Travel Tips For Toddlers
As an experienced mother who has had her fair share of baby experiences, I think I speak for everyone when I say that traveling with toddlers is not easy, to say the least. If I’m not telling them to stop doing this or that, I’m calming them down when they start crying and kicking for seemingly no apparent reason. However, over the years I’ve picked up a couple of pointers along the way that have worked tremendously well and I believe they can do the same for you.
TOP TIPS FOR TRAVEL WITH TODDLERS
1) Use a backpack for hand luggage Younger children can be a handful and I’ve found that opting for a backpack for carrying hand language is quite effective as it frees up my hands so that I can hold my child’s and just generally keep them in check. Also, it makes it easier for me to show my passports and go through all the processing nitty-gritty at the airport.
2) Games are an excellent distraction Most of the time when children act up and start doing bothersome things such as kicking the seat of the passenger in front, it’s usually because they are bored. I’ve used simple games such as I-spy to great effect to keep them occupied and you should try the same. Be sure to also play with them every so often to ensure their minds don’t wander off elsewhere. For car travels, I’ve found car games such as the alphabet to be very helpful.
3) Drive at night. Nothing has worked best for me when it comes to road trips like making the journey after the sun goes down. For one, your child will be asleep most of the way which means less fuss, less yelling, no tantrums and no need to constantly feed him or take him out at every stop.
4) New toys, especially cuddly ones, seem to work best for both air or car journeys, consider bringing along new toys particularly for long trips. Toddlers curiosities are usually peaked by new additions than old ones and I’ve seen them distracted for several hours on end by a new teddy bear.
5) Be early. Don’t be the kind of people who scamper through the airport at the last minute like cheetahs chasing down pray in the Serengeti, rather be early and board first to give your kids time to play out some of that pent-up energy. I usually like to make it in good time to the waiting area so as to get first priority after the first-class calls have ended. It’s also a great way to get around hassling for overhead space. 
6) Keep the fluids at a minimum to ensure I’m not running up and down the airplane aisle going back and forth between my seat and the toilet, I normally steer clear of giving toddlers too many fluids. Also, I take them to the toilet right before boarding even when they necessarily don’t want to go as things can change dramatically with kids. One minute they’re fine, the next it’s a do-or-die-affair to answer the call of nature.
7) Leave a spare seat Another concept I have found extremely useful for car travel is leaving some room next to the toddler so that I can easily jump into the back seat if they spiral out of control or need a diaper change. So I don’t cram extra luggage in the back row.
8) A first-aid pack is a must have never forget to pack a first aid kit as toddlers can fall ill or hurt themselves at a moment’s notice. My kit always has basic items like disinfectants, band-aids and a thermometer.
9) Ensure toddlers suit up comfortably I’ve personally found long journeys to be more bearable with comfy clothes, so I believe the same goes for toddlers. So, I always make sure to bring a plethora of pajamas and stretchy pants to ensure my child is comfortable throughout the journey.
10) Have a changing station in the car. While gas stations and stores have their own changing area, I’ve noticed setting up a small changing station is great if I’m travelling at night and want to avoid waking up my toddler with the bright lighting synonymous with such places.
11) Carry a lot of snacks. When a toddler is hungry, he’ll make sure the whole world knows about it; something I came to learn the hard way. So for my solid-weaned ones, I ensure that I have plenty of snacks to spare.
And that rounds off my list for air and car travel tips with kiddos! Good luck on your travels and always stay safe!
Until Next Time,
Amanda Maxwell