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Sanity-Saving Tips for Road-Tripping With Kids and a Chicco Car Seat Giveaway #TurnAfter2

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Sanity-Saving Tips for Road-Tripping With Kids is written in partnership with Chicco

It seems unfathomable that it’s already summer break; I feel like my kids’ childhoods are literally escaping me. My 13-year-old boy has been asking me the most profound questions recently like: “Is there a tube in my nose that connects to my mouth?” UM,not sure what possessed him to contemplate that; perhaps he’s leaning toward a career as an ear, nose and throat specialist?! While my 17-year-old, who is smack in the middle of teendom, is not shy about expressing her utter embarrassment at my husband, who decided he needed to change into a pair of shorts when we recently went roller-skating. He came out of the bathroom and she said, “Oh, daddy, you are really embarrassing me. Can you please put your jeans back on?”

Sanity-Saving Tips for Road-Tripping With Kids and a Chicco Car Seat Giveaway #TurnAfter2

 

And, while I shared a bit of her embarrassment, I can still remember when her father and I were propped on pedestals as infallible deities. Unfortunately – as she gets older and wiser, that’s no longer the case. Luckily my son has already assured me that nothing I do will ever embarrass him,spoken like a true 10-year-old. But I digress. Summer break means one thing- No matter how old my kids get, it remains constant that A ROAD -TRIP is in our summer plans because I do not relish flying on airplanes. The flights feel cramped, I’m usually starving and end up shelling out $20 for a teeny tiny sandwich. And those bathrooms–especially if you get stuck waiting in line and another passenger emerges after a lengthy stint in the toilet at which point you need to hold your breath and re-enter said bathroom-well don’t even get me started– not a fan! So, personally, I recommend choosing a vacation spot that’s accessible by car if you’ve got young kids, especially toddlers.

The last time I took my then -two-year-old on a plane, he absolutely refused to sit in the seat I purchased for him. (Don’t get me started on what a waste of money that was.) He proceeded to run up and down the aisles, much to the chagrin of the flight attendants, who didn’t feign a smile as he tugged at their clothes to try to slither between their legs. However, when you take a road trip, you’re in the driver’s seat, which ultimately means you don’t to have to keep your kids quiet. They can wail if they like and you can just crank up the radio. And the best part: no airplane restrooms, which are not the easiest place to change a diaper!

So, this summer, my two kids, my husband and our two Shih Tzus are getting in our car and attempting a ROAD – TRIP. And while so many memories pop into my head when I think of my childhood road trips, some of my most robust ones are of the trips my dad would organize every weekend during the months of June, July and August. Sure, I remember picnicking at national parks, convincing my dad to hop on a few roller coasters with me, visiting zoos. But those were just the destinations.

There was something utterly magical about packing up our station wagon with peanut butter and jelly sandwiches my dad lovingly wrapped in tin foil and our big yellow thermos jug of lemonade. My dad would pack my siblings and me in the car, with the windows rolled down (“Who needs air conditioning?” he’d say!) and we’d head out on the open road with a day’s worth of adventures before us. And the real stuff is what transpired during those long rides. What I remember most was listening to my dad croon to his favorite oldies radio station as he regaled us with stories from his childhood and feeling his love envelop us in that wagon.

So for me, there’s something nostalgic and sweet about my kids’ excitement at the prospect of packing up the car and heading out onto the open road. The only issue is ENTERTAINMENT and safety that is why I am sharing a few of my Sanity -Saving Tips for Road- Tripping with Kids and  for your littles I’m sharing Car Seat Safety Tips Thanks to Chicco !


Do you know when it’s time to turn your child’s car seat from rear- to forward facing? A new study from Chicco revealed that nearly 3 out of 4 parents are aware of the AAP’s 2-year rear-facing car seat recommendation. Help educate more parents by sharing a photo of your little one riding rear-facing and use #TurnAfter2.

Visit to learn more here www.TurnAfter2.com and keep reading for info on how you can win a Chicco car seat from us and more of my Danity Saving Tips for road Trippin with your kids!!

Sanity-Saving Tips for Road-Tripping With Kids

Honestly, when my kids get all their travel accessories loaded up- I will have no idea what the heck they are doing back there- and won’t hear a peep from them the ENTIRE ride there and back as opposed to the usual- “Mommy, Madi is licking my face!, ” “Mommy, Jackson is putting his leg on me.”

Road-Trip Tip #1 Snacks. Pack a cooler chock full of water bottles, PB&J sandwiches and lots of fresh fruit and veggies because you want to counteract all that greasy fast food you will likely encounter on your road trip !

 Snacks. Pack a cooler chock full of water bottles, PB&J sandwiches and lots of fresh fruit and veggies because you want to counteract all that greasy fast food you will likely encounter on your road -trip!

Road-Trip Tip #3 Plenty of drawing paper and baseball cards! We have a list of word games my son keeps handy. HANGMAN is one of our favorites and it's an easy way for us to interact while on the road. Of course, games like are I SPY, Sweet or Sour and My Name is Alice still rank among my kids' favorites!

Plenty of drawing paper and baseball cards! We have a list of word games my son keeps handy. HANGMAN is one of our favorites and it’s an easy way for us to interact while on the road. Of course, games like are I SPY, Sweet or Sour and My Name is Alice still rank among my kids’ favorites!

HANGMAN is one of our faves and it's easy way for us to interact while on the road.

In order to make sure that we don’t miss any old-fashioned car games my son makes sure to write a list! These types of games and fun interactive activities will help (the whole family) learn while stuck in the car on long trips.

In order to make sure that we don't miss any old fashioned car games my son makes sure to write a list!

And, of course, my son loves to pore over his baseball cards and read all the stats and ask questions and just talk sports!

Every road trip needs books that are carefully selected to challenge and engage kids for extended periods of quiet play.

#4 And don’t forget your BOOKS! Every road trip needs books that are carefully selected to challenge and engage kids for extended periods of quiet play. They are the perfect travel companion and are always ready to go.

#5 And don’t forget about Car seat safety!Do you know when it’s time to turn your child’s car seat from rear-facing to forward-facing? What signs should you look for to know whether they’re ready to ride forward-facing?

A new study from Chicco, makers of the top-rated infant car seat, found that 28% of parents are unaware of the appropriate age to turn their little ones around and that parents who turn their child forward-facing prematurely are not reading the right cues:

  • 40% think their child’s legs look too cramped,
  • 32% think their child simply looks uncomfortable rear-facing,
  • 19% say they will turn their child around based solely on what they see other parents doing,
  • And 9% even say they would turn their child around before the age of 2 because they noticed other children their child’s age, or younger, were already forward-facing.

Chicco is striving to educate parents about the importance of keeping kids rear-facing for as long as possible through its TurnAfter2™ campaign, a national movement that asks parents to share photos of their children riding rear-facing in the car and using #TurnAfter2 in the captions. Since the campaign launched last year, 26% more parents are aware of the 2-year rear-facing recommendation from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and ten states have passed legislation requiring children to remain rear-facing until at least age 2.

This year, TurnAfter2 aims to reach the 28% of parents who still don’t know the appropriate age at which to turn their child’s car seat forward – or those who may mistakenly turn their child forward-facing for the wrong, but well-intentioned, reasons.

To celebrate their TurnAfter2™ campaign, a national movement that asks parents to share photos of their children riding rear-facing in the car and using #TurnAfter2 we are giving away a car seat from Chicco’s Portfolio including the Fit2 Infant & Toddler Car Seat, KeyFit 30 Infant Car Seat and NextFit Convertible Car Seat, to one lucky reader! To win leave a comment here share a Travel tip! For another chance to win You must Follow The Staten Island Family on Facebook and leave a comment that you did so. For another chance to win you must FOLLOW @melissaSChapman on Twitter, TWEET this giveaway and leave a comment here that you did so. For another entry you  can Follow MelissaSChapman on Instagram and leave a comment here that you did so! For Another entry you can  follow MelissaSChapman on Pinterest . And for another Entry you can Subscribe to our Staten Island Family newsletter and leave a comment here that you did so! 

 Congrats to our winner Katie GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED.

GOOD LUCK  giveaway ends July 15th 2018! 

 

 

 

 

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Comments

  11. Kaity Logan says

    Take a brand new toy for your little one for when they get fussy! Worked like a charm on our last vaca!

    Reply

  14. Tina White says

    Bring a new toy or book plenty of extra clothes and snacks/drinks. My little likes the color with water books too.

    Reply

  15. Jen West says

    Always have a change of clothes(or several) easily available! During our road trip last week we needed several changes of clothes (food spills, diaper blowouts). It was so much easier to reach in the diaper bag to get the clothes instead of trying to pull suitcases out and dig through them.

    Reply

  17. Kelsey Vinson says

    We always make little ‘activity bags’ for the kids with new stuff. Nothing expensive just maybe a coloring book a few snacks and few little surprises. It keeps them content for a while

    Reply

  18. Vicki Wurgler says

    bring snacks, toys, books and a camera for the older ones plus baby wipes which has so many uses on a trip

    Reply

  36. Nancy says

    Here’s my travel tip. Get your car checked out to make sure it is extra road worthy before you take a trip. Make sure your spare tire is in good shape, and you have an emergency roadside kit with flashlight, etc.

    Reply

  41. JackieRoy Uribe says

    Travel Tip: Make sure to bring something to keep your little one entertained like a favorite NON HAZARDOUS toy, and Also Stop periodically to make sure they are Fed and calm before driving, I don’t like feeding them while they are in their car seats because you can’t just pull them out and try to stop them from choking in the middle of the road and not all roads are safe to just pull over on the side especially when driving in mountains like we have to when we go up north.

    Reply

  45. Heidi Daily says

    I make sure to always bring a bag of snack and little toys for the kids that they can play with in their seats when we go on long trips.

    Reply

  48. Katrina Brockavich says

    My biggest travel tip with kids is to be flexible! Things will probably not go exactly how you planned it, with kids you have to just go with the flow!

    Reply

  57. Nidhi Chauhan says

    Pack the car the night before. Make sure to bring lots of snacks, water bottles, their favorite toys and picture books to keep kids entertain. Keep important stuff out of the trunk. Also make sure to plan for stops every 1 to 3 hours during the day and 3 to 6 hours at night to change diapers, stretch legs, eat and change sweaty or spit-up ridden clothes as needed.

    Reply

  66. Nidhi Chauhan says

    Thank you for such a wonderful giveaway! I would love to win this for my sister-in-law’s twins boys. This would be huge help. I already subscribed to your newsletter. Keeping my fingers crossed!

    Reply

  74. Samantha Herr says

    Road trip sanity tip for those with littles – leave at night or super early morning so the kids can sleep for the lengthiest part of the drive! We also bring plenty of snacks, games, and a DVD player to keep the toddler entertained. My oldest likes to have his iPad for when the others are napping. & lastly, plan your stops ahead of time if it’s a long drive, you don’t want to end up in a bad neighborhood or miles without a bathroom when someone needs to go!

    Reply

  91. Melissa A. says

    My biggest travel tip is to bring lots of snacks and plan to stop at rest stops to get the wiggles out!

    Reply

  95. Casey Garvey says

    When were traveling I over pack! I am prepared for anything that way. I also load the car so items wanted will be a reach away! Games, paper, phone chargers and double ended charger port to use for 2 items. I can watch movies on my phone so need head phones too!

    Reply

  104. Marie Lowther says

    A travel tip for those with little ones is to make sure you pack plenty of diapers and wipes along because you never know what is going to happen!

    Reply

  116. Maryann says

    I have 3 kids (3, 1.5 and 4 months) and they are all rear facing. The only we way we survive trips in the car is with lots of snacks and music

    Reply

  128. deanna says

    My travel tip is to take healthy snacks, headphones for iPad movies, books to read, and make sure you use the bathroom before you leave! Those tips make our trips a little easier.

    Reply

  140. Erica C says

    When we travel we pack a travel bag filled with snacks and entertainment for each of our girls. This keeps them occupied and fed throughout the trip.

    Reply

  145. Lisa Weeks says

    bring a training potty so when nature calls your kid you can pull over and go without looking for a restroom!!

    Reply

  155. Nici R says

    We like to use back seat orginizers to hold snacks and toys. It keeps everything close for the kids to grab.

    Reply

  163. Kim Brooks says

    my travel tip would be ALWAYS make sure to have a spare tire if you are going on a road trip. my next tip would be .. HAVE KIDS? going on a trip!? make sure you have things to keep them occupied like a tablet, coloring book, DVD player for movies and of course SNACKS ! and my final tip would be budget and map out your trip before you leave, plan your days out before you go so you know how much you will be spending per day to keep you in your budget.

    Reply

  167. kathy Persons says

    I always took huge beach towels which could be used to cover the seat, used as a blanket and for what they were intended a towel

    Reply

  168. Candice says

    We have an infant, so are just figuring things out. I would say being prepared with lots of diapers and a spare outfit or two is key for us traveling.

    Reply

  174. Carlie Brotherton says

    I always make sure to pack a special bag of each kid. Full of snacks and activities, that way there’s no fighting and I can choose she appropriate items for each kid!

    Reply

  176. Elle says

    A travel tip is to freeze water bottles in advance (as well as bring some not frozen) so that you have cool water hours or even a day later into your trip.

    Reply

  197. katie says

    My travel tip is to not eat anything at least 30 minutes before the trip, that usually works for my daughter and myself.

    Reply

  216. Helen says

    The only way I could get my little girl to be good during car trips was to have a lot of snacks on hand. I would sit in the back when she was little to make sure she was okay and didn’t choke too.

    Reply

  234. Stephanie says

    My tip is to always pack healthy snacks in baggies and take a small cooler with ice packs to help keep things cool for a little while.

    Reply

  236. kelly woods says

    The first travel tip I think that works great is leaving in the middle of the night especially with a little one. We went to the beach two weeks ago with my granddaughter and children and made an 8 hr. drive and making it in the middle of the night really made a difference verses driving during the day coming home. She did good especially for the distance but it was a lot easier on her during the middle of the night. Also having lots of toys, snacks, and a portable DVD player helped as well. Thank you for the chance, would love to win

    Reply

  242. Shauna says

    My travel tip would be to stop and stretch your legs often, especially little ones. They get antsy strapped to their seat and rightfully so! Even 5 or 10 minutes of them running around will make their trip entirely different and much more enjoyable!

    Reply

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