If you are a parent or going to be one, you will often find situations that are actually fun but since you are not yet experienced to handle them, you may be a little nervous initially. You need an essential things when travelling with baby !
Children and parents segment deals with(birthday parties, travel, Storytimes, movies) some such moments and situations…
One of the most overwhelming experiences for any new parent is to travel with a baby!
Oh…It’s hard … especially if you have never done this before and are not prepared well.
I was really confused, tired and panicked the first time I went along with my baby on a journey.
It always helps to be mentally prepared and have some idea from people who have done this before:)
Here are a few tips and tricks that may help you on your journey with your baby if you are not quite used to it yet.
For the experienced ones, you may find some new ideas and tricks to make your journey more comfortable.
Before we discuss our checklist, let’s watch this fun video where real-life parents share their journey of travelling with kids.
Checklist when travelling with baby tips
[su_heading style="default" size="25" align="center" margin="20" id="" class=""]Leave early [/su_heading]
Travelling with a baby or infant can be a bit unexpected sometimes..
So to keep your calm and not get into that panic mode, it is important that when you are traveling with a young kid, you have sufficient time on hand.
For example, I had to stop the car once while on our way to the airport because there was a washroom requirement.
This was when my kid was around 4 years and not in diapers.
We lost sometime searching for a clean toilet on the way and then finishing his job.
Had I not left early I was sure to miss the flight…even then we hurried but managed to be on time.
If baby is an infant, there can be incidents of throwing up etc which might cause loosing some time.
Also, sometimes babies or toddlers simply want to get out of a car and throw tantrums which may be quite disturbing and panicking when you are rushing.
In such a case you just need to stop the car and take her out for a while just to stroll around.
This has happened to me personally a few times in the past. So you need TIME and a checklist when travelling with baby!!
[su_heading style="default" size="25" align="center" margin="20" id="" class=""]Traveling with baby?Tips to Pack optimally [/su_heading]
1) Diapers, Wipes, and sanitization
One common mistake is to carry loads and loads of diapers if the baby is small. You don’t need. Carry diaper for around 2/3 days for your trip unless you are going to a place where shops might not be available instantly.
Keep only a few in your handbag/sling for the travel time. Keep one pack of small wipes pack in your handbag and avoid the bigger packs. Also not to forget to keep a small sanitizer and throw away paper bags for emergency.
2) Spare clothing
Keeping one set of light spare clothing for yourself and your kid is a good practice if your child is small. There can be emergencies that ends up soiling or wetting clothes.
But when you pack for spare clothing for emergency, make sure they are the lightest and minimal. Do not again increase the weight of your bagpack.
Also have a spare sheet if you are carrying an infant with you to keep your baby in a surface to change her diaper or feed etc.
More in checklist when travelling with baby...
3) Packed/bottled food
You need to pack food if the travel time is expected to last a few hours or more.
Here are few TIPs to for packing food items. Now you know why you need a checklist when travelling with baby!
- Do not go overboard with too many food items that allows the kids to have many options. This may make you open multiple packs, all with half eaten stuff that goes waste.
- Try to have finger foods or at least food that has less chance of leakage.
- In case you have to carry bottles or liquid packaged food, keep them in airtight kitchen boxes that will hold the spillage if any.
- If the baby is an infant and using formulae, keep away some formulae in a sterilized small box so that every time you do not need to open the full formulae tin. It is easier to manage this way.
- Keep wipes with every food item.
- Keep water in airtight spill proof bottle with pipe for the kid and do not let the kid handle it if she is not drinking. Kids play with water bottles sometimes causing spillage all over and then their dress needs to be changed. You don’t need this on the go!
- If you have long travel time and want to give your kid home made meals, carry them in hot boxes if possible or at least the ones you can microwave. Its not nice to have a cold meal that’s prepared long back. Children often waste and mess with such food more than eating them.
- Prepare food the kid likes so that she eats them easily. Try to give them goodies in moderation, else they will not have food properly and this may disturb their sleeping pattern making them cranky.
- Keep kids hydrated at all times.
- Monitor hot liquids if any.
4) Earbuds
Sometimes you may need to protect your kid’s ears.
The reason may vary. Cold or wind or pressure if you are on a flight.
It is always good to have the kid’s earbuds/cotton balls or muffs that close the ear opening correctly if need be.
Especially if you have small children, having ear holes protected will help, and since I started using them, my children have had less trouble with cold on the go.
We often miss realizing that cold often hits from the ears.
If you have a journey by flight, then this becomes a must.
The ear pain that can arise due to differences in air pressure often is hard to bear.
Small kids can be jittery with this.
So carry ear muffs, buds or simply cotton balls to be stuffed temporarily.
5) Sling for baby/backpack
If you have an infant, it is a good idea to have them in a sling rather than carrying them. This will keep your hands free, and you can take something else or keep them free. After all, we need to use our hands all the time:)
Suppose your kid is grown up and can walk independently. It’s good to use a backpack and reduce one of your other luggage.
The advantage of a backpack is also the freedom with hands which helps you keep track of your kiddo, who may run around in excitement.
[su_heading style="default" size="25" align="center" margin="20" id="" class=""]Checklist when travelling with baby - Book ahead [/su_heading]
Take a writing pad. Write down all the tickets that you need to book for the trip. Book ahead. Book before everyone else rushes for the tickets.
Starting from hotels to flights to train to bus to joy rides to car rentals to movies… we can book everything and get the best possible deals if we are early birds.
If we are a little proactive in booking, we get better discounts and save a few pence, but we can choose better rooms, book better seats, and comfortable journey time as per our requirements.
All these things are so much important when we have children and especially if they are small.
Any little comfort that you can avail you should avail when you have a child.
So book everything in advance if you are especially travelling with tiny babies or infants. Once done, tick this point in your checklist when travelling with your baby.
[su_heading style="default" size="25" align="center" margin="20" id="" class=""]Traveling with baby?Inform and prepare them [/su_heading]
In case your child is a toddler or above and understands a few things, tell her about your trip, how are you going to go, where all are you visiting and what all she can expect to see.
Prepare her for the journey ahead so that she is expecting the set of events and the day of the journey does not surprise her.
Also tell them that sometimes things can go unexpected and that we have to make the most of any given situation.
The more prepared the kids are, the less they will be surprised and the less tantrums you can expect.
[su_heading style="default" size="25" align="center" margin="20" id="" class=""]Checklist when travelling with baby - Do not get hassled! [/su_heading]
Accept the fact that not everything is going to go as per your plan always.
There would be times when in spite of your best efforts you might land into strange situations.
Getting panicked and hassled can only make situations worse.
Accepting this truth mentally, helps you tide over uncertain situations easier.
Try it!!
[su_heading style="default" size="25" align="center" margin="20" id="" class=""]Traveling with baby? Keep safe [/su_heading]
Certain safety aspects are essential. One of the most crucial points in your checklist when travelling with a baby.
Here I am listing the ones I feel are almost familiar to everybody, and sometimes we may miss out on some.
1) Track the child
If your child is a toddler or pre-school age, there is a high chance that she likes to explore the space wherever she is.
It is crucial to keep an eye on them all the time.
Since this gets a bit tiring at times, you may consider having a tracking band on their wrist or an anklet that makes some sweet sounds.
This helps psychologically, in my opinion, though your tracking duty will still be on:)
We are a little less stressed out since we keep hearing that sound or know that we have something to track them!
2) Contact Information
If your child is at least a preschooler, she should know your name and phone number.
It is good to have your name and number somewhere in her pocket if she is younger than that.
In a crowd, sometimes it becomes useful though I pray this is never used.
Since the space is vast in airports, toddlers love to run around and may get out of sight for a while.
This may come to use at times.
3) Medicines
We have to carry the necessary and regular medicines along with the travel first aid kit .
Make sure you have a travel pouch which is not very bulky.
Carry new bottles as open bottles can be quite messy if they leak.
Some usual medicines that you must carry are the medications for mild fever, tummy upset, regular vitamins and first aid any any other as per your requirement.
4) Documentation
It is a good idea to carry a copy of the baby’s/ kid’s medical file and immunization record for safety.
This comes handy at times if you need to visit a doctor in emergency.
Also you can refer to the earlier treatments and symptoms if your child shows signs of sickness on a travel.
[su_heading style="default" size="25" align="center" margin="20" id="" class=""]Checklist when travelling with baby - Keep toys, books and gadgets handy [/su_heading]
Any parent will tell you that the above items are a life saver!
Depending on the age of your child please carry these entertainment mediums with you.
Specially if your journey is expected to last long.
For small babies, you may carry just a small one as any item can be a toy for them.
I remember once I gave my son an empty coffee paper cup and he played with that at least for an hour.
This was when he was around 7 months I guess.
So you need not bother much for the tiny babies.
It is the toddlers and the grown up kids who need to be engaged and entertained much more.
Carrying their choice of books, toys, gadgets like iPad, pods etc can be very useful.
Remember to carry the headphones if you are getting gadgets to keep your privacy and avoid disturbing others near you. A checklist when travelling with baby definitely helps!
[su_heading style="default" size="25" align="center" margin="20" id="" class=""]Traveling with baby? Make travel journals[/su_heading]
For the grown up kids, it is a good idea to ask them to make a travel journal on the go.
You can give them a camera if you want. They can take pictures of whatever they find interesting and later print and stick it to their journal.
If done well and maintained this serves as a very good memoriam in years to come.
[su_heading style="default" size="25" align="center" margin="20" id="" class=""]Traveling with baby? Get them fancy bags they would love to carry[/su_heading]
Kids are crazy about their own bags usually.
If you get them fancy and functional bags/luggage suited to their age, they would like to carry it themselves and may start packing and unpacking for themselves too.
Give it a try! It will save your energy.
[su_heading style="default" size="25" align="center" margin="20" id="" class=""]Traveling with baby? Be flexible[/su_heading]
Be flexible in your approach when you are traveling and out of the comfort of your home.
I have realized this on a few of my trips when I happened to meet a few other families.
Some of them were so particular about food, stay etc that they missed out on a lot of fun while setting everything perfectly.
Accept that the unusual is just for a few days and we can have more fun if we let ourselves a bit loose on regular activities at times. But that’s a personal choice ….
[su_heading style="default" size="25" align="center" margin="20" id="" class=""]Traveling with baby? Do not tire yourself[/su_heading]
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can a baby travel after vaccination?
Yes, immunising your child also helps prevent diseases that could harm them when travelling abroad. Be sure to bring the vaccination record with you. Check with your doctor to make sure you're up to date on any vaccinations that are recommended for your travel plans.
2. Can a baby travel in flight?
If you're a new parent, you might be wondering if it's safe to bring your baby on a flight. The answer is yes! Many airlines allow children on flights with a parent.
3. Can a baby travel without a passport?
Yes, babies can travel without a passport if they intend to return to their country of origin. Babies that enter the country for the first time, or move to a different city within the USA, will need a passport.