Are you one of those parents who look out of the window on a fine morning and say, “The weather’s simply awesome today. Let’s drive someplace…” And the next thing you know you are in fifth gear on a highway, enjoying the broad roads, the clear blue sky, the soft cottony clouds, when your two year old suddenly says, “Ma, I want to go to the toilet.” All the beautiful scenes evaporate into thin air. And if your child is like mine – irreversibly potty trained, which means no more doing anything with nappies, no going to toilets outside of the house, and being control freaks (controlling the urge to do anything for hours on end), then all hell breaks loose!
No matter how many check-lists you make or how much advance preparation goes into your trip, you will still face surprises because your child is growing up and so are his requirements, demands, and tastes.
We have been on road trips and also travelled extensively by air since our child was four months old. Here are a few tips to enjoy a smooth, long drive with your toddlers and make it fun for them too.
1. First things first – our road trip is incomplete without a car seat. Not only does it keep the children safe and secure, they can enjoy sound sleep in spite of our bumpy roads. Especially if you start driving in the wee hours of the morning, your baby is still asleep, cradled in the warmth of the car seat, the gentle movement of the seat rocking him to sleep till you cover good distance. You are also free to just relax and enjoy the drive.
2. Items you cannot forget – camera to capture their various moods, tissues, wipes, hand sanitizer, hand soap, napkins, newspapers, disposable garbage bags, sunscreen lotion (I trust Mustela for kids), drinking straws, medicines for common cold, cough, light fever, stomach disorders, essential minerals and vitamins (since balanced meals are not guaranteed).
3. Carry your baby’s potty seat. We all know how hygienic our sanitation facilities (if any) are on highways and the pit stops it offers. Not only will the child be comfortable, it’s hygienic and convenient.
4. Food is topmost on any mother’s mind. What if I don’t find food that suits my child’s palate in the next 12 hours when I don’t even know what roads we are going to tread on? Keep finger foods such as biscuits, chips, granola bars, sliced cakes, cheese cubes, bananas handy. Carry milk powder – tetra-pack milk curdles too. I trust Pediasure that can be given to children up to 10 years. It’s a complete meal, not just regular milk flavour and all you need is warm water. Since we travel a lot, I have exposed my child to all sorts of cuisines other than Chinese – butter idlis, dosas, Maggi noodles, pastas, breads, regular dal, roti, sabzi, burgers, French fries, bring them on. Most restaurants on the highway serve regular dal, roti, rice, and vegetables. While I prefer hot dal and rice for my son, it’s a good idea to google for Mac Donalds and Kamaths that are very popular highway pit-stops. You can plan your stops accordingly. Carrying tetra-packed juice is also a good idea.
5. Carry a change of clothes depending on the weather – you never know when it gets too cold or too hot in the car. Carry jackets, raingear, extra pair of sandals and socks, tees, pants, and under-pants.
6. Now come the things-to-keep-the-child-busy –travel doodles, board books, music, any other favourite toy. I put them in a bag and place it next to the car seat. My son picks and chooses whatever he wants. If your phone supports videos and short movie clips, download ones that they like so they have some entertainment of their own when they get bored – especially after the sun sets and it’s pitch dark on the highways.
7. When the child is awake, draw their attention to the different landscapes, people, places that you drive by. Herds of cattle are hard to miss on our roads. This time we even spotted huge lizards and snakes crossing the road. You could also stop by the lush green fields and take a short walk. This will also give you much needed respite from the long hours of sitting in the car.
8. Plan to put them to sleep during late evening drives for it gets too dark and most kids tend to get cranky as they cannot see much and it’s a darkness that’s almost eerie for them.
Even if you do forget to carry something, sometimes children do surprise us by being accommodating. It’s us who are paranoid that things may get uncomfortable for them. Let your drive be smooth and let it be an opportunity for your child to explore things he has never seen, the silence he may have only experienced in his womb, and things he would soon leave behind.
Travelling is the best teacher and it’s amazing how much knowledge they can gain about nature, terrains, and their “look at this ma and look at that ma” exclamations are nothing less than priceless.
Like my son put it, “Ma, there is so much sky here!”
Vaishali Shroff is a freelance writer and editor and runs a reading club (www.eikthirani.wordpress.com) for children in Pune. Her work has been published in over 10 titles of the Chicken Soup India Series, her children’s stories can be read at smories (http://www.smories.com/author/vaishali-shroff/) and she can’t wait for her first children’s book to be out.