24 hour car ride with 3.5 month-old

[Fizzyfefe]

My MIL, SIL, baby, and I are driving from Texas to Ontario next week. We'll be staying at my hubby's family's cabin for over a month. Doorstep to doorstep, it's a 24-hour drive. We are going to break it up into a two- or three-day ride, depending on how well my son does. Do you all have any tips for keeping the baby as happy as possible during the ride? He normally loves the car. My concerns are keeping him entertained (because he normally loves to be on the go when we are at home) and keeping him cool (he often feels extremely hot after sitting in his car seat). He stares at toys but doesn't quite play with them yet. I'm also worried about him sleeping the whole time we are on the road, then being awake when the drivers are trying to rest at night.

 

[Googiepie]

I took my toddler on a 12 hour trip when she was 3/4 months old. She usually slept most of the time but if we stopped for gas or passed a rest stop, we'd stop for a bit and I'd take her out for a few minutes. We got some fresh air and she got to stretch a bit. Even though she slept most of the trip, it didn't disturb her night time sleep. Not like she slept well at night anyways, lol.

 

[MindUtopia]

I agree with breaking it up into a few days and I'd also look into hiring a lie flat car seat (I'm assuming you have these in the U.S.?). It's better for them not to be sitting in a normal car seat that long if you have the option for something else. Otherwise, just lots of breaks. At that age, they mostly just lie around on the floor or in someone's arms anyway, so being in the car should be no different really. I would just sit back there a bit for awake times to provide some stimulation and hopefully prevent too much disruption to sleep. The good thing is that at that age you don't have to contend with a toddler who is used to running around all day, so it should be relatively less complicated that it will be in another year or so. Enjoy! Sounds like a nice trip!

 

[chipsticks]

not sure about entertainment..I'd honestly think baba will sleep for the most part of the drive. Heat wise I'd just dress him in a vest and have blankets easily available if he gets cold. Heating him up will be easier than cooing him down!

 

[RaspberryK]

I'd fly xx