Whether you’re heading to your baby’s doctor appointment or paying a visit to grandmother on weekend, getting your baby into a car seat for the first time may seem daunting. There will be numerous challenges that have potential to trigger their tantrum. This mostly happens because when babies are put in a car, their movement is limited and they will get less physical attention from you. But worry not, people! You may be surprised to know that with just doing these tips and hacks you can keep your little one calm and content during the trip. Here’s how:
INSTALL THE RIGHT CHILD’S CAR SEAT
Children under the age of seven or below 135 cm in height must travel using the right child’s car seats for safety reasons. The seats must be frequently inspected and meet certain criteria such as; appropriate for the child’s age and body size, properly fit and installed to your car’s back seat, and the seatbelt or the inbuilt harness is properly fastened also correctly adjusted to fit. To get your child used to sitting in the baby’s car seat, you can start bringing the seat into your house and let them sit in it occasionally. This way your baby will have positive memories and good experiences which are associated with the child’s car seat.
KEEP YOUR BABY OCCUPIED
Pack some of your baby’s favorite toys to keep them entertained after they wake up from nap. On a longer trip, you may surprise your child by bringing some new toys for them to explore and you can introduce one toy at a time so they will stay interested for a longer time instead of getting bored with familiar ones. Alternatively, child-friendly music or singing along the way will also help to keep your baby occupied for a while. For parents who didn’t let their kid watch too much TV or screen time at home, you can let them have those freedom during travel days. Vary these pleasant distractions to know which one works best.
INSTALL SAFETY MIRROR TO CHECK ON YOUR BABY
When you’re driving and your baby making some noises in the back seat, it’s hard to figure out what that can mean. This will make you tempted to pull over to make sure everything is alright. For your peace of mind, install a safety baby car mirror in the front area to keep an eye on what your child is up to or to check on the urgency when they get upset. Additionally, this wide-angle rear view mirror will allow your baby to see you and they will feel like they are getting attention even when sitting at the back.
FEEDING BABY ON A CAR TRIP
Pack milk bottles for babies under two or healthy finger foods for toddlers to provide tasty distraction during road trips. You can also spoon pureed baby foods during the stops for mealtime. For toddlers’ food variation, it could be something like sandwiches, protein bar, whole grain cereal, fruits, or cheese cubes, and sometimes you can also bring sugary snacks like Haribol or M&M’s for occasional treats. If you breastfeed and take your newborn into a long road trip, remember to plan at least one stop every one to two hour for feeding time or change diapers because it is not safe to breastfeed inside a moving car. If your children are prone to choking, be sure to wait feeding them snacks or proper meal until arriving at a rest stop. Lastly, don’t forget to bring food for yourself.
PACKING TIPS FOR BABY
To ease preparation, start by writing down a packing checklist, then do double-check on the night before the trip. Keep the things into two seperate groups; the first one consists of essential baby necessities (i.e; toys, pacifiers, snacks, bottles, etc) that you’ll need to keep within your arm’s reach, the other group includes the things you can store inside the baby’s diaper bag then. The second item group mostly are the things you likely won’t need to use until you arrive at your destination or pull over at the rest area, something like diapers, wipes, extra clothes, etc.