Conquering the roads – one baby-step at a time

My husband and I love travelling, although it is mostly a quick two-three hour drive away on a weekday. As freelancers, we make the most of lesser crowds and lesser tariffs on weekdays J and our daughter accompanies us on most of these.

So, when we decided to take a roadtrip from Mumbai (where we live) to Kerala (where we intend to live) and back with our girl, it was a big deal for us. All of three-and-a-few, we weren’t sure of how she would react to being confined within the car for long durations. More importantly, we weren’t sure if we could manage it.

But then the decision had been made and there was no stepping back. Preparations began in all earnest all of one week prior to the drive.

• Having the route chalked out – mark out restaurants and washrooms

One of the first things we did was to have the route mapped out thoroughly – the exact route we will take, and therefore the restaurants and washrooms we will have access to along the way. The latter is more important when you have a child who has walked past the diapers’-age and, yet, can’t foresee emergency situations well in advance. While most of our journey was safe enough, we did have one accident on the way and some stretches of journeying in a diaper – much to her amusement though. “Amma, I am a big girl now,” she kept insisting.

Mapping it well – breaks in between

We timed ourselves – when do we break for lunch, evening snacks and finally for the night. Of course, Bangalore is only a slight detour and we chose to visit family while there. Keep checking if you are on track. However, when travelling with a child, do not assume you will be on schedule – much of your journey is decided by the Little Lord travelling with you.

Keeping the little one engaged

Heaven knows we tried it! We had her favourite books, a few toys and the works settled in nicely. But she was far more interested in spending quality time with us, I guess. It did work on and off when she would narrate stories from the books to her subjects (read toys) gathered around.

Prepping her up with descriptions of what lies ahead

We spoke to her about the looooooong journey ahead a week before. We spoke about what we would see along the way, eating order-mamu (as she refers to any food consumed outside the home) and finally living in the car. It helps to keep excitement levels high, since it can overcome some of the monotony of staring at the passing topography.

Resting area

We ensured the back seat of the car was clear of bags – it only had a small pillow and quilt for her, if we were lucky enough that she used it. She didn’t! But she did spend time there reading her books, looking out and generally being comfortable. Often though, she would want to switch to the front where she believed much of the excitement was at.

Stocking up

Stock up on ample fruits and water since it is easier on the stomach. Take small breaks to get your little one out and tire her out. That way she may also be prone to dozing off in between the journey. Also keep a small bag with essentials like a change of her clothes, towels, hand-sanitiser and the works handy just in case of washroom accidents along the way.

It also helped that our girl has always been used to eating out, so spice levels and tastes were not a concern. However, if you have a fussy eater on your hands, pack enough stocks to last you through the journey.

Surprisingly, we saw wonderful results at her school. The quarterly PTA had the teacher who commented about her lack of social skills the last time, telling me that her attitude had done a U-turn since the trip. Still trying to work out the connection – but there you are! My two bits about travelling with a child.

So go ahead and happy road-trippin’!