Traveling with Toddler: We Made It!

After months of planning, it turns out that I did not need as much stuff as I thought I would need to entertain my toddler. Her favorite toddler tunes yielded the most happiness while traveling cross-country. Yes, I have heard the “Itsy Bitsy Spider” about 100 times since leaving Pennsylvania, but I am happy to listen if it means that I am not listening to crying or whining.

Food has been a challenge, but we pack a cooler with toddler essentials and try to supplement the inevitable fast food on the road. I packed grapes, blueberries and apples for fruit. I had canned green beans in individual bags and yogurts too. I would bring these with me when we would stop. It lessened my mother’s guilt about the nutrition on the road. We ate in a restuarant only once a day for lunch. Otherwise, we ate breakfast and dinner at the hotel.

Besides the toddler tunes, crayons and paper were a big success in the car. I bought a variety of crayons and a variety of notebooks. This kept things spicy for my 20 month-old. Now, we just have to make it back to Pennsylvania.