In today's lesson I'm sharing with you 4 Steps to Easy Road Trip Stops. One of the hardest things about road-tripping with a baby is knowing when to stop and how best to keep your stops from taking too long. In this lesson I'll share how to approach road stops with a baby, and some key tips I have to make your road trip stops easier.

Without any more delay, let's dive into this lesson...

4 Steps to Easy Road Trip Stops:

1. Time your stops with your baby's wake windows
2. Batch your stops for maximum time efficiency
3. Have a game plan ahead of time
4. Be generous with your estimated driving time

01 | Time Your Stops With Your Baby's Wake Windows

Your goal should be to avoid stopping while your baby is sleeping. If you can help it, keep on driving! However, their wake windows are the perfect time to stop and take care of needs like gas, food, changes, and using the bathroom. Keep in mind that pediatricians recommend stopping every two hours to allow your baby to stretch outside of their car seat.

02 | Batch Your Stops for Maximum Time Efficiency

Batch your stops by doing everything in one go. Top off on gas every time you stop, feed the baby, get food for yourself, change diapers, stretch, use the restroom. Whatever you may need to do, do it all in one stop!

Try your best to make each stop count as much as possible. If you can find an exit that has gas and food options, that is preferable. Bonus points if they're sharing parking lots/plazas!

03 | Have a Game Plan

Having a game plan is the key! Know whether you're getting food or gas first, who's feeding/changing the baby, who's running to the restroom first, etc. Having a plan of action will help keep your stops not only as time efficient as possible, but as enjoyable as possible as well.

Here is how Jackson and I typically tackle stops on our road trips:

1. We choose a stop that has gas and food options close to one another (i.e. across the street, sharing a plaza, etc.)
2. Jackson tops off on gas while I prep Beckley's bottle/changing station.
3. Jackson runs in to use restroom & get our food while I feed/change Beckley.
4. Jackson eats while I finish feeding Beckley.
5. Beckley stretches while Jackson finishes eating.
6. Jackson buckles Beckley into her carseat while I use the restroom.
7. I eat while we get back on the road.

We personally found this routine to be the most time efficient for us, but every family is different! Give this routine a try to start, and make adjustments for your family as needed. With each stop you'll find more confidence and get into more of a rhythm.

04 | Be Generous with Your Estimated Driving Time

When you're traveling with a baby, leave room for lots of fluctuation and grace! Stops may take longer than planned, or you may need to stop more often than projected, and that's okay. I always recommend adding an extra 45 minutes for every 2 hours of your trip to your estimated driving time to minimize stress or anxiety due to time. Plus, pediatricians recommend babies not be in their carseat for longer than 2 hours at a time.

The best piece of of advice I can give you is to allow yourself to keep trying. You may have one stop go really smoothly, or you may find you need to try something different. Mix it up and keep trying new things until you find what works best for your family in this season!

Tomorrow, we'll dive into the next lesson: Feeds on the Road.