking a lot. Not sure how you arrange the seat but putting him behind the passenger seat made it so I could easily hand him something or just have the visual eye contact occasionally. I also made sure that every couple of hours of driving we got out at a rest stop or fast food place to just walk around for about 15 minutes. It really helps break up the time. Good luck.. have some little snacks ready and maybe a new book or small toy that will fascinate. P.

We've taken our son on road trips for about 6 hours and he actually does pretty well. I make sure to leave around his nap time and make sure he was well feed right before leaving. That way we didn't have to stop after an hour of driving and at least make it out of the L.A traffic areas. Then we stopped as many times as we need and took him our of the car seat to play. I also bought a couple of new toys to give him in the car to give him something to be excited about. If are really worried about the time she is spending in her carseat, then I would just stop more frequently. Have a great trip!

As a mother of 3 I can tell you that you will do good for the first few hours by singing kid songs on the ride you can get the cd's they help alot, but then you will have to stop at a park or something along the way and let her get out and excersize her little legs, maybe a half hour and at this time let her have a snack and something to drink then when you get back on the road start back to with the music and in a little while you will have a sleeping baby for the rest of the trip, don't forget her favorte dolly or stuffe animal it's a great backseat companion.

Take plenty of toys to keep her busy and don't forget the snacks. Oh yeah take nursery school songs (cd's) to listen and sing along with.

either drive at night (or at 3 am) when they're supposed to be asleep. Otherwise, you want to stop every 2-3 hours. As long as they're asleep, they're okay. You may want to try skipping a nap that morning, so they'll really sleep in the lull/buzz of the car. Good luck. those 3 things always work with my 2 boys.

just take little breaks. even if it is to get out and stretch your legs. look at the scenery.

Hi N.,

My advise is
1. Make sure you can access one of the seats next to her in case you need to climb back there to play/entertain her.

2. Stop half way through your drive and let her get out of her seat and stretch, this is also a good idea for you and anyone you are traveling with.

3. Take lots of toys, books, a portable dvd player with a couple of movies, etc. to keep her entertained.

4. TRAVEL AT NIGHT!!!!!! Or when she is most likely to sleep for a couple of hours. This lets you drive without worrying about her, and is so much easier too!

5. Spend more than a day or two at your destination, so she doesn't have to get back in the car seat right away, and come back....10 hours in a short time is a long time to be stuck in a car seat and she can get tired of it.

Hope this helps....traveling at night has been the best for our son, and probably the best advise I can give.Have a great trip and have fun!

I'm sure she'll be fine. Make a few stops, take her out, let her stretch and be on your merry way.....

Yes, We did it all the time when our girls were babies.
Plan to stop atleast every hour to change the enviroment for a 10 min or so, walk her around, play a little, or giver her a snack/drink. Make sure she is confortable and not too hot when she is in the car seat, because those car seats can be a little warm.

Have a great trip.

Mrs.V

When we go on our 15 hour drives to see family, we always plan the drive around nap or bedtime if possible. Depending on how long your daughter sleeps in one stretch, that could take up a significant amount of the drive. Good luck.

I would recommend to bring a few toys that will keepher occupied,but leave some of the noisy ones at home...also i suggest that you take a few rest stop between your travel time. This will be less stressful on the baby and yourself. Make sure your refresh your baby( baby wipes & mini massage), make sure you hydrate her w/ fluids and snacks!...i'm sure you will have a wonderful trip, but always allow some rest time between your schedule trip.

We got a DVD player for the car and that really helps along with some new coloring books or new toy they can play with in the car. That keeps there interest for a couple of hours. And plan to stop to eat half way there and that will break up the time for her. Good Luck and have a fun little get away!

What we found worked for our road trip when our son was a little older at the time, 14 months, we had a big breakfast, a morning walk, loaded up the car and drove. He fell asleep and had a huge morning nap when he woke up we stopped, got out of the car went for a walk had some lunch, a playplace works nicely for burning off some steam if applicable and then loaded up and drove the rest of the trip reading books watching an elmo dvd (portable DVD player from walmart)for a big chunk of the trip, another nap in the afternoon..if I never hear that DVD again it will be too soon...but he was great. It took a little longer than road trips back in my younger, no baby days, but it worked.
Hopefully this helps!

I have three children...12yrs,8yrs,& 6yrs old...My husband and I were stationed in Sacramento. We are both from San Diego and all our family is here. So needless to say "Road Trips" were almost once a month. The drive from SD to Sac is about 10 hours w/the kids...potty breaks/food etc. I think your baby will be fine, bring some toys and take at least two breaks even if they are for a short amount of time. You can let her get out of her seat and stretch her little legs. I was nervous the first time we did that long drive but it turned out just fine. And if I may add at the time my two little ones were 1 year and 3 years of age. So Good Luck...

I used to drive my children up to San Francisco from Los Angeles to see family. I still do. I did the same thing when they were babies that I do now; I make frequent stops. Rest stops are especially nice if they include a bit of park. I also recommend bringing a picnic as apposed to stopping at a restaurant. Stop at a park or a rest stop and let your little one run around a bit while you eat. Make a 15 minute stop about every hour. A portable DVD player can help to keep them occupied for a bit of the drive, but at 10 months it won't keep them amused the whole time. Also bring snacks.

We've done a few trips like this. We found parks along the way to stop and play have a picnic/snack. Lots of books and small toys. Don't get everything out at once. Our daughter was two the last long trip and we had the Color Wonder Markers (the kind that only write on special paper), that kept her occupied for a long time. CDs- we love to sing. Have fun!!