Traveling with kids can be discouraging with knowing what to pack, to hours in a car or on a plane, to unpredictable moods. We started travelling with Cade when he was just 3 months old. Now that he’s 4 we have learned a trick or two to make travel less stressful. Below are my top 10 tips for travelling with kids.
1. Take an assortment of snacks. Fill a gallon sized Ziploc bag with an array of choices. Some of our favorites are goldfish, pretzels, teddy grahams, and cheese crackers.
2. Lollipops will help relieve ear pressure for ascending and descending. For the little ones this is also a great time to breast or bottle-feed. A pacifier works great as well.
3. Download shows or movies to your tablet so you don’t have to use Wi-Fi. Take a set of kid- friendly headphones so they can watch a show.
4. Melissa and Doug Magic Pens and Water Pens are a great way to color without too many markers and no mess.
5. Take a lot of wipes to clean up faces, hands, and messes. I also bring antibacterial to keep germs away.
6. Allow plenty of time for everything and stay positive! Gone are the days of rushing through the airport solo. Try to take deep breaths and take your time.
7. Pack extra clothes for infants and for parents that way you are prepared for blowouts or spit ups. Pack the extra outfits in their own Ziploc bag, and then you have a place to put thespoiled clothes into.
8. Pack a toy bag. Let your child pick a few small toys to play with. Also, get a few small presents from the dollar store for the kids to unwrap. It’s a great way to surprise them and give them something to do.
9. Plenty of water and milk. We bring our Sippy cup and fill it once we are through security. Most planes have milk but you can buy it before you get on the plane as well.
10. Make sure all your devices are charged and that you have gotten plenty of sleep and are charged as well. If mom and dad are miserable then the children will be too!
Happy Travels!
Tricia Kirkwood is an independent travel advisor and owner of Travel by Tricia(www.travel-by-tricia.com) and Virtuoso member. For the past 25 years she followed her passionof being a Fitness Instructor and was able to travel to Jamaica, New York City,Napa, and Bogota, Colombia to train instructors. After having her son she tooka break from the Fitness Industry and focused in on what she wanted to do with“the rest of her life”. She has always loved exploring and seeing newplaces and realized that she wanted to be able to help others travel as well. Planning vacations is very exciting and she is so happy to help clients create theirvision. Contact her to plan your trip today, tricia@travelxperts.com or215-740-4648.
