Traveling with an infant or small children can be not only exciting and emotional but also a great test of the nerves and organizational skills of parents. And yet, as hard as it may be for us, traveling with our loved ones is one of the most memorable experiences, and we should not miss it for anything in the world.
To be ready for any difficulties along the way, it is good to make a list of the most necessary things in advance. This will allow you to take into account possible risks during the trip, anticipate them and try to prevent unpleasant surprises.
Of course, we cannot predict everything that can happen to us, but thanks to the experience of other friends with children, we can organize very, very well. Here is a list of the most important things for a family trip with an infant or toddler.
Thermoses for babies
If your baby is formula-fed, it’s a good idea to have enough bottles in your carry-on and enough milk to prepare meals on time. It is extremely important to have baby thermoses with warm boiled water so that you can quickly and easily prepare baby milk without losing patience and irritability from waiting.
Water bottles
We all know how important it is to drink water often to keep the body hydrated and in shape. Therefore, water bottles from the list should not be omitted, and each family member should have their bottle full to the brim.
Disposable diapers
Always be prepared with disposable diapers in your car or your hand luggage if you are traveling by plane. Even if your trip is short and you don’t think you’ll have to change your diaper, Murphy’s law of parenting says that anything you think can’t happen can happen. In order not to have to stop in an emergency, or rummage through suitcases and bags, it is enough to have several diapers in the bag and a bag for collecting used diapers. You will save yourself a headache, rest assured!
Wipes – dry, wet
When, if not during a trip, do children get most dirty? This is one of the laws of the parental code, so always keep bags of dry and wet towels on hand so that you can react in time when the baby gets dirty.
Bags for vomiting
One of the most frustrating moments on a trip is when the kids get sick and they love it, especially when there are more turns on the route. If your child has never shown these signs while traveling, great. But if you’re traveling with him for the first time, don’t forget to pack a few bags in case he gets sick and vomits. If possible, put some antiemetic, or homeopathic, in the first aid kit.
Toys
Traveling without favorite children’s toys and books is unthinkable. Therefore, in the luggage list, you need to pay special attention to them. This will save you many hours of whining, grumbling, spinning in your chair, and even growling. Toys your baby loves to play with should be in the car.
One piece of advice: don’t give him all the toys and rattles, but give him one item at a time. After he gets tired and starts dropping or throwing it, offer him another toy to have fun with. This will save you more time during which the child will be distracted and not become tired and nervous from boredom.
Healthy snacks, fruits
Who doesn’t love to eat on the go? And then it turns out that the children will get hungry the fastest. After 10 minutes, questions will alternate: “Have you arrived?” and “What is there?”. To answer the first question, we can help you with the advice from the previous suggestions, namely, distraction with toys. As for the second question, the answer is even simpler – to have prepared bags or boxes of food. It’s a good idea to avoid snacking on junk food, and instead, choose seasonal fruits and vegetables and hand them out in multiple places so you can easily reach them and offer them to the kids in the car.
Basic medicines
No one wants to use medicines or first aid kits, but such a set of medicines should always be at hand. In this first aid kit, it is important to put all the necessary medicines for the baby/children, patches, anti-inflammatory agents, gel for pain during teething, and so on.
Spare clothes, blanket, pillow
Very often, when we are driving in a car, we fall asleep. There is no exception for children here. They, like us adults, close their eyes very easily and fall asleep blissfully. For these precious moments, it is good to have a pillow and a thin blanket. Even if the car is warm (although more often than not the air conditioner is seriously cooling the car), it’s good to have a blanket handy to wrap the baby around. We know how easy it is to catch a cold and get chilly if you turn around to sleep, so don’t save this attribute from your travel list.