Any good tips for a road trip with a toddler?

We will be driving eight hours to visit relatives for the first time. My daughter is 18 months old. We plan to start driving in the evening. We have a portable dvd player in the car. Any tips on how to make this trip more tolerable?

I'd just have her good and tired so she will immediately fall asleep as you leave the driveway - have some of her favorite rhings ready - if she starts to get whiney, dstract with something quickly t snap her out of the bad mood coming on - don't worry, you'll be fine and she'll be SOA, spoiled on arrival...have a great trip, be safe !!

My 3 year old nephew came with us on a 9 hour trip. We left at 6 am and he slept the first 2 hours, but woke up. He cried a lot and complained and we stopped at a wal mart to buy a dvd player and that occupied him for the rest of the trip. Since you're leaving during the evening, you shouldn't have a lot of time where she's awake, so a movie she really likes should entertain her until she's asleep. Unless she's a little night owl.

well, I dont have kids of my own but I ALWAYS help my aunt out and, if you have the space, try to sit in the back with her. it usually helps calm kids down. my cousins are a little older than your daughter, but I know if they have books they LOVE to look at them by themselves, that usually keeps them busy. we also usually always try to keep them looking out the windows at planes and boats and birds and stuff the whole time. hope this helped...at least a little. have fun on your trip!

I know a mom that has four very young children and they go on road trips a lot. one of the things she does is before she goes and the trip (and then also during) is she'll go to the dollar store or walmart and just buy little surprizes for them for in the car. things like a coloring book, an activity book, new colored pencils, or sticker books can really keep the kids entertained. she also does this on the trip. so if they are travelling between seattle and disneyland, they'll stop at crater lake and she'll buy them something from there, and give it to them as a momento of their trip, but also as something to keep them busy.

hope it works out

Considering her age. You should have her take one less nap that day. and leave when she is getting sleepy so she can have a real good nap.

portable DVD player, new cheap colouring/sticker books, her vavourite toys, a recording of you singing/reading to he

I agree that your daughter should go with one less nap. I've gone on many road trips with young kids, and it's not always fun. But overtime I've found that sitting with them helps. And you should definitely bring little toys, coloring books, stuffed animals anything to take their mind off just sitting in a car. Don't give her everything at once, once she starts to fuss then just pop out another surprise. I totally agree with amblessed, advicegal and keel. Also try to bring some type of music. Sing along with the cd/tape with her. Not to the point where it drives you insane, but it helps.

I traveld from las vegas to plano texas I dont know if this is the regula distance or just the one that my aunt and mother thought more tortoruous for all of us but it took us 36 hours in a small car with my aunt driving my other aunt in the passengers me in one rear seat my 3 yearold brother in a seat and my 2 year old neice in the other side...for 36 hours.
they cried I changed so many dippers sang somany songs
cried once play hitmyself more time than I can remember wich is probably an effect of it.
got my hair pulled my shirt stained my pants drenched in soda and yet I survive all this while training them both to use the pody bymyself with uncomfterable sleep and that was if the 9 hours of sleep that I could get count as such
but I find that I also laughed a lot and I even taught them a few songs and phrases.
so be patient and ...we didint have a dvd player so thatll probably be big help...I recomend you get a bunch of kid movies she has never seen and play em all...get her some headphones or youll want to cutt your ears out halfway through the trip and take some good music for you...be prepared buy candies and treats and water and juices before the trip maybe even some lunch.

good luck

My 3 kids who are 6, 5 and 3 have been taking road trips since they were born. Bringing coloring books, books, and any toy you can think of that is small will work. Also make sure that you have snacks and drinks. As soon as she figures out that she's hungry if you don't give her something she will drive you crazy. My kids also loved to listen to kids music. You know the Old MacDonald kind. Sing them with her, act a little crazy. She'll enjoy herself and so will you.