cross country trip with a 2 year old

We just did a trip like that (not quite so far unless you count the return trip in the same week) last month. My son turned two while we were away and my daughter was 7 months old. We played him some DVDs and he played with some toys or drew on paper. You do have to stop a lot and let them run around. It's better for you too to get out and stretch. Make sure you use really good diapers - the cheap ones can leak; bring lots of snacks and stop early each night so they can play at the hotel. This way they unwind before bed. Lots of luck. The kids are usually better than you would expect.

We haven't traveled that far before but we did take a 850 mile trip before. My daughter was younger then 2 but I hated every minute of it. I think it would be better now that she is closer to 2. We have a dvd player in the backseat and I would take along some other things she can play with. Aquadoodle would be neat and mess free. Lots of snacks. You can also sing with her. My 2 year old loves doing itzy bitzy spider, pat a cake, this little piggy. I would bring a bag of different toys for her to switch up with during the day. Don't forget something that she goes to sleep with at home bring that also. Stuffed animal, blanket. I hope you have a good trip good luck.

i would say bring lots of little things for her to do like coloring books, cd's that she can sing along with. stop at nice road side rest for her to just run. And if you can afford it, a portable dvd player. My son is 5 and he has had his since he was 3 and that is a great thing that keeps him occupied. Good luck and hopefully she will sleep alot too, my son loves sleeping in the car so that also helps. i think the furtherest i traveled with my son was about a 7 hour car trip . we broke it up over 2 days for him going there, but coming back we drove straight thru and we left early in the morning, so he slept for the first 3 hours of the trip and then when he woke up we stopped for breakfst, and the rest of it he watched movies.

I just want to say thanks...we are taking our first vacation this summer and our son is a 1 1/2 old. So we have already bought the dvd player and a little lap pad for him to write and draw on. I didn't think about the stopping part....Now I need to add an extra day on our trip :)

We often take trips with our kids that are between two and five hours long. we have occasionally taken trips that are longer. We have never used movies or hand held games or head sets to baby sit our kids for us while we are in the car with them. We spent the time talking to them singing to them and palying games with them. It was tougher I admit when they were really little, but they also fell asleep a lot in the care. We played a game we made up called flag. Real easy just when you see an american flag you call out flag. Even the little ones liked that game. W also always packed a bag or box with some of our kids favorite toys and always included a few new items that they hadn't seen before, too. Anyway you go tho' I'll bet you have to take nnumerous leg stretching breaks. Good Louck!