So next month, for Spring Break, we are taking our first family of four vacation, by CAR, to Georgia. My husband’s paternal grandparents live in Georgia and it’s about a 10 hour car ride from where we live in Texas. Well, it’s a 10 hour car ride with one or two stops….with two kids it may turn into a 15 to 18 hour car drive. Hell, we may have to make it a 2 day car ride and stay the night somewhere. Oy.
I’m a little nervous about taking this trip. We took the same trip last year (I actually found out I was pregnant on said trip last year) and it was rough with one 2 year old. With a newborn whom I breastfeed and a now rambunctious 3 year old, I’m biting my nails and spinning around from the potential disaster we are setting ourselves up for.
How are we ever going to survive? We do not have a pretty, spacious suburban or minivan with lots of space. We are limited on entertainment and toys that we can bring, especially with all the “new baby” stuff that is a must when traveling with a newborn. Should we travel at night while the kids sleep? Well, that would work for our toddler who sleeps at night. But our newborn seems to be a vampire and is awake from about 9 pm to 5 am every day. So, what to do? Hmmm…
Well, I may invest in one of those car dvd players. That might help a bit. And I’m planning on having a sack full of toys and snacks stashed in the backseat for my toddler. Other than that, I’m at a loss.
Any helpful tips from the parents out there? I’d love to quell potential tantrums and make this as smooth a trip as possible for our kids. And has anyone ever taken such a long car trip with a newborn? What was your experience?
