We are fans of being on the road. We’ve found that with Hudson at this age (18 months) it is easier to drive places, have the opportunity to leave if he isn’t in the greatest mood, and it’s way better for him than taking a train or flying. He has always been a carseat lover, and loves seeing the world go by outside of the window. We can listen to podcasts or music, chat about life, and have a little bit of a break from having to keep our eye on him knowing he is safe in the car! Plus we love how inspiring it is to be on the road.
With that being said, there’s a few things we find realllly important for Hudson and ourselves when heading out for a long drive! Here’s our must-haves!
1.”Car Toys” – I put “Car” in quotations, because I think it is SO important to have particular toys that are only for use in the car. This makes Hudson excited to sit down, relax, and play with these toys! I never let him take these toys out of the car, because it’s his special treat for when we get in. We love the cell phone toy pictured above, it keeps him very entertained for longer stretches. We also love to have one of us sit in the back with him and color on the etch-a-sketch. He’s just getting to the age where he will sit and use it for a bit, so it’s a winner! The 3rd toy is a teether, and if he doesn’t have his paci, we will give him this toy to chew on!
2. A Carseat You Can Trust! This one is HUGE, and we did a ton of research once Hudson grew out of his infant carseat. We absolutely love the Cybex Sirona M with SensorSafe 2.0. One of the toughest things for me as a mom is knowing that while I am driving, I cannot tend to Hudson whatsoever. I am locked to keeping my eyes on the road, unless I find a safe spot to stop and pull over. It was even more difficult when he was tiny! The Sirona M with SensorSafe 2.0 is a convertible carseat, so while Hudson is 18 months old, you can even use this carseat if you have a newborn (which I totally would if I could turn back time).
Aside from the seat being super comfortable for Hudson to sit in, it puts our minds at ease about his safety while we are driving. He’s at that age where he loves buckles (have you seen my stories?? lol) and it always freaks me out that he may unbuckle himself. The Sirona M with SensorSafe 2.0 has a smart chest clip, that syncs with a vehicle receiver so your smartphone will alert you if the buckle is undone or not correctly buckled. AMAZING. It also has a 12-position height adjustable headrest, so it can grow with Hudson! But seriously, the technology piece really had us sold. Such a great idea!
3. A Back Seat Mirror – We live by our Britax back seat mirror, it helps us see what Hudson is up to without having to wrench our necks. He also can see me in my rearview by looking into it, which puts his mind at ease that I am up there and happy! We always wave to eachother at red lights, and blow kisses. It makes my day!
I hope this post was helpful if you are thinking of heading out on a road trip. Let me know some of your must-haves in the comments!
Thank you to Cybex for kindly sponsoring this post. All opinions are 100% honest & completely my own.