![long road trip with infant long road trip with infant](https://hikeitbaby.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/HIB_Subaru_Day7-41.jpg)
If you’re driving and are unable to look at your baby, don’t sweat – try some singing if your baby is crying. Her eyes simply light up when I sing to her. At her current age, we have started to get reactions from her: smiles, coos, recognition, and 100% attention. It also helps to look into her eyes while singing. When we see that she’s ready to nap, we sing western or Bollywood inspired lullabies or simply made up songs in soft voices. When she’s playful we sing cheerful songs. We use songs as a way to distract Raahi at home and even on the road (sneaky, I know). More importantly, it gets their attention like no other, especially when they’re strapped. Research shows that singing helps parents bond with babies, and keeps them calm. If you’re not singing to your baby, you need to start now. The last three tips have been most helpful during the 6-12 month phase. The first two ideas in this list were super helpful while she was younger than 6 months. When she’s not napping or feeding, we try to keep her occupied in the ways mentioned below. Also, at this point – she can’t completely occupy herself for long stretches so we have to keep being creative. Further, she can sometimes be a pretty easy on-the-go napper but can also get super cranky at other instances, especially if she has been in the car for long or is simply exhausted. Since I am breastfeeding (bottle training is a WIP currently), we have to stop our car to get her out of her seat to feed. Replicating that routine on the road can be tricky as we have to adjust our journey to fit her feeding needs.
![long road trip with infant long road trip with infant](https://www.flyingwithababy.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/IMG_5004-1.jpg)
(thank you Baby Whisperer and Baby Calm for helping us identify the pattern). During a regular day, Raahi pretty much follows the eat-play-sleep routine. Not all babies are the same and some might genuinely nap longer or quicker on a road trip.