Diaper Swappers

jennak · 04-17-2012, 03:37 PM

We have a few weddings coming up, the closest one being 8 hours away. We have to go to all three of them, the first one is this Saturday. Google maps says it will take 8 hours to get there.

I'm not worried about the 3.5 year old, she's easy (books, new toys, markers, etc. and DVD player for dire situations), but it's the baby (6.5 months) that is a question mark. The wedding is on Saturday at 2pm (yay naptime!). There is a rehearsal dinner the night before at 7:30 (this is DH's brother that's getting married, but DH is not in the wedding) but we're not planning on being at the rehearsal.

My original plan was to leave at about bedtime, maybe a little earlier at like 7ish and drive through the night. In an ideal world that would put us there at about 3-4 am, we'd check into the hotel and go back to bed. My husband is NO GOOD at driving at night, so it would be all me. I would be exhausted the next day (at the wedding), and let's face it, we probably won't make it by 3-4 am because the baby will need to eat in there, we'd have to get gas, etc.

So now I'm thinking maybe we'd leave about naptime on Friday, around 1ish, and get there around 9-10 pm (or later!) and go straight to bed. We'd probably be more rested for the wedding, but would have to deal with the baby in the car during awake hours.

We will most likely drive back home on Sunday during the day, but ideally we would just get in the car and drive back home Saturday night after the wedding.

Ack, I don't know what to do--what would you do??? Either way it's gonna suck and I'm not looking forward to it at all

Greenebean214 · 04-17-2012, 03:53 PM

Is leaving early Friday morning an option? Like 3-4 am? My DD HATES road trips (almost as much as her mother) so we either leave around 5pm or early.

We are taking a 2-3 day road trip this summer and plan to leave early so we can take a break for breakfast and lunch, and get to our daily destination before dinner.

Swimmingly · 04-17-2012, 07:03 PM

It varies by kid.

ODD would sleep in the car when she was an infant. No matter what time of day it was... we left at 8am and drove ALL day - arrived at our destination at 10pm, and I bet she "napped" for 8 hours that day. She would be up and happy for a bit, then CRANKY for awhile, then sleep. Repeat that all day long.

YDD absolutely hates sleeping in the car. We did the same drive with her, and while she would usually nap about 3 hours during the day, on the driving day she napped a grand total of 1 hour.

And she refused to go to sleep until we had arrived at our destination - 3 full hours past her usual bedtime.

Oh that was fun...

With ODD I think we would be fine driving overnight, but I don't think YDD would get a lick of sleep. It would be torture.

jennak · 04-18-2012, 10:10 AM

That is exactly what I'm worried about--that the baby just won't sleep in the car. we've done 2-hr car rides with her before (2 weeks ago we went to visit my grandparents about 1.5 hours each way--left here at about 9, got there at 10:30 ish, left at 1, got home at 2:30) and she did okay, but I don't know about nighttime.

DH wants to leave Friday morning about 9am and spend the day driving. I just don't know.

3 ladybugs · 04-18-2012, 10:14 AM

I would leave at a normal time Friday morning. My son always did well in the car though, even at that age. I took him on a driving trip down to Florida (16 hours away) at about that age. We did it in 2 days but if we did it again with the next child we would go in 1 day. They can only throw so many temper tantrums in a day!

My thought is that if you are tired or your DH, it will not be good for your children either. If they scream the whole time in the car, at least they will sleep well at night.

hezdwoody · 04-18-2012, 10:15 AM

We tend to do best leaving a little before dinner time. Then we stop for dinner/gas and drive through the night. We drive from here to TX and it takes us about 16 hours in the car. DH talked me into driving during the day the last time. It wasn't worth it for me. I would rather be really tired when I get somewhere than to have 2 awake kids in a car all day. All kids/parents are different if what you do on the way there doesn't work out well just try something different for the way home.

saongiri · 04-18-2012, 10:20 AM

I think I would do what you said either nap time or around 4 after nap- 2-3 hours on the road stop stop for dinner, change into pjs and hope kids fall asleep get to hotel around midnight
good luck either way! try to enjoy it a little if possible

04-17-2012, 03:37 PM	#1
jennak Registered Users Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: minnesota Posts: 4,289 Ratings: 246 Feedback: 100%	Road trip with 6 month old and 3.5 year old We have a few weddings coming up, the closest one being 8 hours away. We have to go to all three of them, the first one is this Saturday. Google maps says it will take 8 hours to get there. I'm not worried about the 3.5 year old, she's easy (books, new toys, markers, etc. and DVD player for dire situations), but it's the baby (6.5 months) that is a question mark. The wedding is on Saturday at 2pm (yay naptime!). There is a rehearsal dinner the night before at 7:30 (this is DH's brother that's getting married, but DH is not in the wedding) but we're not planning on being at the rehearsal. My original plan was to leave at about bedtime, maybe a little earlier at like 7ish and drive through the night. In an ideal world that would put us there at about 3-4 am, we'd check into the hotel and go back to bed. My husband is NO GOOD at driving at night, so it would be all me. I would be exhausted the next day (at the wedding), and let's face it, we probably won't make it by 3-4 am because the baby will need to eat in there, we'd have to get gas, etc. So now I'm thinking maybe we'd leave about naptime on Friday, around 1ish, and get there around 9-10 pm (or later!) and go straight to bed. We'd probably be more rested for the wedding, but would have to deal with the baby in the car during awake hours. We will most likely drive back home on Sunday during the day, but ideally we would just get in the car and drive back home Saturday night after the wedding. Ack, I don't know what to do--what would you do??? Either way it's gonna suck and I'm not looking forward to it at all __________________ jenna, wife to andy, mama to natalie born 06.18.08 and paisley 09.25.11

04-17-2012, 03:53 PM	#2
Greenebean214 Registered Users Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Dirty South Posts: 718	Is leaving early Friday morning an option? Like 3-4 am? My DD HATES road trips (almost as much as her mother) so we either leave around 5pm or early. We are taking a 2-3 day road trip this summer and plan to leave early so we can take a break for breakfast and lunch, and get to our daily destination before dinner. __________________ Loving Life as a Coastie Wife Welcomed Liberty Grace May 12, 2011!

04-17-2012, 07:03 PM	#3
Swimmingly Registered Users Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Upstate NY Posts: 2,193 Ratings: 17 Feedback: 100% My Mood:	Re: Road trip with 6 month old and 3.5 year old It varies by kid. ODD would sleep in the car when she was an infant. No matter what time of day it was... we left at 8am and drove ALL day - arrived at our destination at 10pm, and I bet she "napped" for 8 hours that day. She would be up and happy for a bit, then CRANKY for awhile, then sleep. Repeat that all day long. YDD absolutely hates sleeping in the car. We did the same drive with her, and while she would usually nap about 3 hours during the day, on the driving day she napped a grand total of 1 hour. And she refused to go to sleep until we had arrived at our destination - 3 full hours past her usual bedtime. Oh that was fun... With ODD I think we would be fine driving overnight, but I don't think YDD would get a lick of sleep. It would be torture. __________________ Mom to 2007 and 2010.

04-18-2012, 10:10 AM	#4
jennak Registered Users Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: minnesota Posts: 4,289 Ratings: 246 Feedback: 100%	Re: Road trip with 6 month old and 3.5 year old That is exactly what I'm worried about--that the baby just won't sleep in the car. we've done 2-hr car rides with her before (2 weeks ago we went to visit my grandparents about 1.5 hours each way--left here at about 9, got there at 10:30 ish, left at 1, got home at 2:30) and she did okay, but I don't know about nighttime. DH wants to leave Friday morning about 9am and spend the day driving. I just don't know. __________________ jenna, wife to andy, mama to natalie born 06.18.08 and paisley 09.25.11

04-18-2012, 10:14 AM	#5
3 ladybugs Registered Users Join Date: May 2008 Location: New Jersey Posts: 10,731 Ratings: 6 Feedback: 100% My Mood:	Re: Road trip with 6 month old and 3.5 year old I would leave at a normal time Friday morning. My son always did well in the car though, even at that age. I took him on a driving trip down to Florida (16 hours away) at about that age. We did it in 2 days but if we did it again with the next child we would go in 1 day. They can only throw so many temper tantrums in a day! My thought is that if you are tired or your DH, it will not be good for your children either. If they scream the whole time in the car, at least they will sleep well at night. __________________ Jennifer (36) - When DH and I got married in Dec. of 2003, he said "in sickness, health, to death". What he didn't know was we would loose 3 children, have a miscarriage, have a living son and have me battle cancer all before our 7th anniversary! Cancer free 24...28..32...36..Nathaniel Harlow Read story here or here.