Holiday Travel Tips with kids

The holidays are here and most of us are traveling to see family, some of us on airplanes some of us just a car ride away.  How ever you are traveling this holiday season we want to make it a little bit easier for you!

If traveling by airplane:

1. Traveling with a child in a carseat please note the carseat must go by the window seat as a FAA regulation.
2. Only one lap child is allowed per row, because there are only 4 masks that drop down in case of emergency.
3. Most booster seats are not approved by the FAA for use during travel, recommended to check them or leave before entering the plane.
4. If you are going to check a carseat, put inside a duffel bag or ask for a plastic bag, you do not want to put your baby back into a dirty carseat.

One item not to leave home without is a sippy cup, all of us moms know this.  What we recommend is bringing an empty sippy cup so you may fill it with whatever the child needs either on the road or in the air.  Having to put juice in a sippy cup that had milk in it isn’t going to go over too well, save yourself the hassle and carry and extra munchkin sippy cup with you.

1. Not all airlines carry milk, so purchase a small container after going through security.
2. If your child is bottle fed ask for a bottle (actually it’s usually a can) of water to mix the formula for take off.
3. Children should be sucking on breast, bottle or sippy cup on take off and landing to help their ears open.

Air travel with children is difficult to say it mildly, being prepared is everything.  Although children may think a long trip (by car or plane) is not their idea of fun, follow a few tips and they will be happy, yes happy!  Number one tip for any parent who has a child with a tablet, if that tablet powers out life as you know it will not be the same.  ALWAYS CHARGE DEVICES BEFORE YOU LEAVE, AND DON’T FORGET THE PLUG, this will make the trip more enjoyable.

We didn’t have a tablet when my child was little (1-4 years old) and what worked best for us was offering a new toy every half hour of the ride if he was good.  I went to the dollar store spent $10 and wrapped the gifts, it was perfect.  If he was good every 30 minutes he would receive a new gift, he was good the entire 5 hour flight at two years old!  The items don’t need to be big or fancy just something so they are excited for the next present and will behave.  This will work well for travel by plane or car.

What to dress your child in:

1. Always bring a change of clothes for your child regardless of their age, one spill and your child shows up a big mess to Christmas Eve dinner.
2. If traveling by plane dress your child (if walking) in a bright color, if they run off it is a lot easier to say did you see the kid in orange running by?
3. Children old enough to have must have toys are also old enough to carry them, my son usually travels with a backpack and roller bag with only his items inside.

Taking snacks is mandatory, we love mum mums because they are in individual packages and very easy to travel with.  Another reason we love them is the snacks don’t make a huge mess. Mum Mums are also perfect for children of all ages, my second grader loves the elementary school ones and my Godson at 18 months loves the toddler ones.  Being able to hand your child a snack and not have to worry about it going everywhere makes life better for everyone involved.  Speaking of snacks if you have more than one child you know they may want something different from one another.  Check out the munchkin snack tower, fit up to three different snacks in an easy to transport container.