Driving on my own with 2 toddlers in the car

[Didine]

I booked a week away in Broadstairs in Feb. I will be driving on my own from ED with both kids on board and it will be my first 'long trip' ever as I am also a new driver.

Apart from being patient and expecting anything, what do I need to plan so that the 2 hours are not becoming my worst nightmare...

Any tips are welcome

Thanks

[SE22mum]

try and plan it around nap time, if they have them, as they will hopefully fall asleep. otherwise, find some music to put on or a story tape. also, if they have toy computers they can be fun. make it seem exciting to them, let them pack a bag etc.

[jonbateson]

Depending on the age of your children, they might well sleep for a large part of the journey. For the time that they are awake, do you have some toys/ books that you can attach to their car seats (so they don't drop them and lose them). A music/ story cd is handy and joining in with singing songs. Plan where you will stop along the way and decide if you keep going if they are asleep. Whilst driving, particularly on motorways etc, focus on driving, not them, only stop if it is safe to but I find if I stop if they are crying (unless you know that there is a problem) it just makes it worse, they stop crying for a little bit but then start straight on again when you go again. So keep driving to the next services or your planned stop and then get everyone out/fed/watered etc. make sure the car has been checked for oil, screen wash, tyre pressure, petrol etc. good luck :)

[LalKJ]

Agree with the above. I frequently drive alone from ED to Winchester (1.5-2.5 hours) with my two children (now 1.5 and 3.5) and have done since the youngest was a few weeks old. The best thing to do is get totally prepared and ready the night before. Everythign you want to pack in the car by the front door. Ideally I would like to load up the night before, but don't fancy my chances of it still being in the car the next morning if I did so. This includes waiting till they are asleep and then collecting their bedtime toys to pack so I don't forget them. I also have a list of the last minute things I need by the door - i.e. the monitor which has been on over night so I try not to forget things. I always leave after lunch - give them a big lunch, plenty to drink and get them in comfortable clothes, and then try to leave asap (usually with a 5 minute cartoon whilst I pack the car). The youngest one always falls asleep immediately and the older one will "rest" or sleep, but it's a good quiet time. We've nearly always made it most of the way without them waking or needing any other entertainment. I always make sure I have plenty of snacks (usually multiple packets of rice cakes/sweetcorn rings etc.) in the front of the car (lesson learnt after packing them in the boot) - not raisans or stuff younger ones could possible choke on. I never stop - just prolongs the agony. During one traffic jam (5 hours) I also reluctantly found cartoons saved down on the iPad in valuable. Generally the time goes very quickly and the oldest one is more than happy to just chat rather than do anything else. I also try not to worry about getting there too quickly - try to make the journey part of the holiday so you are not stressed about making it at a certain time. Finally, I also try to arrange something active when we arrive, to shake them up a bit and they are also a bit stir crazy, and as they're both boys, certainly need to run the lethargy off. Good luck - it will be totally fine.

[Mens]

Definitely leave just before nap time. Also I bought a car DVD player on eBay last week for just ?13 and there were several for sale. A couple of their favourite films should take up the entire journey. Good Luck!

[Didine]

Thanks a lot for your feedback, much appreciated and very useful :-)

[Terresa]

Yes I would make sure to leave just before nap time. If that doesn?t work out, plan a stop in the middle to have a little run around. Also bring lots of snacks which take long to eat, so they are busy doing that. Also bring a new toy they don?t know, yet, so that might keep them busy. Also put music on.