We've done our fair share of traveling with both littles lately and we've picked up a few life lessons along the way that I thought I would share here in case anyone may find them helpful. I cannot guarantee that any of this will make travel with little ones stress free but it may make things a little easier. So here they are, in bullet form, in no specific order:
- Drive at night or give them the tv. We've tried everything else under the sun but those are the only two solutions that actually work. Driving at night is our favorite option and we've found that with a good podcast to listen to we can make it well into the wee hours of the morning without feeling terribly tired. We've also realized that some battles are not worth fighting and if we absolutely have to drive during the day we make sure to have an assortment of shows downloaded to the Kindle.
- Try to replicate the home routine as much as possible. For our toddler, Birdie, we always take her blanket and pillow and it does a great job of making her feel safe and at home even in a hotel bed. We also do the same dinner, baths and reading before bed routine that we would have done at home.
- Buy a sound machine. This is key when traveling with a toddler and a baby. We have successfully put Teddy down for naps and at night even while Birdie is running around or playing by just dimming the lights and putting the sound machine on full volume.
- Navigating all of us sleeping in the same room can be tricky especially since we have to have our room cold for the night but in my experience babies sleep better in a warm room. We like to put Teddy in a fleece sleep sack and cover his feet with a heavy blanket as well as having him wear long sleeved pajamas with mittens for his hands. This way we all end up happy.
- Although this is next to impossible we try to pack as minimally as possible because it's just too much to keep track of with little kids. I've found over the years that purchasing durable and functional "travel" options of things that we normally have at home help reduce the number of bags and things we have to pack. I can usually fit all the mealtime items just in my breast pump bag!
- I will usually pack a basket with toys that they enjoy and are familiar with as well as a few "treats" to make things exciting and interesting. On our recent trip to DC I got Birdie a new big magna doodle and it instantly became her favorite new toy! It was a total hit! And extra "mummy points" for it being mess free!
- Let go of any expectations that you may have. Odds are you won't be able to do everything you wanted to. You won't get through everything on your "list." There will be tantrums and crying and things won't always go as planned but try and focus on the positive experiences and know your limits. It's ok to take a break and hole up in your room with room service and let them OD on Daniel Tiger. Travel is stressful for kids so some days it's going to be about surviving.
I hope you find some of this helpful and just remind yourself it's not just the traveling - kids and babies cry and tantrum at home, in the car, the grocery store, the Empire State building or the bath tub. That's just life with kids! :)
1. raccoon toy 2. sound machine 3. blanket 4. goodnight moon book 5. 4moms breeze play yard 6. oxo tot travel drying rack 7. sleep sack
1. raccoon toy 2. sound machine 3. blanket 4. goodnight moon book 5. 4moms breeze play yard 6. oxo tot travel drying rack 7. sleep sack
