5 June 2014

Travelling With Your Toddler

For the handful of times we have traveled with Palmer, I have to say, she is a superstar!  We have driven in a car for over 3000km (in 3 days), flown on a plane for nearly 6 hours, and done various other day trips in the car with Palmer, and every time had very little fussing on Palmer's part. I on the other hand, am a different story!

With summer vacations just around the corner, likely, so is travelling with a toddler. Whether doing a day trip or a big one, its stressful; worrying about whether or not your child will cooperate that day.
 

Here is my short list of must-haves when travelling with a child:

|| one || SNACKS! Snacks are a must!!! Clean snacks that won't get your child or vehicle all messy are probably best (we brought lots of cheerios and goldfish on the airplane to mexico!). It will serve as a distraction and a tasty treat, buying you at least a few minutes of silence!

|| two || Their favorite toys. Of course, we have to bring #thebelovedmrelephant along with us nearly everywhere we go. Not just airplane trips and longer car rides, but the short 4 minutes it takes to get to the day home in the morning too. Palmer loves her Mr. Elephant. She snuggles him at bedtime too, so having him with us will often provide that familiarity when it comes to sleeping away from home.

 || three || comfortable clothing. Now, we know what its like to be sitting in a car or plane for a long time. Its not very comfortable to begin with. Wearing comfy clothes for myself is a must, so putting Palmer is comfy clothes only seems logical. Yes, we all want our kids to be dressed the cutest, but the cutest isn't always the most comfortable.

|| four || WIPES. Now remember how in number one, I mentioned bringing non-messy snacks?? We all know a 16 month old and snacks - you cannot avoid messy. Somehow, someway, they will manage to make a mess. That's where wipes come in handy! Sticky hands. Booger nose. And even for just a quick freshening up after being stuck in a car seat all day.

|| five || iPad/iPhone/DVD player. This was a lifesaver on the airplane for us. I'm not sure what we would have done for nearly 6 hours on the plane without it, especially considering Palmer didn't nap until the end of the ride! I loaded up the iPad with Bubble Guppies, Cinderella, Frozen, and the Jungle Book, along with various games for toddlers. Brilliant. I can tell you, I think I have all those episodes of Bubble Guppies memorized!


We often get lucky on short trips and Palmer will fall asleep in her car seat which is nice. But, you always have to be prepared! Hopefully we continue to get lucky and have a great little traveler on our hands!



Joining the ladies for the One Year and Beyond Series!
Sarah//The Not Quite Military Wife || Ashley//Words About Waverly || Heather//Like A Morning Cup of Coffee || Kelsey//Pardon My French || Hannah//My Delicious Adventure || Sara//Running From the Law || Christina//The Olive Tree || Alli//Beautiful Family Affairs || Courtney//From Here to Eternity || Faith//The Life of Faith


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