Five Ways to Ensure a Baby-Friendly Ride

FIVE WAYS TO ENSURE A BABY-FRIENDLY RIDE

We did a couple mini road trips this summer, and one big trip between provinces. Road trips are a ton of fun. I grew up with many great memories from going on these sorts of trips, and I want my daughter to grow up with those kinds of memories too. They’re a great way to spend time with your family or friends, clear your mind and explore new territory – all accompanied by the sounds of the perfect driving playlist that you so meticulously figured out. But road trips can also mean long hours spent in a confined space, which can be very trying when you have a little one in tow. But if you love road trippin’, don’t despair! Disney Baby has some advice for making the journey safe and fun for everyone!

Map your journey and plan ahead
When you’re packing for a little one, there is a lot to think about – from clothes and diapers to playthings and strollers, there’s plenty that baby just can’t be without. Make lists in advance so that you can start figuring out what you need to pack. This gives you some breathing room, and helps you to be sure that you don’t forget anything important. It also helped me figure out where I was at for packing things. I always had a running list of what was, and what needed to be packed. I even knew what items we needed to grab last minute and just toss in the vehicle.

Ensure safe seating
When you’ve got a baby on board, safety is key. Make sure that your car seat is the right size and that it’s properly installed. We double checked our car seats install to ensure that it was properly done, and had not come loose. Also remember to tighten the seatbelt, straps and harness to keep your little one firmly in place. Have you heard of the pinch test? If not, go look it up.

Take baby-breaks
Plan some stops along the way, so your baby has a chance to get outside, and more importantly, out of the car seat. You don’t like sitting for a long time, so your baby isn’t going to either. Breaks are a must for everyone. Even if it is just a quick stop at a washroom and stretch your legs. You just never know what you will discover, and you may even get a great photo opportunity! Try using these breaks as an opportunity for adventure! Identify weird landmarks, beautiful scenery, or must-try meals on your route to make the journey as exciting as the destination.

Create a sun shield
Sunshades, like these Mickey and Minnie ones, help keep the car cool and darken the back seat, encouraging baby to nap. Not only are they functional, but they make adorable accessories for the family vehicle! Especially on summer road trips when the sun can get into baby’s eyes, sunshades are so helpful.

Choose tot-friendly tunes
Get yourself some baby-friendly music, to soothe and entertain your little one during the ride. Disney Baby has a selection of song and story CDs, like this Peter Pan one, and great musical anthologies, like this Disney Pixar Greatest collection, that are perfect for a long car trip. We all know that there are many Frozen fans out there right now, that soundtrack was on repeat for several of our trips. Whatever keeps baby happy right? Have fun, and sing along!

{Disney Baby Bundle Giveaway}

Disney Baby has very kindly provided Discovering Parenthood readers the opportunity to win this bundle! How awesome is that? Open to residents of Canada only.

I love the SoftPal so much, it is a perfect little night light for toddlers. It stays on for 6 hours at night, but can be turned on or off. In the morning simply put it on the charger and it will be ready to go for the next bedtime. The Minnie Mouse designs on the other pieces are so cute and perfect for a little girl.

Follow the rafflecopter link and be sure to enter! Please share the contest with your friends and family too!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I am a Disney Baby Mom Ambassador and I receive special perks as part of my affiliation with this group; however all opinions expressed here are entirely my own.