Is there anything scarier than traveling with a young child? We’ve taken our almost two-year-old son on several plane rides and a handful of road trips, and there’s always this moment (or an entire sleepless night) of panic before the big departure – images of uncontrollable wailing, diaper blowouts and lost luggage running through my mind.
As Christmas approaches and holiday travel plans draw nearer, there’s bound to be some parental anxiety out there. Rest assured, whether you’re traveling cross-country to spend the holidays with family or flying further south for a winter escape, in my experience traveling with an infant and toddler is almost never as bad as you imagine.
Don’t get me wrong, we’ve had some rough memorable experiences. I’ve been puked on at 35,000 feet, missed flights, been caught in highway traffic jams, and spent three hours locked in a vehicle with a poo-covered car seat. On our most recent flight (a 9.5-hour transatlantic flight) my husband and I were conveniently seated in two middle seats in two different rows, trading our 30-pound toddler back and forth at regularly scheduled intervals.
So, basically what I’m saying is that I get where you’re coming from, every fear and anxiety. I’ve been there, done that and lived to tell about it. Hopefully some of what I’ve learned along the way will help your travel go a little smoother this holiday season.
1) Packing
Not too much, not too little. I know, it’s easier said than done, but nobody wants to be that parent lugging their entire household across the country. I’ve been that parent, and it only ends in sore shoulders and a bruised ego upon the realization that your little one won’t touch half the stuff you packed.
Think about what you really need, and leave the rest at home. Diapers, wipes, formula and food can almost certainly be purchased at your destination, so pack only enough to get you there and buy the rest later. You also don’t need as many clothes as you think you do. If you’re staying at a family member’s house or renting an apartment, they probably have laundry facilities you can use. Even hotel laundry service might be worth looking into, especially if it saves you from having to pay for an extra checked bag or an upgrade rental car with additional trunk space.
Also, think about what you pack in each bag and where that bag goes. Don’t check the bag with all the bottles in it or hide the snacks way in the back of the van. A little forethought goes a long way here!
2) Getting there
Whether you’re driving or flying, my preference is to travel during naptime or even overnight. A sleeping child is always easier than an awake child. If you’re flying with an infant weighing less than 25 lbs and unable to sit on their own, many airlines have bassinets available if you call ahead.
Still, there’s bound to be some awake time to deal with. For that, a small but varied collection of toys and books are helpful, as are snacks. Our favorite packable foods are crackers, freeze-dried yogurt snacks, dried bananas and cereal. The key here is to find foods that take time to eat but don’t cause too much mess (I’m going to go ahead and blame an abundance of pureed fruit for that poo-covered car seat mess I mentioned earlier.) We also try to steer away from sweet snacks since keeping toddlers under control in a confined space is hard enough without the sugar rush.
Lastly, allow for breaks when you can. Consider stopping for a park visit in a town you would normally drive straight through or even extending your layover to allow your little one to burn a little energy in an airport play center.
3) Accommodation & Sleeping
If budget permits, try to book accommodations with a living space that is separate from where your child is sleeping. The money you save on a hotel room may seem like a good idea at the time, but not so much when you and your partner finally get your little one to sleep only to spend the remainder of your evening sitting silently in the dark for fear of waking them.
Wherever you end up staying, do what you can to make your child’s sleeping space his home away from home. Pack a favorite blanket or stuffed animal and don’t forget the nightlight! Also, try to stick as close as possible to your normal bedtime routine. This can be tricky when you’re eating in restaurants, visiting with family or trying to explore a new city, but do your best to fit in nightly baths, books and anything else that typically calms your kiddo.
4) Entertainment
My favorite trick to cut down on the number of toys or books we pack is to make sure that few we do bring are brand new. Sometimes we buy, sometimes we swap with friends. Either way, kids are amused way longer by things they’ve never seen before. Similarly, take advantage of the intrigue that new places provide. Our son can spend 30 minutes exploring a 600 sq. foot condo he’s never seen before and another 20 trying to figure out how this new place’s TV remote works. Why waste the “quiet-time” toys when we can kill an hour riding airport elevators, escalators and moving sidewalks?! If you try to see the world through the curious eyes of your child, there are all kinds of ways to have fun without bringing piles of toys.
Finally, I’m not a huge proponent of electronics for kids, but when you’re traveling, an iPad loaded with baby or toddler-friendly games (many of which are free) is worth its weight in gold!
Do you have any other travel tips? I’d love to hear them!
In the meantime, happy travels!