Traveling with Kids - A Survival Guide
Whether you’re traveling by car, plane or boat, traveling with kids can be a big challenge. And if you’d like to remain sane, and keep your children happy and tear-free, you’re going to need to do some advanced planning and clever packing. Below are some great tips on traveling with kids – from infants to teenagers!
Infant travel tips
Traveling with a baby is a hard thing to do. But with the right planning, it can be made as painless as possible. The most important thing for a baby is feeling secure. If you’re upset and anxious, your baby will be, too. Remember to relax and be optimistic about the trip. Chances are that everything will be fine, and worrying about it won’t help. So here are some infant travel tips:
Airplane travel tips:
- Pack several extra outfits in your carry-on. Spit-up, spills and climate changes often necessitate at least two outfits. It’s also a good idea to pack them in Ziploc bags to protect them from spills inside your diaper bag. It will also protect everything else from spit-up or wetness.
- Bring extra clean bottles and enough formula/breastmilk for a whole day. You can’t plan on only having enough food/formula for just the flight time. It’s possible you could have a delay that lasts for hours. The airline may even need to put you in a hotel overnight. It’s important to plan for the worst.
- Diapers, and lots of them! Once again, you want to plan for a whole day’s worth, just in case of a flight delay.
- Bring along your baby’s favorite cuddly toy. Having something that is comforting and familiar to them is a great way to help them feel secure.
- A pacifier is a great way to help your baby during take-off and landing when their ears have to go through severe pressure changes. You can also give your baby a bottle or let them breastfeed. But if they aren’t hungry, you’ll want that pacifier!
- Be sure to make friends with the flight attendants. They can help make a difficult situation much better. They can also often help you get an extra seat for your belongings.
Car travel tips:
- Plan out your trip so you’ll have stops every few hours for feedings and diaper changes. Don’t be afraid to pull over in a safe spot and give a feeding on the side of the road. It’s better to pull over for feeding than to drive a half hour to the next town while dealing with a screaming baby.
- Make sure you have enough water and formula in the car to last you through your car trip . . . and then some. There will be spills, so you should plan for them.
- You need to be flexible. Babies often sleep through car trips. But being cooped up in a car seat for hours and hours can still take its toll. Use those feeding/diapering breaks to give your child some time to stretch out on the car seat or a blanket on the grass. It will make them much happier!
- Bring along a toy that attaches to the car seat so they have something interesting to look at and play with. If you have several of these, you can rotate them when you stop so that your baby doesn’t get bored with them.
- Think about traveling at night. While it will mean mom and dad are tired the next day, it could save you travel time and headaches. Baby will sleep through most, if not all, of the trip. And you’ll have fewer feedings and diaperings to worry about.
Traveling with toddlers
Toddlers present their own challenges during travel. One of the most important things to remember about traveling with a toddler is to over-pack clothes, toys and snacks. The last thing you want is to run out of food before the trip is over. Then you’ll have to deal with a hungry toddler! Having more than enough of what you need to keep your child happy will make you happy, too! So here are some great tips for traveling with toddlers:
Airplane travel tips:
- It’s best to travel with your toddler in their car seat. Not only does it give them their own space so they don’t feel cramped, but it is also the safest way for them to travel. And it gives you room to pull things out of your carry-on and diaper bag. Traveling with a toddler on your lap only works for a small percentage of parents and toddlers!
- Pack snacks and drinks that you know your child likes. Be sure to follow FAA rules about beverages and food, or they will be confiscated. Go to the TSA web site to find out what you can bring. Print this out to bring with you, as many security officers aren’t aware of the rules themselves.
- Bring several smaller toys that can occupy your child for a long time – an Etch-a-Sketch or Magna Doodle, coloring book and crayons, etc. You can also purchase a toy especially for the trip and give it to them once they get on the plane.
- Ask the flight attendants for pillows and blankets. Then help your child build a fort in their chair. This can keep them occupied and in their seat.
Car travel tips:
- Make frequent stops for bathroom breaks and time to run around. A good rule of thumb is 20 minutes for every 2 hours in the car.
- If you have a lot of distance to cover, consider starting early in the morning, and making the backseat into a comfy “bed�? with lots of pillows and blankets. That will allow your child a good place to sleep. You can do the same if you have to drive late into the night.
- Play car games – 20 questions, the License Plate game, Slug-Bug, counting games, etc. to keep your little one from getting bored.
- Bring along lots of snacks and drinks in a cooler. Keep it up front with you. You can dish out snacks and drinks when they’re needed. You should also keep a trash bag handy for the garbage.
- Give your child a special toy as a gift each day of the trip. These toys will keep them busy. They will also make each day special.
- Bring toys that your child likes and that they can use while seated and buckled in. It’s also a good idea to bring toys like balls and Frisbees for those breaks at rest stops.
As children get older, they can do a lot to keep themselves occupied. For older kids and teenagers, headphones, a Gameboy, a book or a portable DVD player are great. If you travel a lot in the car or on planes, have your whole family save up money. You can use it to buy portable DVD players and headphones. Then you and your kids can use them in the car or on a plane.
Traveling with kids is a great experience, especially if you’re prepared for it! Just stay flexible about your travel plans. Realize that it’ll take longer to get where you’re going if you’re going by car. But the plane ride won’t be as relaxing as it used to be. Most importantly, have fun! This is a great opportunity for your child to learn how to handle difficult situations – with a sense of humor and a smile.
