Travel with Toddlers

Travel with Toddlers




So summer is here and so are travel plans. We travel quite a bit with our kids and have taken big vacations since our first child was 4 months old. My friends and family think we are crazy. I know this because they don’t mind telling me so! Recently, several friends and even some casual acquaintances have asked me about tips for travel with kids. I have tried to think about what I find most important.



Planning – it is all in the planning. We have taken kids (babies) on cruises, car trips, and to Disneyworld. I love lists. That’s not surprising! I used to make a packing list for every trip until it occurred to me to save the lists! Genius! So now I have multiple packing lists (Packing for car trips, Packing for cruises, and Packing for Disney). I’m willing to share those with anybody. It is so easy because you can pull them up and just modify for the specific trip you’re on.



Airplane trips – Here is my number one rule with traveling with kids: “By the end of the trip, I do not want everyone on the plane to know my children’s names!” I’m sure you’ve had one of those trips. My mother was on a plane once with Jackson. She clearly remembers his name. Throughout the trip the entire plane heard, “Jackson, stop it! Jackson, don’t kick the seat! Jackson, don’t throw your peanuts! Jackson, get back here!” At that point, Jackson was crawling away from his mother under the seats. When they got off of the plane, Jackson was asleep. His mother’s hair was falling down; she was sweating, and probably about to cry. Here is one of the key things – His mother had brought absolutely nothing for him to do. I hate having to carry a truckload of stuff on a plane but it saves us every time. We bring snacks, DVD’s, new games, colors, dry erase, and anything else I can think of!



Other general tips for planes – bring something to pop their ears (gums and drinks for bigger kids; pacifiers and bottles for babies; Dum Dum lollipops are also perfect!) Remember birth certificates for lap children under two. And I always take empty sippy cups in their bags and then ask for an entire can of juice or water. And of course, board early! We always fly Southwest so now families can board between the A and B group (if you don’t get an A boarding pass). One trip home from Orlando we got to the airport really early so then we just kind of wasted time, ate, didn’t go through security. And then suddenly we were late! We rushed to the gate but got their as the C boarding group was getting on the plane! And here we are with 4 kids under the age of 7. It was comical. I thought I might have to use my mom’s trip from back when we were little. This was during the days of assigned seating and she did not get two seats together when I was very young. The gate attendant recommended she sit me down next to the other passengers in my row and hand me an airsick bag. Then politely tell the nice man or lady sitting there that I tend to get motion sick, but she would be just 5 rows up if anything happened! Guaranteed seat swap!



Car trips are not my favorite way to travel. I love that you can take so much more of your own stuff. I especially like to take all my own pillows and blankets. My favorite thing to do is for me to fly and for my husband to drive with all of our things! But I have found some tricks. I have found metal TV trays and large Magnetics. The animal shape ones are especially fun! We also bought one of those grabbers like you can use to pick up trash or reach things several feet away, and I use that to pass things back to the kid in the back of the van.



And cruises – I love to cruise with small kids because it is so contained. Your room is right there for naps, the food is right there, the entertainment is good and easy to get to. Not too much time spent figuring out what you’re going to do and how you’re going to get there. The biggest downside is you have to bring EVERYTHING with you. Diapers, wipes, formula, snacks, clothes, etc etc. There is no option for running to Wal-Mart for something you forgot. Makes packing and getting there tricky. We did find some good tips though on one of our last trips. One was to buy one of those shoe organizers that hang over the door. They have all the little pockets for your shoes. Generally, cruise state rooms are very small and have almost no counter space or storage. You can hang this over the bathroom door and use it to store all types of things – cameras, room keys, toothbrushes, sunglasses. Anything small that you need to get to easily. That has been a life saver! I also always take Ziplocs, Sharpie markers, scissors, electrical outlet expanders, Band-Aids, blister pads, and ponchos on trips. You never know what you might need to store, mark, cut, plug in, or protect yourself from on a vacation!



Disney trips would be a whole other blog entirely. Disneyworld is one of my favorite places to vacation. It is so easy and kid friendly. I could talk forever about tips, things you must do, things you must NOT do with kids, strollers, resorts, souvenirs, and more. I think it is a great trip with all age ranges. We’ve been with babies (age 4 months); we’ve been with all 4 kids; we’ve been when I was 7 months pregnant. I love it! And after all, it is the happiest place on earth!



So, I say travel with kids! Don’t feel trapped because of the difficulties posed in travel with small children. But, do plan plan plan and then plan some more. Have a schedule; take plenty of familiar things from home, and some new things to grab their attention. Keep to your routines with meals and naps as much as you can. And then just relax and know that things will go wrong, kids may have meltdowns, and the laundry will be waiting when you get home, but it will all be worth it!