Tips for Road Trips with Baby Kids

Pssst.

Hey, you.

Yeah, you—the one considering a road trip with a newborn.

Come a little closer … closer, closer … I have a secret.

YOU DON’T WANT TO DO IT.

This advice is coming from a very deep and honest place in my heart because I am living this experience in real time.

Yes, my friends, we’re on another road trip—only this time, we’ve added a new soul to our little band, in the form of an 8-week-old baby boy named Henry. The sleepless nights and fussy days just aren’t enough of a challenge for us, so we decided to hit the bricks with not one, but two children, one of whom considers me his personal bathroom attendant.

What’s that? You’re questioning my judgment? Are you blaming my hormones? Because buddy, I’d back off if I were you. I was trapped on the prairie for the better part of nine months, without a drop of water in sight. I needed to blow that Popsicle stand.

Plus, I really miss my mom. Ask me how I feel at the end of our two-week stay in Rochester, N.Y., and you might get a different answer, but right now this mommy wants, well, her mommy.

In order to get to my mommy, I had to endure 12 hours in my minivan with my husband, 3-year-old daughter and Sir Fussy Von Fusserstein. You know life has taken a drastic turn when this is considered a “vacation.”

Oy to the vey.

Preparing to Pack

Where was I? Sorry, my concentration isn’t what it used to be. Newborns should come with a black box label: Warning: Do not operate heavy machinery under the influence of this child.

OK, right. Newborn, 3-year-old, road trip.

Getting ready for the trip took almost as long as getting here. Want another piece of advice? Dude, have your kids close together. It’s been more than three years since I had to carry a diaper bag, and even going to the grocery store is a challenge. I always forget something essential. Like, say, diapers.

You can imagine what it was like preparing for 17 days away from home. I made lists rivaling the plans for the invasion of Normandy.

Before kids, I never made lists. Of any kind. In fact, I mocked my husband mercilessly because he made a “packing list template” in Excel and actually planned out his travel wardrobe by day.
Oh, I was mean. Now he smirks as I whip out the notebook I carry with me at all times to write stuff down so I don’t forget to do it, like “feed baby (see: inability to concentrate).”

Considering we’re nearly 1,000 miles from home, I needed to bring just about everything we own with us: diapers, wipes, bottles, pacifiers, two sets of pajamas for each day, two changes of clothes per day, a portable crib, sheets for the portable crib, a baby gym and play mat, a bouncy chair, baby bathtub … my husband should count himself lucky that I didn’t ask him to pack the kid’s dresser/changing table combo in the back of the van.

No, I am not kidding. Are you scared yet? Those of you contemplating a second child, run, don’t walk, to the “family planning” aisle.

Packing List Tips

Packing for any family trip requires a list, but bringing a tiny babe with you means you have 10 times the amount of stuff you normally travel with, and that baby won’t understand if you try to explain how you’re sorry, but you just left the pacifier at home by accident.

I used my trusty pen and notebook to make my lists, but as I said, I’m a little distracted. So I looked online and compared notes with a few infant-specific checklists. Some good ones can be found at Babycenter and Parents.com.

The list at Babycenter also recommends you bring some items for yourself, like “high energy snacks.” Do Little Debbie Swiss Cake Rolls count? Sugar converts to energy, right?

I really like the suggestion by Parents.com to bring baby-proofing gear. Sometimes grandma’s house isn’t fully equipped to handle a curious crawler.
Once you decide what to take with you, the next step is getting it all in the suitcase. When my daughter was little, I used to pack all her stuff in my bag. I don’t do that anymore, because it is nearly impossible to find wee duds when they are mixed in with grown-up ones. Here are a few essential tips for traveling with your babe:

• I know it hurts, but pack a separate suitcase for the baby. I recommend a soft-sided duffle that opens from the top, just in case you need to climb into the back of your moving minivan to get a clean burp cloth out.

• Another good tip is to put all the baby’s socks in one of those lingerie-washing bags. You know, the net ones? They are great catch-alls for the small sundries, especially because you can see what’s inside.

• I also recommend those giant plastic zipper bags, the ones a size up from the freezer size. They are perfect for bath items and feeding essentials.

• Once you have everything packed up, now you need to shove it in the car. Always put the baby’s items on top, so you can easily access them in an emergency. Stopping on the side of the road to deal with a diaper blow-out is bad enough—don’t make it worse by sticking his bag under the stroller.

Are you tired yet? I am. But I’m here in my mom’s kitchen, watching while she makes dinner. Did you hear that? Someone else is making dinner.

This is totally the best vacation, ever.

(Read more in: On the Road Again: Infant Travel Part II.)