Traveling with toddlers? It is not too hard if you plan it right. I have done that recently, passed with flying colors if I may say so as I managed two little ones by myself 😀
Check out these secret tips in this article given by top travel-pro moms that make traveling with children stress-free.
Kids and Travel
I have seen many parents desperately try to get their to behave on long flights. Even I was in this spot a few times and I totally understand.
Recently, I traveled with my two kids solo across continents. With my infant and my toddler. So, I know what I am talking about.
Young kids do not behave badly on purpose. They do not know how to handle being cooped up when traveling and this comes out in different ways. It really does not make much difference if it is a road trip or a flight or a train journey.
PC: Pixabay
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Some children might cry non-stop and any parent would find it nerve-racking. So, naturally I was very anxious when it came to traveling with my kids, a toddler and a newborn, for a Christmas trip last year.
This was until I got some excellent tips from friends and family who are pros at traveling with kids.
These travel tips literally made my life that much easy. Saved my sanity…phew!
Save yourself too with the below parental travel hacks that worked for me.
Top tips for parents traveling with young children
1. Chewing something at flight take off and landing
*Very important tip for travel with kids*
If you travel by a plane, at take off and landing offer something to chew on for your children older than a year. This surely helps in avoiding earache.
I gave my toddler a few Snickers mini bars to chew on and she was fine, if not overjoyed 🙂
You can give raisins, almonds or any such items too. Sahale almond snack mini packs
For infants, try to give a bottle if they choose to accept. This helps with the ear pain that comes when you take off or land. You can try breastfeeding if you are comfortable.
My son sucked on the bottle for one flight take off, slept through the landing and was good. But for the next flight he cried uncontrollably at takeoff, refused the bottle.
After a few minutes of me humming his favorite tune, he calmed down. We really can’t help them because we can’t reason with them at that time. So, try to distract them as much as possible to make them stop crying.
2. Travel crib
Pack a light travel crib if your infant needs it for comfortable sleep in hotels. This BABYBJORN Travel Crib
3. Car seat bag if you take your car seat
You can rent car seats with your rental vehicle. But if you choose to carry your own car seats, get this Baby Caboodle Car Seat Travel Bag
You can use the CARES Child Airplane Travel Harness
Baby bag packing checklist
(Handy tips for traveling with toddlers and infants)
- Keep diapers/changing sheets/wipes handy in a baby bag that you always carry on you.
- Keep a few of your child’s favorite toys with you always.
- If you are traveling with an infant, do not forget to pack at least one rattle. It keeps him distracted and avoids constant crying.
- Brightly colored toys also can do the trick. Distraction is your best friend.
- If possible carry a few toys that the child has not played with in the last few months.
- Definitely pack extra clothing for YOU in the carry on bag! Unfortunately kids do throw up in journeys and we end up absorbing most of the vomit on our clothing. Believe me, you do not want to sit through the flight in those same clothes.
- Carry appropriate clothing for your kids according to the weather at the destination. Do your research before starting.
- A highly handy item when you travel alone with your little ones is a baby carrier (age-appropriate of course) or a stroller, even a simple umbrella stroller
The below toys are my personal go to toys for my kids when we travel.
My infant son loves his Playgro Giraffe
I highly recommend this Baby Trend double stroller
Update (09/April/2019): Disney parks will not allow strollers more than 36 inches wide or 52 inches long (36” x 52”) and wagons from May 01, 2019.
The above Baby trend double stroller passes this stipulation and can be carried into the park, Yay!
And our favorite baby carrier is the Infantino Carrier
Here are more tips for traveling with kids from top travel blogging moms
Advice from Natalie of Cosmos Mariners: Destination Unknown blog
As someone who travels often with my young children, I’ve learned the hard way what works and what doesn’t.
PC: Pixabay
Advice from Shelley of The Four Explore blog
Two hours is a long time to do anything, let alone sit down in a set and face forward or to the side on an flight. Add children in the mix and things can definitely get complicated.
Despite my fears, we successfully boarded 16 flights, rode on 11 different trains, took countless taxi cabs, took three boat rides and rented three cars all over the span of six months abroad.
Also read: Camping gear you need to camp with kids
The first international flight we took, I was a wreck. Though I meticulously planned out every hour of the flight, I didn’t pack nearly enough snacks. But thankfully, the kids had enough toys to play with.
I quickly learned that having any expectation at all is a recipe for failure. You need a ton of snacks and most certainly need to ally with fellow family travelers and gather in solidarity when times get tough (or when snacks run out).
There are three “S rules” I abide to religiously to this day. Here is how I stay sane traveling with my young children:
PC: Pixabay
Sleep
On long flights let your kids sleep when they want to sleep. Our children are 4 and 1 although our youngest was 9 months when we started traveling.
Initially I wanted to abide by their normal wake / eat / sleep schedules as best as possible and quickly learned that only caused anxiety for me.
Soon after our first international flight I decided to go with the flow. I kept the kids up before long flights as long as I could and then forced myself to sleep when they slept which was an ominous reminder of the newborn years.
We try to select a seat for our four-year-old by the window. Since he needs more room to stretch out it helps to give him the space to put his head on our lap and feet by the window.
We learned on the first flight that feet in the isle = no good. Not only was it inconvenient for the flight attendants (who you want to make your BEST FRIENDS) but his feet were knocked by fellow passengers who wanted to stretch their legs.
Trains are no exception. Wear the kids out before a long train ride and enjoy walking the halls because sometimes that is what has to happen to (1) get the kids to sleep or (2) keep them entertained!
Snacks
I cannot emphasize the importance of snacks enough. Crackers, cheese, fruit bars, peanut butter, baguettes, chocolate treats for good behavior, dried fruit, cereal and trail mix are all incredibly helpful snacks that make for a happy belly which equals a happy child.
In Europe there were a lot of cafes or convenient style stores that had a ton of affordable, healthy snacks but you aren’t always guaranteed to get the same kind of treatment.
Instead of buying meals on trains or planes we almost always packed sandwiches, snacks and extra drinks for ourselves.
Personally I prefer a nice glass of pinot noir mid-flight, but understandably juice boxes are almost always the preferred beverage for a 1 and 4-year-old 🙂
Serenity
Please, please remember YOU are a big piece of this puzzle, too. As a parent your happiness should be ranked just as high as your child’s. After all, you are the one planning and executing your travels.
Don’t forget about you! Take the time to get a magazine you love (and don’t have to share) or pack a special snack for yourself to regain some sense of sanity and serenity.
Traveling is truly a gift and I am so glad we have made the decision to go all in for our family. Bon Voyage!
Advice from Christie of Soul Treks blog
I’ve been full-time traveling with my kids since 2011 and I swear by these tips.
- Bring your own snacks and a water bottle for each child.
- Bring a small backpack with a few favorite toys. I also like to put a few new toys that the kids haven’t seen before.
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- A towel folded over the top of doors prevents pinched fingers.
- Designer duct tape stuck on everyone’s bags makes keeping all your belongings together easier. I also use the same duct tape to tape up the straps behind the car seat.
- Roll diapers tightly and secure with a mini hair elastic. Put them in a ziplock plastic bag and squeeze out all the air.
- Our Mac Folding Wagon
- I have a bag that it fits in when folded. I keep this under the pad in the bottom when it’s open. I gate check the wagon. It folds smaller than a playpen.
These tips are guaranteed to make traveling with kids the enjoyable experience it should be 🙂
Wish you wonderful trips with your children. Do you have any favorite parental travel hacks?
Also read: Tips you should know for camping with kids
