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Expert Q&A

	By iParenting Staff iParenting Staff Experts

When taking road trips with toddlers and preschoolers, is it better to schedule the bulk of the driving during sleeping times (naps or at night) or awake times?

In my experiences it has always been better to start your traveling ventures with young children or toddlers later in the evening. Perhaps at that child's bed time. I have found that the children will indeed sleep in their car seats throughout the night and this is a time that we as the adults can make up some time on the highway because of the fact that there usually is less traffic on the highway late at night as well.

I just got back from picking my 2-year-old nephew up in Atlanta. Ga., to bring back to my home here in Florida for a five day visit, and I traveled early morning hours and he was wide awake wanted to be entertained throughout the trip. I learned right then and there that it would be in my best interest to take him back to Atlanta when the time came to return him to his parents late in the evening. That is exactly what I did and he slept the entire 7-hour trip except for a short time period that we woke him at a rest area to ask him if he needed to go to the restroom. Keep in mind that if a child is going through potty training you have to schedule your trips accordingly as well to allow the child to stop and use the restroom at will. All and all I have found that it is best to travel in the evenings with young children unless you have plenty of help and plenty of other children to entertain your younger children during your trip. We as adults need to be focused on safety on the highway and we at times do not have the time to also be watching our young children at the same time.

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