Ask Amy: Help! I'm driving with a 2-year-old to Disney World

Question: My wife and 2-year-old are traveling to Disney world this week from Illinois. We're planning to drive straight through. I heard you on the Nick Digilio show on WGN this afternoon and I thought I would get some more advice from you. I love the idea of trying to play some games with my daughter and hold out on the DVD player as long as we can. Do you have any other tips?
—Dan, Illinois

Answer: If you go into the trip with an upbeat, positive attitude, you'll all have a fine time. Sensitive to their parents' moods, kids are more likely to behave if you're confident, relaxed, and happy. You can expect to hit some low points along the way but when you're daughter starts screaming in the backseat just imagine that you're in a Chevy Chase comedy and try to laugh at the situation.

But of course, a successful family road-trip requires more than a good attitude. You definitely need to plan and prepare and help entertain your daughter on the road. As I mentioned in the radio segment, you should try to keep the DVD player off as long as possible. I usually make my kids endure six hours before I'll turn it on. If we're driving longer than six hours, then I consider that torture, and I allow them to plug in. Also, I will sometimes only use the DVD player on the return leg--because if you use it on the first leg, then your little girl is going to immediately ask for a movie on the return.

So what do you do without a DVD player?

Play with toys
Put together a bin or bag of stuff for your daughter. You can start by filling it with everyday items. When my daughter was 2 years old, I used to give her a box of Band-Aids on long road trips. It would take an hour for her to stick Band-Aids all over her body. I guess it could be considered wasteful but it certainly kept her entertained. Also, a tooth brush. My kids both love to sit in the backseat and brush their teeth. My daughter has always enjoyed coloring while we drive; I bought her a lap desk at the Container Store. Something to consider purchasing: Colorforms are great because kids can stick them on car windows and they peel right off. Your daughter would probably like the set based on the Fancy Nancy books. Also, Mrs. Grossman's sells stickers that don't stick permanently. A magnetic board with shapes and numbers might be fun for a 2-year-old.

Listen to stories and games
You can borrow CDs and Books on Tape from the library for free and then download them onto your computer and transfer them to an iPod. Be sure the Books on Tape are appropriate for your daughter's age so they hold her interest. There's a lot that you can purchase on iTunes. For a 2-year-old, I found audio versions of Green Eggs and Ham, Caps for Sale, Stone Soup, Three Billy Goats Gruff, Tikki Tikki Tembo, Danny and the Dinosaur, and Curious George Rides a Bike.

Play games and sing songs
Even a 2-year-old can play Name that Tune if you limit the song choices to "Jingle Bells," "Mary Had a Little Lamb," and "London Bridges." She's probably still a little young for I-Spy, but you can certainly tell her to look out the window for a "red car" or a "horse" or a "truck." Also, I always try to teach my kids one new song on every road trip and that always becomes the theme song for the trip.

Pack snacks
Load a small cooler with healthy snacks: peanut butter sandwiches, dried fruit, cheese, apple slices. I would limit the treats but one thing that I always bring are lollipops because they last forever and occupy my kids. You can get sugar-free or fruit-sweetened ones. Also, try to avoid fast-food. Kids’ stomachs are sensitive—especially in the car.

Stare into outer space
Kids will typically go through a fussy period or two on a road trip but typically once they work through it, they're quite happy simply staring into outer space and there's nothing wrong with being peaceful and quiet. In this day and age, it's good to learn how to do nothing.