Travelling with toddlers: or just leave them at home??

Being a mom requires moments of extreme bravery.  Like taking your baby who is burning up with fever to the ER on a Sunday night.  Or overcoming your fear of blood to put rolled up cotton in your daughter's nostril when she has a nose bleed .  Or taking a road trip with a toddler.

Be brave, my friends, it is doable, with a little preparation and a lot of snacks.  I recently tried the following tips out while traveling with a nearly seventeen-month old (and my highly-spirited ten-year old).


In the car

Try to time your road trip with a nap time. and if not, make sure someone who can play with him (nicely) is next to him

Bring his favorite books and toys in the car, for those moments he is resisting sleep and his car-mate has lost interest in entertaining him.

Play kid-friendly or bouncy music to distract him when he starts crying.  It might not put him to sleep but at least he will start dancing and get in a better mood.

In the hotel

Do check that the hotel has a crib/cot available.  Many places will provide one for free or for a small fee.  Or bring your own portable playpen just in case!

Bring his favorite bedtime book to keep his nighttime ritual going in the hotel. But be prepared for some choppy nights as little ones don't always adapt well to new surroundings.

Bring a portable booster chair in case high chairs are not available in the hotel or restaurant.  There are some small, portable, fabric models available on the market.

Out and about

 When you see a playground, give her free time.  The more they play and run, the happier they will be and the more tired out too!

Schedule some kid-friendly activities like petting zoos and parks where kids can walk and interact. Under 5s could care less about architecture and cathedrals in general so don't pack only these types of events into your trip.

Know your limits. The world is not always stroller-friendly. If you or dad have to let the rest of the family climb the steps to the castle while you hang out with baby, so be it.  There will be other opportunities.  But as I mentioned in the last tip, do find some kid-friendly fun to break up the more boring (from a kid's POV) sightseeing.




Eating out

Snacks, snacks and snacks! Restaurants can seem insanely long from a toddler's perspective.  Finger foods (like sweet potato puffs) are great for distracting little ones while their own food is heated up or if the grown-ups' meal takes longer (oh and it will)!


BYOC. If only every restaurant had the wisdom to provide crayons and coloring pages for its youngest patrons! But alas, many don't think about them so Bring Your Own Crayons.  And a notepad while you're at it, to make the wait for the others' meals seem less tedious.

In the end, go with the flow and try to enjoy yourself, too!  There is no reason to give up all travel until your child is out of the terrible twos (and threes and fours).  Anyway, if they do have a melt-down, just remember this- you will most likely never have to see any of the people around you that day ever again!