Travelling with a toddler is never a walk in the park and can make any new parent anxious. It can be an amazing experience, though, when done with proper planning and a little attention to detail. Your toddler’s safety is paramount when attempting to make travel plans, although there are several other aspects to consider.
Some tips you could incorporate in your travels include:
Planning a holiday can be tricky when you have a child. Take into consideration that while waterfront and beach destinations seem exciting, you may end up spending much of your time preventing mishaps with your toddler, rather than relaxing by the waterfront. A safe destination makes for an enjoyable holiday.
The most important part of your holiday is going to be the packing. Most parents want to pack for all possible situations, but it would be prudent to pack for what is more probable. Leave behind things that you can rent or borrow or, even better, buy at your destination. Prioritize multipurpose items instead of carrying a soap, a shampoo, and a liquid wash.
One of the key components to peaceful travel with a little one is a ‘toddler travel checklist’. You could break down your checklist into essentials, good-to-have, and precautionary items so that you do not forget anything. It also gives you a chance to things that can be bought or rented where you are going.
The average checklist would have the following items:
Aim for accessibility and ease of use while choosing your luggage. Your toddler’s milk bottles, wipes, snacks, and blankets may be required several times a day. Choose a backpack over a duffel bag. It has more slots to separate different items, based on their usage. Also, the lesser hand luggage you carry, the less tied down your hands would be, while handling your bundle of energy.
Travelling with a toddler on a plane doesn’t have to be as scary as it sounds. A few suggestions that help to ease the stress for your little one as well as you are as follows:
Having a car seat becomes a prerequisite while in a car or a bus. If you find it cumbersome to lug around a huge car seat, rent one wherever possible. Your little one, by the age of 3 to 4 has a heightened sense of curiosity. If your tot prefers the window seat to look outside, make sure he does not put his hands out of the window. Make sure that the doors are child-locked while travelling with a toddler in a car, as your toddler’s dexterity has certainly improved by now. Also fasten seat belts always. If you are travelling by train, do not allow the child to approach the door alone or wander about in the train compartment unsupervised.
Always make sure to pack sufficient food and snacks for your baby. Fruits, porridges, cookies, and energy bars are good travel food for toddlers. Preparations at restaurants could be unhygienic, leaving you cleaning up diaper explosions, or worse still, ending up with your child needing medical attention.
If you absolutely must have your child eat food prepared outside, make sure to remember a few of these pointers:
Make sure to wash your child’s utensils thoroughly. Sterilize these utensils before and after using to avoid ill health. Hotels and restaurants are very obliging these days and will provide you with a kettle on request, in the event that you are unable to sterilize the cutlery before and after use. Washing with hot water will eliminate most infection-causing bacteria.
Carry all your toddler’s usual supplements and medicines. It is a precautionary measure to prevent and cure mild conditions, especially if you are travelling to remote locations that may not have well-stocked pharmacies. Also have a good first-aid kit with enough bandages, disinfectant solutions, and cotton swabs.
Do not take your child for any vaccinations in the week leading up to your planned trip or vacation. High fever and rashes are an offshoot of vaccinations and are best avoided at such times. However, it would be prudent to take your child for a routine check-up, especially if you are going on a long holiday.
Do not pack your holiday schedule with an overload of activities. Children love running around and exploring their surroundings rather than be tied down to a boring sightseeing schedule. Anyway, you wouldn’t get much done with a cranky youngster bawling away at your feet. Toddlers dislike being cooped up indoors for long periods as well. So make sure you have chosen hotel rooms with a bit of garden space or a children’s play area listed in their amenities.
Pick your toddler’s attire based on the activity involved.
Modern amenities have made life simpler for mothers and fathers and have made it easier to travel with a toddler. It is never too late to be been bitten by the travel bug if you haven’t yet started. So, in conclusion, plan well and pack well. But there is a limit to how much you can plan. If you hit a snag, humour yourself since the stress will not make the situation easier. Remember to be the calm during your toddler’s chaos. Roll with the times and have a splendid holiday.