Travelling with children by car is not easy, but attractive and exciting. It is essential to think over everything in advance, take care of the availability of the necessary things and a first aid kit. And then the rest will go well and will be remembered from the positive side.
Advantages and disadvantages of travelling by car with a child
Pros of auto travel with a child:
- the car trip is cheaper than other types of transport;
- you control when to stop and where to sleep;
- there are no restrictions on luggage - you can take as many things as you need;
- the trip can bring any time;
- the child tolerates travelling in a car more easily than on a train or plane;
- new impressions;
- microclimate control;
- no strangers.
Minuses:
- the baby may behave unpredictably;
- there is a risk of emergencies on the road;
- a good rest on a road trip with a small child is not guaranteed.
Competent travel planning will help to avoid cons. It is essential to decide what to take on the road with a child in a car.
At what age will a car trip with children be comfortable?
You can travel with children of any age. With a baby, the trip will not be difficult. If the baby is calm, he will mostly sleep. When travelling with a child two years old, you need to think about entertainment and regular stops. An older preschooler can safely tolerate travel if there is entertainment. The main thing is to think over the details so that everyone is comfortable. In general, all children are different - one cries, the other is calm.
For a comfortable journey, you can rent an SUV. It is convenient - it is roomy, easily overcomes any off-road. And most importantly, you do not have to worry about the technical condition and other little things. This is the concern of the rental company. We have compiled a rating of cars for travelling in Ukraine for you.
Recommendations for a long trip by car with a child
There are some tips to make travelling by car easier and more relaxed. The main ones are:
- Travel along highways with good gas stations. You can relax on them, eat in a cafe, visit a clean toilet, and sometimes take a shower.
- It is better to refuse containers with food. You can take the minimum with you - for the next snack. Mostly travel by car is relevant in the warm season, so food can simply go bad. And also not the fact that the child or the adults themselves will want to eat.
- The toys should be neither musical nor loud. Over time, this begins to distract from the control of the car.
- You should not include cartoons as soon as you set off. The child is still on emotions and anticipation of the trip to sit quietly for a while. Next, use the toys, and when he gets tired and starts to get annoyed for no reason, cartoons will come to the rescue.
- Make sure wet and dry wipes are everywhere for convenience. Take an antiseptic additionally.
What should you think about in advance?
There are several things to take care of in advance. Think them over at the stage of planning a vacation with the whole family.
How to organize sleep?
If the child sleeps during the day, you need to guess the check-out time to be 1-1.5 hours before bedtime. The kid will calmly endure them, then fall asleep for two or three hours, and there will be much less time on the way.
If the driver needs rest, you can leave him in the car and take a walk around the neighbourhood with your child for 1-1.5 hours. It is especially good if you plan a walk before his sleep to drive a little and fall asleep for a nap.
What kind of entertainment to come up with in the car?
Entertainment in the car can be very different depending on the age of the child and his preferences. The main ones are:
- watching cartoons;
- listening to audio fairy tales or children's songs;
- games on a smartphone or tablet;
- games with toys;
- city games.
You can also take modelling dough or plasticine with you, especially if the child is small. It will not work to blind a full-fledged figure, but adults will have time to take a break.
How to keep order?
It is very difficult to maintain order in a road train with a one-year-old child or a preschooler. Despite all the efforts, crumbs, pieces of paper will be in the salon.
Mom may try to play a cleaning game with the child, but it is unlikely that it will last long. Just make sure you have a separate garbage bag and collect any excess during your stops.
When and what stops to make?
It is advisable to divide the trip into parts. The distance on how adults can withstand is unbearable for a child, especially a small one.
It is optimal if there are big stops every 6-7 hours of the journey. The child will not be able to sit quietly anymore. That is, it is comfortable if, after 6-7 hours of travel, you stop in some city, take a walk and stay overnight. It is the driving time that is taken into account.
Additionally, you need to make small stops for 15-30 minutes. It is advisable to do them every 1-1.5 hours so that the child does not have time to sit up. The smaller the baby, the more often it takes a little time to walk and change the environment. A teenager will be able to endure the journey on a par with adults, but a three-year-old is unlikely to sit quietly for more than an hour and a half. Accordingly, a 6-7 hour trip will take a little longer.
How to organize an overnight stay in a car with a child?
Better to stay overnight in hostels, hotels or inns. The priority for several reasons is a lower price, 24/7 check-in, and constant access to the kitchen. Moreover, almost every hostel has family rooms with a bathroom.
It is possible to organize an overnight stay in the car if space permits. The child can be placed in the back seat or a fold-out child seat. Parents are in the front seats. But remember that the rest will be incomplete this way, and you can forget about the vigour in the morning.
Checklist: collecting everything you need for a trip with a child
Travelling with a child in a car is not easy. It is advisable to make yourself a checklist and follow it. It is important to think in advance about how to prepare food, whether you need a stroller, what to take with you and other little things.
How and on what to cook food?
When organizing food, an important rule applies - do not bother. Prepare for the fact that you will physically not cook the usually baked meats, salads, soups and various delicacies. In addition, a child on a trip may refuse food altogether or eat only fruits. This is quite normal, as his body reacts to stress.
For newborns who are still breastfed or formula-fed babies, the problem with food is the easiest to solve. It is enough to apply a mixture of milk porridge to the breast or dilute with warm boiled water - and the child will be full.
If the child is already on a general diet, then there are several options:
- Self-cooking on a gas burner. It is imperative to take a spare gas cylinder to it. In principle, you can cook anything, but you need to remember that the fuel is not infinite. Better to choose easy-to-cook porridge, pasta or homemade convenience foods.
- Cosmoeda. This is any food in packs, in soft packages. Sold in any supermarket. There are not only vegetable or fruit purees but full meals - with meat, potatoes, poultry. Delicious and nutritious.
- Food in jars. This is also a ready-made version, which is enough to open, and a hearty lunch is already ready. There are a wide variety of tastes, both meat and vegetable, and even desserts. Moreover, you can not take all this from home, but buy it on the way to the store.
- Snack. This can be any food you don't need to cook. For example, apples, grapes, carrots, bananas, crispbread, croutons, bread, cookies, straws, waffles, etc.
What is better to take from drinks?
From drinks, it is worth taking water, or rather a lot of water. For the child, you need to take care of a bottle with a pacifier or a sports neck. It is advisable to put the water so that it is not in direct sunlight and, accordingly, does not heat up.
Additionally, you can take along juice or drinking yoghurt. But they will need to be drunk first so that they do not deteriorate.
Important! After any sweet and even more carbonated drinks, you will want to drink even more. Therefore, ordinary clean water without gas is a priority. Take it with a reserve, and on the way, do not forget to replenish stocks so that travelling with a child under one year of age or older go smoothly.
What kind of clothing is needed?
From clothes, you should definitely take something light, cotton, so that you can go to the car in it. There is no point in dressing yourself and your child in beautiful things, especially if they are uncomfortable. It is better to take them with you to change them later on arrival at the place.
Mandatory things:
- Underwear;
- T-shirts and T-shirts;
- shorts or skirts;
- a dress or a beautiful suite for a child of a girl or a boy, respectively;
- warm clothes in case of cold weather or evening walk;
- flip flops for the hostel and walks on the sea;
- sneakers or sandals for walking around the city.
Going to the sea by car with children is also worth considering exactly where you are going. For example, the rest of the savages requires stable and non-slip sandals, and if it is a resort town, you can choose beautiful open shoes or shoes.
What toys should a child take?
There should be a lot of toys, but do not give out everything to the child at once. 1-2 is enough for the first time, as he gets tired of them, another 1, etc.
Advice! Let the kid take his favourite toy with him. Don't limit his choices.
Ideal if the toys are new. What does childlike? Cars, dolls, balls? Buy a lot of small toys and give them out periodically during the trip, when it seems that the baby is completely tired or upset. The novelty effect is a good distraction and uplifting effect.
Should I allow mobile games or cartoons while travelling?
Most parents are firmly convinced that watching cartoons or playing on a smartphone can only be 15 minutes a day. To travel comfortably on vacation, you can tone down your conscience and allow your child a little more. So you will have half an hour of a calm ride without crying and tugging at your sleeve.
Important! Mobile Internet does not always catch on the road well. Therefore, it is advisable to free up space in advance on your smartphone or tablet and pump up more of your child's favourite cartoons or games.
First Aid Kit: What Should Be Required?
It is very important to take your first aid kit with you. A small child can fall, scratch a knee, get hypothermic at sea, or worse. There is not always a pharmacy nearby to quickly buy the necessary medicine. Consider the list of necessary medicines and their form for children, and it is better to take syrups rather than pills. Be sure to look at the recommended age.
A trip by car with a baby or an older toddler should take place with a first aid kit, which contains:
- pain relievers, for example, "Paracetamol" or "Analgin";
- antipyretics, for example, "Ibuprofen" or "Nurofen";
- antidiarrheal agents, for example, based on eterosorbents or loperamide;
- means for restoring water balance (very important in case of poisoning);
- fermented drugs to improve digestion, for example, with pancreatin in the base;
- antihistamines in case of allergies, and it is advisable to choose funds based on rupatadine or cetirizine since they do not make you sleepy;
- antispasmodics for adults, such as drotaverine;
- remedies for motion sickness;
- antiseptic, means to accelerate wound healing, sprays and ointments for cuts, bandages and plasters in case of falling or injury;
- remedies for the common cold, for example, saline, as the most neutral, or analogues with a vasoconstrictor effect;
- insect repellents for children and adults, as well as bite repellents so that the baby does not scratch;
- Sun protection products - take with a high SPF 50+.
Important! If you or your child have any medications that need to be taken regularly, they should be taken with a margin - at least for 3-5 days.
Do you need a stroller when travelling by car?
You should definitely take a stroller when travelling with a one-year-old child or preschooler. When packing at home, it may seem easy to handle without it, and you can save space. This is not true. Be sure to bring your stroller. It will come in handy. Better not to take an extra dress or even toys.
Napkins are important!
They are a must! You will need both wet and dry.
We collect bags correctly.
Don't put all your belongings in one suitcase. Better to take a few bags:
- with food on the road;
- with things for an overnight stay in a hotel or hotel;
- with personal hygiene products;
- with a first aid kit;
- with toys.
Anything that cannot be urgently needed on the road can be hidden in the far corner of the trunk in a common suitcase.
Baby equipment, outfit and other things
In addition, you need to take with you a mask with a snorkel for diving, fins, a bucket with beads, an inflatable ring and other things for a more interesting and safe stay.
For a small child, it is important to take a small inflatable pool. It can be placed directly on the beach - it is both convenient and safe. They usually have inflatable toys, so the baby will not be bored.
What to do if a child is seasick and how to prevent nausea?
If the child is seasick, you need to stop the car, go out into the fresh air. You can give a little water. You can move on only after the child's well-being returns to normal.
Motion sickness remedies will help prevent the problem. They are sold in any pharmacy and are not expensive.
We plan a road trip with children correctly.
When travelling with a child, you need to plan everything. Understand the route first. It is advisable to book places for the night in advance, think over in which cities there will be stops, what to see and where to go to unwind.
You need to plan a vacation project down to which of the adults carries which package, who carries the child, etc. This is a good way to make your life easier. It is optimal to plan which car you will take on a trip.
Pre-booking a car with a car seat is a good opportunity to get a small discount.
The main recommendation is not to concentrate on the cons, take care of safety, and the trip will be exciting and interesting. Such an experience will be remembered on the positive side by both you and the child, and if you take into account the above tips for planning such a trip, it will go perfectly.