As you all know, Emily, Jackson, Olivia, Levi and I went on a road trip to Florida and we left Dan behind. We were gone for a total of 13 days. That included 7 days of driving and 6 full days in Florida and although it was a lot of work, the whole trip was so much fun and definitely a great learning experience. I was hesitant to go at first and thought about whether it was really possible to take 4 kids on a road trip. I did; however, find a way to make a long road trip with 4 toddlers a success. Be sure to continue reading to find out! I do want to say thank you to PlaytexBaby™ for sponsoring this post. All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.
This trip was something my sister Jessica (aka Aunty Gaga) and I had been talking about from the time she started her maternity leave last October. It was so tempting to just pack up and drive somewhere, knowing we both had all the time in the world. After months of the idea coming up over and over again, we came to the conclusion that it should actually happen! We booked the resort on a Sunday night and then had to wait a long 3 weeks before the road trip began.
Originally it was just going to be Jessica and I taking on the challenge of a road trip with 5 kids to Florida, but since it was summer break for our sister Taylor (aka Aunty Taytay), we thought it would be fun for her to come along too. Then after spending the day with our Nanny, who is retired, we convinced her to join us as well.
I was so excited to go because who wouldn’t be excited to go on a vacation, but I was also very nervous because this was my first time taking all 4 kids on a trip without Dan. Dan and I had recently experienced a long road trip with the kids when we went to Las Vegas and California back in May. It was a lot of work for the both of us then, so I knew I had to prepare for it to be tough for just myself. Luckily, I did have my sisters and our Nanny there to help as well as the experience from the Las Vegas and California trip. As long as I was prepared and ready for anything, I knew I could do it!
The biggest thing we found that helped to keep Emily and the triplets occupied for the long car ride was to give them snacks while watching a movie. I set up the portable DVD players with one of their favorite movies and then gave them a piece of banana bread. It was such a big hit on our Las Vegas trip, so this time I made 6 loafs, 5 of which were gone by the time we made it to Florida. I also packed lots of other snacks that included crackers, veggie chips, bear paw cookies and also cut up watermelon, strawberries and cantaloupe. Bringing lots of snacks was also a big help with saving money and eating a little healthier on the drive. I made peanut butter sandwiches for lunch and now looking back, I think I only bought 1 or 2 fast food items during the entire drive down.
Of course, giving Emily and the triplets snacks in the van meant we needed little snack cups for them to hold and keep the snacks in. We used the Playtex® Flip Top Snacker on both road trips and they were great. I filled the Playtex® Flip Top Snacker up with their snacks and then they sat there quietly eating away while watching their movie. I do have to say that I love the lid on the Playtex® Flip Top Snacker because Emily and the triplets had to work a little bit to get their snacks out, which made them last a little longer and prevented us from having to stop more often to fill them up.
The Playtex® Flip Top Snacker itself was good at stopping their snacks from spilling all over the place, but once those snacks are out and in their hands they can end up anywhere. This would explain the condition of the van when we got home and the mess of food everywhere in the van. We also used the Playtex® Sipsters® Cups on the drive down and I can honestly say we were 100% spill free on both trips!
Once everyone was settled with their snacks and a movie, it was smooth sailing for a good chunk of time. Most times they would all fall asleep for a little nap afterwards, which then let us drive a little longer before we had to stop.
If I am being totally honest, I was a little bit scared, worried, excited and everything in between before we left. I was worried about the drive down and how Emily and the triplets would be, what it would be like getting gas, making it to the hotels we booked and driving in general. I was also excited for a vacation, a new experience and the fun we would have. There are just so many things to consider and think about when travelling and with being so far away from home so many unexpected things can happen.
Knowing that we were 4 women with 5 kids driving from Ontario to Florida, was a little worrisome. I had 100% confidence that we could do it, especially since Jessica and I have driven down to Florida so many times and have done a lot of travelling, but there was still the thoughts in the back of my mind that something could happen without Dan there with us.
I do have to say that in a weird way, the trip was an empowering experience. Knowing that we had such a fun, exciting and memorable trip with 4 women and 5 kids, with all the stuff that we did while we were gone, is just such a great feeling.
As a #PlaytexMom I think it is so important to be there to encourage other moms and women to do whatever it is they want to do and to show that you can do it! I think that sometimes as moms, we think all we should be doing is staying home following a routine, which is good, but sometimes it is fun to break away from the routine a little bit and do something you wouldn’t think of doing. If you have ever thought about going on a trip while on maternity leave and with your baby, I would encourage you to really consider it and just do it! If you are prepared and bring everything that you would need with you, then there is nothing stopping you from going.
If you have a trip planned or are in the midst of planning your first trip with your little ones, whether it’s a road trip or not, you can always trust PlaytexBaby™ to make your travelling experience enjoyable and simple with products that have been designed with both mom and baby in mind. From the time your first baby is born to the time you head out on your first trip with them PlaytexBaby™ will always be there to help #ForBetterBeginnings!
In the end, even after all the work it took, it was so much fun and I can say you really can take 4 kids on a road trip!
Now it’s time to start planning our next vacation!
-Corrie
The Baby Gang 