First off I would like to say thanks to all who have responded to my other questions. I love this site. I can ask anything and not feel like a complete idiot for asking. So here is the new question: I am going to see my parents for the first time since my kids were born. My son is the one I am worried about. Any tips on how to keep him and a 2 year old comfortable on a almost 3 hour car trip? Also TJ is on a continuous feed at night through a g-tube. Should I take his pump or just feed him in the middle of the night? Neither one of us is used to a nighttime feeding. Any advice is welcome.
Hey once again you did not fail me! Thanks for all the advice. I will take the pump. I did not even think about the fact that weather might not permit for travel and we would be stuck there! Also I did not think about taking blankets and water for emergencies. I am going to do all these things. I will let everyone know when I get back how it goes. And keep the advice coming. Just wanted to say my trip to my family went great!
I also have a tube fed child. I say take the pump. Keep his routine as similar as possible. If you tube him from 10-6 then keep doing that. You don't want to start waking him for a feeding. You then might just end up with that as routine, not to mention a crabby kid.
I would take the pump just in case.Bring snuggley blankets,toys and snacks.Maybe a favorite toy of your 2 year old.If it's a car trip maybe a soothing cd.My kids love music and when they were little soft music and a car ride meant of to dream land for them.Don't forget to get out at least once during the trip for a good stretch,it will do you all some good.
take all the equipment you usually use.
3 hours is nothing in a car. Leave a their normal nap time or bed time. Be sure to nap the day before you leave. Don't try to leave right after work on a Friday. Wait until you've had extra sleep on Saturday.
Take toys and snacks and music for them in the car. Invigorating music like The Farmer in The Dell.
Well Have fun!!! and yes take the pump!!! if anything show your parents how you have to feed him... I am sure they will love the kids and you will have have a great visit!!!!
As for the car ride.. GOSH... I forgot how a 2 1/2 year old gets.. I just wanted to say.. I just got some clings for the windows on our van.. Josh is only 10 months old but seems to love them.. I have pooh on his window.. but plan on adding some sesame street winter on it soon ... the other center window I plan on changing to x mas... it has cat in the hat now and back has scooby...
Maybe if you have some toys we have a little clip on piano by leap frog.. like you can put also on a stroller....
Josh has fun with it....
Good luck...
and bring some asprin!!! and earplugs hahahahaha
I would take the g-tube with you. As for the three hour car ride. Try driving during a nap or start after the little one goes to sleep or about three hours before they are to wake up. My birth mother use to do that with my sister and myself. I just leave while mine are sleeping directly after they go to bed for the night. Hope this helps out. E-mail me at ____@____.com and let me know how it goes and what you did.
Take his pum, better sfae than sorry. Do as you would normally do. As for keeping them busy on the ride, I have no idea other than games
all i can say is hopefully they both fall asleep for the trip back home.. i went to visit my mother a couple weeks ago, its a little over a 3 hour drive, with 3 kids, a 4 week old, and 3 month old and a 23month old... they all slept peacefully up until the last 10 minutes of driving and then they all 3 woke up and we all crying and tired of being in there carseats... but what i did was wake them all up a couple of hours earlier then they are use to, and fed them right before we left, so they wouldnt get hungry.....good luck
Leave at nap-time, or if you don't mind driving late, leave in the evening. My parents are 6 hours from me, and I would leave about 4pm, stop between 6-7 for supper, and be there between 10-11pm. I had 4 at the time, and the youngest 3 were each 2 years apart (so at one time - 2,4,6,& 10).
I found that the younger ones would take a nap, and although they were refreshed when we got there and I was tired, Grandma and Grandpa were more than ready to have some play time with the grandkids (esp since they didn't see them very often with the distance).
Take the pump with you. Keep him on as much of a regular routine as possible. Also pack any special blankets, teddies, etc that will make the kids feel more "at home".
tack the pump and books on tape i have a 5 year old we us to tack a 10 1/2 trip and books on tap help and leave when it is close to bed time or nap time
I have driven across country with my kids. For a 3 hr trip the easiest thing for us on a trip of that length is to eat lunch and pack up and go. Naptime is immediately following lunch for us. My kids listen to soft music or even a book on tape and fall asleep in the car easily even though they are use to our strict home routine of in their beds after lunch. If you go at a time when your child wouldn't normally nap, make sure there is time for play before leaving. Take quiet, age approprate games such as something your child can push buttons on like a leap frog type game. If your child likes to snuggle with something soft take that for your child to hold. If your children are awake I would also recommend a stop to let them get out and run around. We have stopped at rest stops, McDonalds (though we don't eat their food, but grabbed a drink so they could play in the playplace). Make sure you also pack adequate snacks. We have had great success with car trips with no whining at all. The longest car trip was from St Louis area to Breckenridge Colorado. We split it up over 2 days and the kids did great...even though one of them ended up even getting sick with a virus on the way there. I have no idea about feeding tubes, but even if you intend to come home before the next feeding with it I would think you would want to take it just in case something happens you get stuck somewhere. You wouldn't want your little guys life line to be unavailable. Expect the unexpected. Even take along extra blankets and water (or whatever you can get your kids to drink) just in case. Good luck on your trip.
B. :)
(Ok, for the second time, darn computer!) :P
When my boys were younger, we made it a point to travel during naptime. It was easier all around; we left just after lunchtime, and they slept the whole way. (We have about a 3 hr drive to the inlaws.) Now we have a portable dvd player, and that has really saved the trip, now that they are older. (Mine are 4 and 2 now.) Our trip now takes about 1 1/2 times thru "Finding Nemo", heh.
As for the feeding, just try to keep things business as usual. Kids have hard times adjusting to travel to new places, so keep it as normal and like home as possible. Good luck, and safe travels!!
J.
L.,
If you are driving wouldn't it make sense to pack the pump in the car then you both do the normal routine as close to possible at the visit. I think you and he would be more comfortable with that. I think the pump is portable and if so then pack it in the car. This is not a plane trip which would be more challenging. Let me know what you do?
Kir
