Establishing a Ritual Trip

My family lives in KL. Most of our friends are in KL. There’s more things to do in KL. So, every other week or so, the whole family (just 3 of us + 1) make the trip up to KL. It’s a leisurely 1.5 hours drive but with Eijaz around, it has turned into a ritual of sorts, complete with rules to follow for a stressless journey:

1. We prefer to travel when he is asleep. So, usually we get on the road at night during his bedtime. This is important as he has a short attention span of maybe 45 mins max before he starts squirming around and crying his lungs out. Older ppl will tell you to leave him in his seat to train, but older ppl have worse hearing usually. If not at night, then his naptime during day. The longer we maximize his sleeping time in the car, the better.

2. All bags must be packed and in the car before he falls asleep, else it will take out from sleeping time in the car. Selected toys, milk and books are to be ready by the side of his car seat in case he wakes up.

3. Once all is packed, the car is started up and aircond left running for a few minutes to cool down car. His favourite Rockabye Baby lullabies (Beach Boys, Led Zepp & The Cure) are on cue to play. Only then is His Royal Sleepyhead is brought out of the house and into the car seat.

3. The transferring process to the car seat is something The Wife is particularly good at. Usually goes without incident. Once he’s all buckled up, we’re off. But it is vital to maintain relative silence in the car, with only the lullabies playing. Which means no talking. Which means this booming, powerful, commanding voice is reduced to a mere whisper. A shame.

4. If all goes well, he’ll sleep all the way. However, should there be refueling stops or toilet breaks, chances are he will wake up. So avoid that.

5. Its the boredom that gets to him more than the seat. If you take him out its alright. But that’s a risk you don’t want to take on a highway. You can control your car but you can’t do anything about the cars around you. So, baby in baby seat whenever car is moving!

That’s the ritual we go through, I know we should expose him to getting used to sleep with noise (life is not a library I would say) but everytime I suggest this, it gets shot down unless I’m the one who puts him to sleep after.  Anyway, there’s plenty of noise to get used to after. Enjoy the quiet now, son.

Updated on a mobile. Phew!

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