Tuesday, November 3, 2009

10 tips for Travelling with Toddlers: Part 1 Packing

I know the title of this blog (even with it's nifty alliteration) might seem like it could easily lend itself to a horror novel, I know it gives me the heebie jeebies just thinking about it! Yet I managed to survive moving cities, moving countries, moving states (by myself no less!), and visiting family overseas, plus frequent bus rides where it's just me, my two toddlers, a stroller, a diaperbag and a small scrap of sanity.

I don't always remember to do the things on this list, but when I do it sure does make everything go a bit more smoothly! One trick is to always have a little more of everything than you'll think you'll need, cuz something will happen and you will need it!

  1. Don't do laundry too close to your departure. You want their blankets, favorite items, etc to still smell familiar.
  2. If you are shipping things, make sure most of your kids' stuff comes with you, is shipped faster, or is at the front of the truck/container. You want to be able to set them up in the new place with as many familiar items as you possibly can. When we moved countries and had to sell many belongings, I sacrificed a few of my own things (cookbooks, gadgets, etc) to be able to take more kids' stuff. Some beloved items cannot be replaced, but if possibly close substitutes can fill the void.
  3. During travel have accessible (carry-on if possible):
    • a change of clothes for everyone (including parent as I once discovered, ick)
    • diapers & wipes, 2 baggies for garbage or soiled clothing
    • snacks - baggies of cheerios/small cereal, cheese, any non-messy filling food.
    • toys & books that require imaginative play or discovery so they keep small attentions longer. Our faves are magnadoodles, stickers, pretend cameras, crayons & paper

I know the title of this blog (even with it's nifty alliteration) might seem like it could easily lend itself to a horror novel, I know it gives me the heebie jeebies just thinking about it! Yet I managed to survive moving cities, moving countries, moving states (by myself no less!), and visiting family overseas, plus frequent bus rides where it's just me, my two toddlers, a stroller, a diaperbag and a small scrap of sanity.


I don't always remember to do the things on this list, but when I do it sure does make everything go a bit more smoothly! One trick is to always have a little more of everything than you'll think you'll need, cuz something will happen and you will need it!

  1. Don't do laundry too close to your departure. You want their blankets, favorite items, etc to still smell familiar.
  2. If you are shipping things, make sure most of your kids' stuff comes with you, is shipped faster, or is at the front of the truck/container. You want to be able to set them up in the new place with as many familiar items as you possibly can. When we moved countries and had to sell many belongings, I sacrificed a few of my own things (cookbooks, gadgets, etc) to be able to take more kids' stuff. Some beloved items cannot be replaced, but if possibly close substitutes can fill the void.
  3. During travel have accessible (carry-on if possible):
    • a change of clothes for everyone (including parent as I once discovered, ick)
    • diapers & wipes, 2 baggies for garbage or soiled clothing
    • snacks - baggies of cheerios/small cereal, cheese, any non-messy filling food.
    • toys & books that require imaginative play or discovery so they keep small attentions longer. Our faves are magnadoodles, stickers, pretend cameras, crayons & paper

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2 comments:

  1. I had the joy of traveling with three children under 7 alone, someone walked up to me in the airport and said "god bless you", anyway what I always take and need are garbage bags to dispose of whatever mess they make, and they will.

    ReplyDelete
  2. @Saray: Yes! Totally :) We were forever leaving crumbs in our wake, and that was the least of my worries.

    ReplyDelete