How would you like a pro tips guide for traveling with your infants, toddlers, and children? Maybe you’ve already survived this harrowing experience. Or sooner or later, you’ll be embarking on this test of skills and wills. I’m talking about greatly improving the chances that you’ll arrive there, as well as return home, in one sane piece. Being a good guesser only gets you so far. It’s the best advice compiled from my personal experience and a consensus of other moms. (Thank you, Brandi and Tiffany!) Here’s to making traveling with your infants, toddlers, and children, smoother and easier! See the cheat-sheet below!
Choosing Departure Time
- Our moms’ consensus recommends you travel overnight, late, or at nap times. Hopefully, the kiddos will sleep through some of the trip!
- Dress them in pajamas, or let them stay in them, to travel. Bring a sweatshirt or jacket for the plane.
- Save money on tickets: schedule layovers for a physical, mental family jailbreak!
- Dear Mommies: Bolt for an untraceable bathroom stall; try for a moment of Zen!
- BONUS TIP: If you need to nurse/bottle, excuse yourself for another break.
- Book separate plane seats for your children! It’ll be your salvation. PRO TIP: Bring buckle-in carriers with bases and carseats on the plane; do not check with checked baggage! It feels familiar, safe, and secure to their body shape and size, and encourages them to fall asleep.
Tips for Diaper Bag Prep:
- One word for you: Backpack! Buy, 1 (or 2) large, hands-free, organizer diaper bags. Essentials are instantly at your fingertips. They’re available in traditional, stylish, and colorful exteriors. BONUS TIP: You’ll use them for many years to come, until they’re teens.
- Tour your house, take notes, or make a checklist of the items you see that you’d need (quick/easy) access to while traveling. You’re also making-do away from home. PRO TIP: Check at their…changing table; bedside table; bathroom counter; medicine cabinets; and your on-hand, kitchen stash.
- Are you missing anything? Consider range of needs, length of time period, and any pertinent scheduling issues (i.e. baby’s feeding schedule). PRO TIP: Cover needs from the moment you leave your home, until the next airport or final destination.
- Most recommended for diaper bag/carry-on’s: Ziplock of medications; pacifiers; teethers; comfort items; ziplock of safety-size toys; Play-Doh(!); back up underpants and outfit; back up vomit bags.
- Plane Travel: Have the family drink 1 or 2 bottles of water on the way to the airport; store empty bottles and empty sippees in the diaper bag; after the security checkpoint, refill them all – BEFORE getting on the plane.
- Entertainment options – Plane and Car Travel *(space permitting) : a) Seek-Find and I-Spy books; b) card games; c) coloring supplies; d) educational, interactive car games involve license plates’ numbers, letters, and state-names. e) Do have one/more Tablet(s) with downloaded games, series, and movies. PRO TIP-1: Include never seen choices. PRO TIP-2: Dual purpose, sound/sound-canceling, baby-toddler headphones. PRO TIP-3: BEFORE the plane is backing out, get instant, ready-to-play access to the On-board Entertainment System.
- Snacks: Keep the previous meal light; pack the go-to’s; surprise – special treats!
- First Aid: Pack a mini-kit.
- Narrow it down and prioritize: You can even use two diaper bags, or a diaper bag and a regular backpack; whatever suits your needs.
- Kids’ Backpacks: If you have a steady walker of age two, and/or above, outfit them with their own suitably-sized backpack with toys/age-appropriate amusements, etc. Reserve that extra space in your bag(s). BONUS TIP: This makes children feel more “grown-up”, boosting self-confidence and self-reliance!
BONUS-PRO TIP; Car Travel: Throw in the back/trunk a training potty lined with plastic grocery bags to change out, and handy ziplocks for containment!)
BONUS, Super-PRO TIPS! (Disclaimer: Research, see your pediatrician, and follow dosage guidelines and directions on product packaging.) In my personal experience, traveling with my children has been much smoother because depending on their individual needs and the particular travel circumstances, 30 minutes prior to boarding, I would consider whether or not to use the following: 1) Infants/Children’s acetaminophen or ibuprofen drops; 2) Toddler-plus melatonin chewables; and/or, 3) child-safe chewables for motion-sickness. Ta-dah!: Happy Travels with your Pro Tips Guide to Traveling with Infants, Toddlers, and Children!!
–P.S. Super-PRO TIP: DON’T FORGET THE STROLLER!
