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Things to keep out when PCSing w/kids?
Our PCS is still a few months out but in order to save my sanity, I'm starting to plan now. DH will be in OTS so I'll be alone through the whole process. The girls and I will be driving to his graduation, stay in a hotel/lodging for a few days and then driving again (albeit only appx 3hrs) to our new duty station after DH graduates. We will probably stay in TLF at the new station for up to a week, depending on how quickly we can find a house.
DD#1 will be 2yrs old
DD#2 will be roughly 6 months old
What things should I plan on keeping out? So far all I can think of is one suitcase for clothes and toiletries, pack n play, double stroller, air mattress (Sheets pillows), and a cooler for snacks.
How on earth am I going to keep them entertained in a hotel room and car for that long? lol
I'm thinking of getting a dvd player that attaches to the headrest, but I don't want to fry my childs brain with Veggie Tales and Sesame Street.
Re: Things to keep out when PCSing w/kids?
Frying your child's brain on a long car ride seems preferable to frying your own. The longest trip is 3 hours? That seems like it wouldn't cause long term damage to them.
That's all this non-parent can add.
For our long trip, we had out some blankets and pillows for the car/hotel for comfort. Sippy cups for the oldest, bottles for the youngest. I would also get some new little toys and let your oldest open them on the way so they have something new to help pass time. A dvd player was awesome for us it was a filler for inbetween times.
Dont forget tolietries, meds (tylenol, motrin), wips.
I changed my name
Diapers, change of clothes for each kid each day in the car in case they spill/spit up, never-before-seen toys (a couple for each kid).
Will you be feeding DD2 solids yet? If so, bibs, spoons, bowls, whatever homemade or jarred food she's eating.
Do you know where you're going yet? Please tell me you're coming here. I'd be super excited!
We did Baby Led Weaning with DD1 so I'm pretty sure we're going to do the same with DD2, so just lots of clothes and bibs since its messy lol.
I'm hoping to leave around 5pm and only stop for dinner time and then put the girls in pj's and hope and pray to God that they sleep. That would get me in around 2am. That would give me a few hours to sleep before they woke up for the day.
My other option would be to leave early in the morning and just power through the screaming and fits. Stop off at a mall or two (it will be summer time, so too hot to play outside here) to let them get their wiggles out and then get there in the evening and try to get settled in/unpacked.
If I had back up for the next day I would just drive all night and sleep the next day, but I don't. Also, I really don't want to look haggard and worn out the first time my husband sees me after 13 weeks though lol.
Mel, I'm going to send you a PM in second!
I would keep all snacks, drinks, diapers, extra changes of clothes readily accessible. We had the stuff in the back seat and it made it so much easier. Also, have cleaning supplies and extra plastic bags just in case one of your little ones gets sick or makes a mess. I have no experience driving with a toddler, but we drove from MS to NV when DD was a month old. If I had to drive with my 17 month old now, I would definitely bring a portable DVD player and a few new toys. Good luck.
First off, you totally have my sympathy. I did this last spring while my DH was deployed. I had my 1.5 year old, my 4 year old, and my cat.
If it can work with your finances, I would highly, highly recommend breaking up the 8-hour trip with a hotel stay in the middle. It will really save everyone's sanity--especially if you can find a hotel with a restaurant attached or within walking distance. Request a crib in the room so you don't have to drag the pack-n-play, and try to get a hotel room with private entry doors (like a travelodge) so you can park close to the door and not have to lug everything through the lobby.
If you can't stay in a hotel, I'd try to plan my trip with the kids sleeping as much as possible--so probably leave around 5 or 6 pm. I've tried so many different toys and games to keep my toddler's attention and I have yet to find anything that works really well.
I wouldn't feel at all bad about using a dvd player for a car trip. My only concern would be whether it would hold your toddler's interest--my daughter is now 2 and wouldn't be interested for more than a few minutes. I think my son got interested in it around age 3.
Definitely keep extra towels in the car in case anyone gets sick, and any lovey's or blankies that the kids will want.
Good luck! I was dreading getting through the whole relocation process without my DH around, but you'll be so proud of yourself once you make it through.
I would plan your potty stop strategy. How do you plan to go to the bathroom while keeping both girls off of the floor, and hands not touching EVERY grimy surface? Honestly, I'm not sure, besides a stroller, to do this, but, at some point during your 8 hour drive, you will need to pee!
Oh, use overnight diapers on the girls while driving. We did a long drive last summer, and there were times that LO was doing great, so we kept going. Turns out that sitting for so long meant he soaked through his diaper and clothes. Night time diapers will help with this.
Best of luck! You are a brave and strong mama! I hope your DH knows and appreciates this!
I am lazy and didn't read ANY of the PP...if you haven't yet check out Military Homefront Plan My Move: http://apps.mhf.dod.mil/pls/psgprod/f?p=MHF:RELO:0::::SID:20.40.500.398.0.0.0.0.0
they have tips and timelines for talking to kids about a PCS. It has really helped us with the munchiks. Ours are pretty young (((all under 6))), we try to keep it fun - explaining that we are NOT losing friends just adding new ones.
You are NOT going to "FRY" the kiddos brains with DVD's in one road trip it is when you switch Sony w/ Mommy that you risk that. Hotel room? Snacks, HANDS ON toys (ball, texture, etc), also make use eyou BRING their normal bedtime items (blanket, bink, toys...).
The PCS will not be a problem as long as you keep those little ones on routine. If their nap time is 1pm don't change it! If they are used to dinner at 5pm make sure you stick to it!
One thing at a time.... JB
I think every one else covered everything. I think DVDs are a great idea. It's actually the only form of entertainment you can provide for them since you'll be doing it by yourself. And you need to be able to focus. We always expected the worst out of DD, since she's such an active thing, but even on our 12 hour plane flights, and long trips, she's done pretty well. Bring diaper rash cream, since they will be sitting in diapers for so long. Snacks, sippies, extra clothes, diapers, wipes, never before seen toys and lovies. You will do great and so will the girls!!
Just remember to take it one step at a time. plan some places to stop for the nght or for breaks if you have to. I think going through the night ( if you are sure to be rested) would be best. At least when you get there, you can let them loose and not stuck in the car seat for two days or sit still all day only to be told they have to go to sleep that night!
Thanks everyone for the great advice!
I didn't even think about potty breaks for ME!
Double stroller and handicap stalls I guess!
Thanks for that link AmN, that site is fantastic!
Good thinking on extra cleaning supplies if one of them gets sick. That would be a nightmare.
My DD1 turns into an absolute zombie when it comes to tv so we limit it as much as possible. So, I have no doubt that it will hold her attention for hours on end lol. I was totally kidding about it frying her brains. Trust me, she watched a lot of tv the first week or two after her sister was born just to save my sanity and work out all of the "kinks" of parenting two under two.
I'm a schedule fanatic so I'm hoping I can keep them on track, come hell or high water. But I know things happen, so I will also try to be flexible.
I'm nervous about disposable diapers. DD1 hasn't been in disposables since she was 2 months old (and every diaper caused a major rash) and DD2 was in cloth after like 4wks. SO I'm hoping that we can find something that works for those few weeks where washing machines will be scarce. Eeek!
As for diapers, I know that Flip makes a disposable insert. I recently bought some to try as diaper doublers (my LO is a heavy, heavy night time pee-er). Something like that might be easier on tushies. I would start trying out various options so that, hopefully, you aren't dealing with raging diaper rashes with one or both girls. I would, if possible, avoid diaper rash triggers--like acidic fruits, just to be safe. And, worse case scenario, you have to find a laundry mat every couple of days. It would suck, but better to be bored at the laundry mat than dealing with miserable kids. And, you could justify buying more cloth diapers to stretch out time between laundry mat visits because if you bought disposables, you'd be spending money anyway.
I hope you have a big car! I would also bring a picnic type blanket--it can be used for all types of sitations from picnicking to creating a clean quick spot to place the girls. I'd also bring a couple of garbage bags and ziplock bags too.
One last thing, when I need a number of new toys for LO, I head to the Dollar Store and the dollar section at Target. With our upcoming move, I've already started a bag of cheap and little toys to pullout as LO gets squirmy.
It sounds like you will be very prepared for your move!
My friends call me the queen of road trips because we are always going somewhere, especially when DH is gone. My oldest fell out laughing when I got a new license plate and part of it says BRB.
For entertainment in the car, I highly suggest the DVDs. I would bring several to rotate. Sesame Street, Veggie Tales, sing alongs and Sid the Science Kid are favorites of my two youngest. They also travel with a back pack that has items like travel magna doodle, activity books, picture books, their favorite snuggles, color books. My daughter loves when I go print color pages of her favorite characters for her to color while we travel.
Bring a variety of snacks for all of you. Be sure to stop every so often and let them get some fresh air for a bit. My kids have a two hour limit. After that, they start to get restless. I stop at a rest stop, take every one to the bathroom and then let them run crazy for about 15 min. They get out that extra energy and are ready to ride again. My daughter likes to go in the welcome centers and pick out brochures to look at. She spends the next 30-45 min checking out the maps or flyers she picked out.