Hi Mamas! We just returned from a 10 day family vacation. It was SO much fun, but I would be lying if I said I wasn’t a little nervous about traveling with a 4 year old and a 10 month old. This was our first long vacation with 2 children and it honestly went WAY smoother than I could have anticipated. If you have been nervous about travelling with your children, stop, you can totally do this too. It won’t be the way you travelled before children, but it is easily done and the memories you will make as a family are so worth it. Here are my 5 tips for travelling with kids to make your next vacation/trip much easier!
Travelling With A Toddler and Baby
The airport was my biggest stressor. I was surprised how easy it was. I did an early check in the day before we flew and prepaid for our bags. The airline we used allowed us to check 2 infant items and 1 child item for free. I brought our 2 carseats and a stroller. They let me take the stroller to the gate. Depending on the age of your baby and what you find easiest, you could also check your stroller and wear your babe through security and the airport. You can bring formula and breastmilk on the flight to feed your babe, but they will have to check all of it at security, so give yourself extra time.
The take away point…. check in before your flight and leave yourself lots of extra time.
Snacks and Toys…Oh My
I packed a little bag for my four year old on the plane. She loved having her own little back pack and it was filled with things to keep her entertained. A pad of paper and colored pens for coloring, her LeapPad, and a bunch of little snacks. Bring some gummies or a sucker for them to suck on during take off and landing so their little ears don’t pop.
For the baby, I brought some toys but to be honest she played with my sunglasses and slept for most of the flight. I nursed her for take off and landing, but you could also give a bottle or a soother.
I packed snacks and bottles of water for all our day trips. It isn’t always convenient to track snacks down for a hangry toddler (or a hangry mama). It also came in handy for entertaining them on car rides.
I also brought along hand sanitizer, a tiny first aid kit and my favorite nursing cover The Mama Scarf. I used my nursing cover to cover the car seat or stroller while my babe was napping, as a blanket at the beach, to cover some not so clean high chairs while eating out and of course nursing!
The take away point…. be prepared and pack snacks, lots of snacks!!!
Stick to a Routine When Travelling
Try and stick to your normal routine as much as possible. I know this can be tough, but it is so much better than crying, melting down kids. Trust me, I went there…..
For the first two days of our vacation I was pretty relaxed, naps were missed and bedtimes were later than usual and my littles seemed ok. Until day 3, we were at the beach and the crying started and didn’t stop. LOTS of crying. Stare inducing wails. I knew then that we needed to get back on track if we wanted to enjoy any more peaceful excursions.
My baby still naps twice a day so what worked for us was letting her have her first nap before heading out for our day of fun. She took her second nap while we were out. She napped in the car, in her stroller, in my arms and on the beach! I kept bedtime much more routine. By sticking to their normal nightly routine of bath, pjs, book and bed, my little ones knew it was bedtime and went to sleep without any issues. Make sure to pack your monitor!
An item that I loved for my baby during this trip was the Travel GroBag by The Gro Company. My baby always sleeps with a sleep sack at home and this one is so amazing for travel. It is designed so that it can be worn IN THEIR CARSEAT!!!! Yup! So, if babe falls asleep in the car, you may actually pull off the elusive car to bed transfer! It is also safe for use in the carseat, I can’t always see my babe in the car because she is rear facing, and with the GroBag I know she can’t pull it over her face like she can with a blanket.
They are available in different TOG ratings for all different temperatures. I used a TOG 1.0 which is rated for 20-24 degrees and it was perfect for day and night. I loved it so much it has become my regular sleep sack at home now too.
The take away …. Stick to a routine, unless you think screaming, melting down children are a fun time!
Make Their Sleep Space Like Home
When I pack for a trip I like to wash everything. The only thing I don’t wash is my kiddos bedding. I leave blankies, sleep sacks and lovies unwashed. The smell of home helps bring comfort when they are sleeping in a strange space.
I also make their sleep spaces VERY DARK like at home. Dark is dark wherever you are and it seems familiar in the middle of the night. I love the travel blind by The Gro Company, The Gro Anywhere Blind. (No, this is not a sponsored post, I just happen to LOVE the travel products by The Gro Company).
The Gro Anywhere Blind has little suction cups and velcro so it can adjust to fit a variety of windows. I had my husband pop it up in the room our baby slept in and it made the room very dark. (Don’t worry it is actually easy to put up and won’t cause a fight like certain Scandinavian furniture assembly can…). It is super lightweight (perfect for airplane travel) and surprisingly easy to fold up and fit back in the little bag (I normally can’t get anything to fit back into the original packaging). It made darkening my girls’ sleep space so much more convenient. Seriously, it’s amazing!
I also suggest using white noise to drown out any unfamiliar noises. I used a fan, because it was warm where we were, but you can also bring their white noise machine from home.
If your babes have a favorite lovie or blankie at home make sure to bring it on vacation.
The take away…..make their sleep space feel like home.
Relax and Enjoy Your Vacation
Not everything will go perfectly, but who cares, you are on vacation! Relax, make some amazing family memories and snap a lot of pictures! I hope these 5 tips for travelling with your kids helps you have a fabulous trip!!!
The take away….. Relax and Enjoy Yourself!!!!
Amazing Giveaway!!!!
Now the best part! Oyaco Products (a Canadian distributor of baby and child products) has generously supplied a Travel Grobag and a Gro Anywhere Blind for a giveaway for you! They are so wonderful to deal with and have everything you might need for baby, child and travel. Go check them out!
Enter to win a Travel GroBag and a Gro Anywhere Blind Here
If you have any questions or need support in anyway, contact me, I would love to help you!
Take Care Mamas!
Sincerely,
Robin Forslund, RN, Lactation Counselor
Great tips! We also don’t leave home without our GroBag!
Thanks Kelsey! Seriously they are the best!
These tips are great! I have a 6 month old daughter and we are about to take a weekend trip with her for the first time. My favorite place I’ve been is a toss up between Aruba and Costa Rica! I’d love to take her to both but this whole Zika situation has that thought on hold :/
Have a fabulous trip Ashley! Anywhere tropical sounds amazing right now!!!
Great tips!!! The travel current would be amazing to have! My kids need a dark room to sleep!
It is so great Danielle! Good Luck!
These tips are great! Gonna keep this handy. We have a newborn that we plan today travel with when he’s 6-8months! Somewhere tropical 😊! We had to cancel our honeymoon to Jamaica when we found out I was pregnant to avoid Zika so we’re very overdue for a beach vacay haha!
Congratulations on your new little man!!! Beach vacations are the best!
We are taking our 4 month old with us to London, Italy and Croatia next month. Fingers crossed the long flights aren’t too painful. Thanks for the travel tips!
Oh my goodness that sounds like a fabulous trip!!! I’ll cross my fingers for you too!
Omg this was so helpful! Going on two upcoming trips and gonna take in all your suggestions!!! Thank you so much!!!!
Yay! Enjoy your trips!!!
Definitely the beach, haven’t been since before kids though..
It is so much more fun with kids!!! The only issue was my 10 month old wanted to eat all the sand….so gross lol!
Looks like a great trip!!
Thanks Lauren! It definitely was!
I’ve never heard of the gro anywhere blind! Definitely have to invest in one! We often travel to Newfoundland to my parents house and this would so come in handy!
It is so great!!! I use it in my little ones nursery too!
Disneyland or Disneyworld of course! We are headed there this winter!
My four year old is obsessed with princesses, I have a feeling Disney might be our vacation too!!! Have a great trip!!!
Thank u for the tips! Wishing we were at a beach with ties in the sand, shovel & pail in hand!
Me too Kenzie!!!
This is just the kind of advice I need!! We leave for Italy in one week so I feel like this blog post has our family written all over it! Thanks 🙂
Italy?! That sounds amazing!!! Have a wonderful time!
These two products would have really come in handy a couple weeks ago on our family cottage trip, especially the gro anywhere blinds. Thanks for sharing their awesomeness!
You are welcome Tina! We still have the September long weekend, Thanksgiving and Christmas travel to look forward to! The blind is fabulous!!
Great tips!
Thanks Angeline!
We love traveling. I enjoy the time getting to talk with my family and share Memories with the kids. We try to have little to no tehnology in the car and actually spend time visiting. Hoping we can do a trip to the mountains with our growing family next summer, baby #2 is due to arrive in a month. Never owned a grobag but hear tons great about them.
Great idea about the no technology Marlee, the car is a great time to catch up as a family! Congratulations on your pregnancy!!!! The Grobags are great and the Travel version is just like the regular bags but safely fits with a five point harness, I love it!!!
We camp all summer and a must have for our infant is bringing a playpen to the beach. Lifesaver!
Great idea about the playpen Vanessa! Enjoy the rest of your summer!!!!
Love the black out travel curtains! Our favourite place to vacation these days are at grandma and grandpas! In the city!
Grandparents houses are the best!!! The black out curtain is fabulous Chelsey!
So helpful! Greats tips!
Thanks Jesse-Ann!
Would love a GroBag, Torin still uses sleep sacs at 9 months. Loves them!
I love the sleep sacs because they can’t kick them off like blankets and it keeps older babies from jumping out of the crib lol!!!!
Love the article. I am looking to travel with my munchkin (10 weeks old) and hadn’t heard of the bag or the curtains. Thanks!
Awesome good luck on your travels! I definitely loved using both!
Great blog post! We love taking our daughter camping! Getting her outside and experiencing nature is really important to us. We’re actually leaving for camping tomorrow! 🙂
Have fun camping! I totally agree with the importance of nature!
Favorite travel destinations is Canmore/Banff area! Baby #2 is arriving any day now and we still haven’t been with our 20 month old as I’ve been scared to ruin her sleep routine at home. These tips might just help us make it their this winter! And the giveaway prize would be helpful too 😉
I love Banff/Canmore. Congratulations on baby #2, so exciting!!! Good luck!
I am so glad I read your tips! I have a 2 month old and didn’t know how to go about traveling with him. Thanks to you I can know plan our trip to BC to visit his godmother. Thank you so much!
Yay, I am sure his godmother is so excited to meet him! Have a fabulous trip!
Great tips! We have a new born and lots of travel ahead!
Congratulations on your new baby! Good luck in your travels, I hope you can use some of the tips!
Great tips!! 😁
Thank you!
The gro anywhere blinds are such a smart idea for use at home or vacation!
Totally Dee, I love them!
I love reading blogs like this, its honestly extremely helpful for a FTM!!
Thank you Faith! That means so much!!!
Love your blog post! Thank you for sharing! We love sleep sacks. My son wore them until we transitioned him into a “big boy bed”. 🙂
I know, they are definitely a favourite in our house too!
We are addicted to our gro bags!! Can’t do without. That and our sound machine
Two of my favourite items as well Esther!!!
Thanks for the tips!!
You are so welcome Kitty!
The beach! Hopefully going back to Hawaii with a 2.5 year old and a 7 month old.
I love Hawaii! That sounds like so much fun Jessica!
Thanks for the tips! I’ve booked a trip to visit family with our toddler and baby later this year, and some of these will definitely help.
Awesome! I hope you are able to use some of them Jennifer! Good Luck!
Thanks for the tips! We’re embarking on our first longer trip with my 5 month old in September! Can’t wait!
So glad you found them helpful!Have fun on your trip!!!
great tips, I find traveling after a feed works for me, they usually sleep. 🙂
Travelling at nap/sleep time is the best, I agree!
Love Gro products! My favorite travel destination so far is Nice, France!
France sounds amazing! Definitely on my short list!!!
Thanks for the tips! We’ll be traveling to the west coast in January and I’m already anxious about the trip. Our daughter will be about 5 months by then. Look forward to setting up some solid foundations!
We were just on the West Coast and loved it. Have a fabulous trip!!!!
Love heading up to the beach. Great place to relax and unplug.
I love the beach too Wendy!
That gro bag looks ideal
Great tips Robin! I’m packing right now and trying to figure out if we have enough weight space for this ugly brown sheet to black out the window. Wish I knew about the travel blind sooner!
Have a great trip Julie!!!
I like the nursing when landing and taking off! I will have to try the grow bag and blinds!!
My parents live in Mexico so we love to go and visit. The one gadget I need to travel is my pea pod. No need to take a bulky playpen but still having a safe nap/sleep space for my twins
What a great idea Carlotta!!!
We love going to Hawaii
I love Hawaii too Hanjia!
This was a useful blog post! My favourite place to travel is Portugal because that’s where my whole family is.
Can’t wait to be able to take my baby and see all my aunts and uncles – they’re just getting older and I think I really need to go soon!
That sounds like a fabulous trip!!! Hope you get a chance to go soon Carole!
I was always so nervous about travelling with my kids when they were infants, even just car rides were a nightmare! Having another baby soon and loving all the innovations and ideas mom’s have come up with to help us all out with even just the little things! <3
Congratulations on your soon to be baby Meagan!!!
Great tips!
Thanks Christa!!
Love these tips!! Will definitely be trying next time I travel alone with my little.
Thanks Kayla, I hope you can use some of them!!!
Winnipeg to see family.
Family visits are the best!!!
Great tips definitely using them on our upcoming trips.
Thanks Jasmin!
Thanks for the tips! Our baby needs it dark, dark, DARK when he sleeps so the Gro Anywhere Blind would be perfect for him!
Dark is definitely best, good luck!!!
These look amazing for a first time mom! We are headed on a euro-trip next spring, and that blackout blind would be great!
Oh wow, that sounds like an amazing trip Brittany!!!!Good Luck!
What an amazing contest! Our favourite travel destination is definitely to Grandma’s house a few hours away. This Gro-bag and Gro Anywhere Blind would be perfect since traveling always seems to make bed time more difficult. I think it is due to all of the excitement and treats at Grandma’s house! Thanks for the wonderful tips.
Thanks Natalie!!! Grandma’s is a favourite for us too!
Thanks for the tips!
You are so welcome Katie, hope you can use some of them!
Family visits to BC are our fav!
We were just in BC Ashley, on Vancouver Island, and loved our visit!!
Great tips! They will come in handy with our Hawaiian 🌺 vacation this winter!
Love Hawaii!!! Have a fabulous time Chelsea!
We enjoyed traveling to fort Laudedale with our then 15 month old. Short flight, beach, good food and shopping.
Sounds fabulous Stephanie!
Great tips! Thank you wish i saw this earlier before i traveled but good info for next time
Thanks, hopefully you have a trip soon!!!
My favorite place to travel is Charelston, SC. I would love to try these products with my 4 month old foster son, we love taking trips with him! We just got back from the beach a few days ago.
Hi Britney, I just want to say you are fabulous for being a foster parent!!! What an amazing difference you are making in that little guys life! Good luck!