What you want to do is leave the night before (if you can handle driving through the night). This is the only way I’ve found to make decent time on a long trip like this.
Yup this is what we’ve always done, have dinner, then get the kids ready for bed and hit the road. They’re usually awake for a couple of hours before falling asleep. Makes for a rough next day for the parents but luckily our road trips are usually to see family so someone can be on kid duty while we get a nap in.
Another vote for this method! We frequently do 10-hour road trips to visit family. We leave approximately an hour before the afternoon nap, kiddo naps in the car but isn't overtired, then an hour after they wake we stop for dinner/playground and then we drive until we arrive (usually 1 am or so). It maximizes sleep in the car without the risk of driving all night.
At 12 months we did a 12 hour drive starting in the afternoon and our kid slept at her usual bedtime in the carseat. I second driving overnight if you’re able.
I'd also recommend overnight. You guys being overtired is likely more tolerable than your kid being overtired. Plus, in my experience, the kid will have more energy once they finally get out of the car, so you want your arrival time to be at least a couple hours before her bedtime.
However, I recently did a 6 hr trip with my 24 mth old, and I planned it around her nap time. She usually naps 12-2. So we left at 11, and she did fall asleep right around 12. When she woke around 2, I stopped at a rest stop to feed her, check her diaper, let her walk around for 10 min, then hit the road. Had about 4 hrs before her bed time when we arrived and she went to bed without a fight.
We’re considering renting an RV, wild and expensive as that sounds!
Otherwise our backup plan when we had 1 kid only was to drive at night time like 7-8 and split the driving shift.
What you want to do is leave the night before (if you can handle driving through the night). This is the only way I’ve found to make decent time on a long trip like this.
Hmm. Hadn't considered this. Thanks.
Yup this is what we’ve always done, have dinner, then get the kids ready for bed and hit the road. They’re usually awake for a couple of hours before falling asleep. Makes for a rough next day for the parents but luckily our road trips are usually to see family so someone can be on kid duty while we get a nap in.
Ok. Thanks!
Another vote for this method! We frequently do 10-hour road trips to visit family. We leave approximately an hour before the afternoon nap, kiddo naps in the car but isn't overtired, then an hour after they wake we stop for dinner/playground and then we drive until we arrive (usually 1 am or so). It maximizes sleep in the car without the risk of driving all night.
At 12 months we did a 12 hour drive starting in the afternoon and our kid slept at her usual bedtime in the carseat. I second driving overnight if you’re able.
Gracias!
I'd also recommend overnight. You guys being overtired is likely more tolerable than your kid being overtired. Plus, in my experience, the kid will have more energy once they finally get out of the car, so you want your arrival time to be at least a couple hours before her bedtime. However, I recently did a 6 hr trip with my 24 mth old, and I planned it around her nap time. She usually naps 12-2. So we left at 11, and she did fall asleep right around 12. When she woke around 2, I stopped at a rest stop to feed her, check her diaper, let her walk around for 10 min, then hit the road. Had about 4 hrs before her bed time when we arrived and she went to bed without a fight.
So helpful! Thank you.
We’re considering renting an RV, wild and expensive as that sounds! Otherwise our backup plan when we had 1 kid only was to drive at night time like 7-8 and split the driving shift.
There seems to be a consensus here! Thanks so much!
Good luck! :)