Are the rules for sitting in a car seat the same for toddlers as for babies. We're going on a 5+ hour journey next week and whilst we will stop for a break do we need to get Oscar out of his car seat every 2 hours? Or can we stretch it to 3? He moves a lot in his chair and it has multi-recline so he won't be in the same position the whole time.

Thanks ladies xx

We've been on a couple of 5ish hour car journeys with cole and tbh we found that if he was awake he was well ready for a stop after 2 hours as the most - even the one with my mum sat in the back entertaining him. I may be wrong but I think the every 2 hours thing is for babies up to 6 months as their spines are still developing or something like that.

Personally I'd plan on stopping every couple of hours unless he's asleep in which case go go go lol

I'm not aware of any 'rules' about length of time in car seats for older babies/toddlers. I think the issue with tiny ones is that their spines are still so imature that it isn't good for them to be bent up for that long. We've done 4 hours without a stop with our two, if we have a long journey to make we leave at bedtime so that they just sleep all the way there.
xx

I wasnt aware of rules for toddlers until I saw it on BE.

Its 2.5hrs to mymmums on a good run. It has been 3-4 on several occasions. My hubby doent like stopping as it takes longer, her would rather just get going. Also, once my lo is out of her car seat we have to let her have a good run around otherwise she scream and is 1) difficult to get back in adn 2) would have to put up with ehr screaming.

I make usre we drive either in the evening, over her nap time or leave early morning so we distrub her sleep knowing that she will sleep on teh journey. I take plenty of food and toys that i give to her through out the journey to make it intersting fro her and of course the nrusery rhyme cd.

If we did a 5hr journey we would probably stop after 3hrs and that would be it unless hubby was tired. If hes got a recliner seat Im sure he will be fine.

We did a nearly 4 hour journey into Wales in the summer and we got there without having a break. I timed it so that I'd given them their lunch (a big one!) just before we set off, and then made sure they had dummies and comforters and they slept for about half the journey. It was their usual nap time. Then I bought a few new (cheap) toys, little cars and a few small books just to get them through the journey. The newness seemed to hold their interest and they enjoyed the scenery too.

Depending what time you need to set off, you could time a break in the journey to coincide with lunch or tea. Then let lo run off a bit of steam, get him fed and hopefully he will be content the rest of the way. Good luck!

I never knew there were rules for getting them out of their seats, I think that's more important when they are little.

xxx

Omg i'm a bad mummy I'd never even thought of this!! We've got a long journey coming up not lookin 4ward to it at all! Hope ur travels go well! x

Oh yeah night travel! I forgot about that - highly recommend it!!! We have vowed to do that whenever possible - set off at lo's bedtime with them in their pj's and they just sleep all the way home. We did this with cole at 8 months (in the forward facing seat on recline rather than crunched up in the rear facing seat) and did it again in June at 18 months old coming home

The plan for the journey there in June was to set off around 5.30ish, drive for an hour or so until Cole was cranky, get him ou t of the car for a run around and change into his pj's, give him milk and then set off again - was meant to mean we'd set off earlier but still not have too much awake time & not arrive too late. Didn't work as we got on the motorway and I remembered we'd forgotten our wedding outfits and we had an extra hour in the car to get them! Doh!

Honestly though I'd factor in plenty of stopping time just in case - and pack a chunder box! After hearing my friends tale of a 3 + hour journey in a car smelling of puke after her lo chucked up half an hour into a long journey I packed up a mini box with bin bags, spare nappy, wipes, disinfectant spray and kitchen roll just in case! Fortunately only needed the kitchen roll the other day when hubby needed to wipe his hands after cole puked when we picked him up at nursery but I like knowing we have it in the car just in case

xx

we travel at night with lo, who is 23 months old. we put him in his sleepsuit at his normal bedtime, having done bath, story etc, and then put him in his travel grobag (one of the best inventions ever, I think). And then sit him in his car seat and start our jpurney. when he drops off (it usually takes about half an hour for him to stop looking out of the window and give in to sleep) and so by 7:30, he's asleep. We get as far as we can without stopping - sometimes that's the whole jopurney. we did a 4 hour trip to Yorkshire a few weeks ago without stopping as hubby was feeling ok and we just wanted to get there.

When we arrived, hubby went into where we were staying and set up the travel cot, closed the curtains etc, and then I lifted him out of his car seat and carried him in and put him in bed. Amazingly, he didn't wake up enough to want to stay up!

Sucess all round - hurrah x

Unfortunately we're going to hubby's grandparents who are strictly in bed by 9pm people so travelling overnight isn't a good option. We have considered leaving very early so lo sleeps most of the way there and is refreshed when we arrive - he'll just go straight from his cot into a warmed up car and should be fine.

Glad I can get away with one stop though. We last did the journey when lo was 3 months and with stops and traffic it took us 7 hours!