Ok heres the deal i need some input please!!!?

Question

ok......my husband is deployed and i have three kids all under the age of 4. i want to go home,home is roughly a 25 hour drive. i have never driven this far by myself let alone with three little ones(my youngest is 4 months). i know i can do it so im not looking for anyone to say i cant i want to know if any one has any good ideas for traveling. no i dont have anyone to come with me and have you seen airline prices??! wahoooo! so if some one could give me insight that would be great. i was thinking driving through the night to the half way which would be 12 hours. and same for the last stretch. wudda think?

thanks in advance for your answers

Answer 1

I've done a ton of cross country trips throughout my life(I'm mean a ton...easily over 100). You have the right idea. Get up around 3am, leave by 4-430am. That'll avoid heavy traffic and morning rush hour. Then with stop time, eat time, potty breaks ect. You'll be done for the night at 7pm or so. Still able to get your 8 hours of sleep and everything. That would put you arriving late evening on the second day! I've traveled all around the clock from one coast to the other. Moved 2200 miles from Las Vegas to Tennessee twice...made that 2200miles in 21 hours!!! lol. Best to drive like theres no tommorrow and just get there.

The kids will probably do well just in the excitement. Bring little snacks like golfish in sandwhich bags, or things like that. Have a cooler with drinks for you, and juice boxes for them. limit one juice box/hr for the kids so that they can use the bathroom when you stop, but don't need to go every 20 mins lol. Bring a camera for pictures along the way. Stay cautious on the interstate/hiways, and remember your deffensive driving tips. Always check your mirrors and be safe! Have fun, it's a blast!

Answer 2

I think if you can handle it night driving it would be best. Make sure you are on main routes- safety if you break down. This will avoid the heat in the day as it is now summer. Also the kids should sleep. The problem comes though when do you sleep? The best bet would be to leave home at 6p and drive until 12 am- six hours, then get a hotel room. You can sleep in the hotel room for a while with the kids. Then get up when they do, have some breakfast, drive another 4-6 hours. Stop in a town after that get something to eat- find a park in that town so the kids can stretch their legs and  run around, get the kids settled in the car comfy and again drive 4-6 hours. Get another hotel room, sleep some with the kids. Once everyone is up for the day get breakfast, drive the rest that day stopping at a rest stops when needed. Give the kids time to run around and you to feed the baby. Within 2 1/2 days you will be there and not too tired. Plan for some time to stop to feed the baby, the kids bathroom breaks and such. You can bring a cooler full of sandwiches, drinks and fruit for lunches, snacks. Pack pillows and blankets for sleeping in the car. The baby needs to be out of their car seat every 4-6 hours. 4 hours is best but at night I wouldn't stress if they are sleeping. Games books, toys are all good things to have as you know. Before you leave estimate how far you will drive each section and plan out what motels are possible- do this for a short and long stretch of driving so you are aware of where to stop. If you don't make it as far as you hope then there will be a back up plan - Good luck

Answer 3

Maybe see if someone from the other side of the trip can meet you half way with another driver.  then you can finish up the trip easy!  

Just farm a couple of the kids out to that other car and let yourself take a well deserved nap in the back seat.

Answer 4

The furthest I have ever driven in one day with kids ways16 hours and that was way to long. How ever I would break your trip in to 2 if not 3 days and stay at a hotel some where along the way. I have found the best thing in the world for traveling kids in our DVD player that we had installed in our suburban. They love it. I would also not stop any more than you had too. Trying to get kids back in a car seat that they don't want to be in is a nightmare. Good luck and safe travels.

Answer 5

I did a 12 hour stretch with 2 kids, but they were 5 and 8.  When travelling during the day, at mealtimes, drive into a small town, and ask at the convenience store where is the town park.   Sit down and eat, then do circuit training.  Everyone runs together to each playground piece, the kids play on it for a couple minutes and then I yell, "OK.  Off to the swings, and we run, run, run to the swings, etc.    We make a circuit of the entire park, and play on everything, and it only takes about 15 minutes.  After that, they've had a snack, and a run, and they're OK with sitting in the air conditioning for awhile to rest.     It's fun and exciting for the kids, and definitely worth 15-20 minutes.   That will get them hungry and you can get them back in the car by promising a snack and some air conditioning and a movie.   It also helps you to stay alert and get some circulation so you don't have to worry about blood clots from sitting so long.

You will have to stop frequently to feed your 4 month old.   I did an 8 hour drive with a newborn, and it turned into an 11 hour drive.   If the infant is on a sleep schedule, then driving at night may do the trick.  

Stop when they start screaming.  Sometimes, it's time to call it a day, even if you didn't get as far as you thought you would.  If it's evening, and everyone is tired and cranky, then go ahead, pull into a motel, and have a restful night's sleep.   Sometimes, the stars line up, the kids are asleep, and you drive until your bladder is bursting, because if you stop the car, they will all wake up.   So, regulate your fluid intake, and don't be too set on getting to a particular town or destination.   Pick up the traveler's flyers at the gas station.  They have a list of motels in every town you pass through.  Start calling on your cell phone as you head into town and you can get a room lined up.

Look for a motel with a pool, and pack the floaties and swimsuits.  Take a dip in the hotel pool to relax after a long drive, or to freshen up before a long drive.    A quick dip and a warm bath is a great way to end a long day.  Taking the time to relax for a few minutes or a few hours will help to relieve your stress and make it much more enjoyable for you all.   Your kids will think you created this vacation just for them!

Do not drive when you get too tired.   Stop and get a good night's sleep.   It will be of no help to anyone if you get in a wreck trying to be a hero.

Consider where the sun rises and sets.   Don't plan your drive when you will be driving into the sun.

Maybe two long days with a short drive of 3 or 4 hours on a 3rd day is not the end of the world.    Don't push yourself too hard.  You'll get there.

If driving during the day, you may need to put up something to block the sun, but don't drape anything over the carseat, because it blocks air circulation and the baby can overheat.

McDonalds is another great place to stop and let the kids run around in the playground for a while.  The important thing is that when the car stops, everyone gets moving.

Good luck.   I'm sure you'll do fine.

Answer 6

Is there any way "home" can come to you? That'd be easiest, but if you're set on going, then I'd travel at night when they're supposed to be sleeping. I'd make sure to bring some toys and make sure they're in good car seats--no boosters. If you have one, bring the portable tv/dvd combo so your kids can watch movies if they wake and are bored. Just make sure you stop every few hours to let them get out and stretch their little legs.

Answer 7

The issue with driving through the night is that you will be VERY tired.  With no-one to talk with to keep you awake, you are likely to fall asleep at the wheel -- not good for anyone.

If I was going to do such a long drive on my own (or at all) I would break it up over several days.  Maybe drive 3 hours in the morning -- stop for a few hours (lunch, let the kids run around in a park for a while), then another 3-4 hours in the afternoon -- stop for dinner, then, if the kids are asleep get in another couple of hours.  Otherwise, stop for the night.  The trip will take 3-4 days, but you will arrive sane and healthy.

Answer 8

I wouldn't suggest driving all night by yourself on the first leg of the trip. The kids will be bright eyed and bushy tailed in the morning and you will have no sleep at all. But the second leg of the trip you can drive all night and crash when you get to your families house.

Start out early in the morning, maybe even with the kids still in their jammies. Maybe they'll go back to sleep in the car for a while. You'll be taking plenty of breaks with a four month old so make it a place where the older kids can run around. A rest stop or a McDonald's with a playground.

The next morning you can either take off again (which is what I would do) or hang out let the kids run around ... maybe stay at a place with a pool. Then take off after dinner.

If you take off in the morning repeat the day before. Take plenty of breaks let the kids move around. If you don't have a portable DVD player I suggest getting one. We use ours only on really long trips after the kids are bored with the stickers, books, and other car toys.

- drive during the day

- take plenty of breaks for the kids to run around

- take along lots of snacks  - low sugar so they are not amped up

- take plenty of stickers, coloring books, and car toys - try to get at least one thing they've never seen before.

- back a separate small bag with a change of clothes for the big kids in case accidents.

- if all else fails a DVD player helps ALOT