How Mamas can pack and prepare for traveling with kids

If you are planning a vacation with your family, don't forget to check these lists I am writing for you. I am not a Mother but I can tell you how my wife Tina packs our travel bag. Sometimes it becomes difficult for Mama to remember all the important things that are needed for traveling with kids. Remember, you all mamas have to pack the bag for others. If you follow this guide, it will help you to pack the bag without taking any stress.

Make a list first:

The easiest way not to forget every single thing needed for traveling is to make a list. It will take a few minutes but will save a lot of time remembering what to pack next. The items in the list will be according to the days of the trip.  

I see some of my neighbors take an extra big size carryon bag just for their kids even while going for one day trip or to their relative's home. But we know how difficult it is to carry a large bag with our kids. That's why I have breakdown all the packing list depends on the different age of the kids.

Traveling with Newborn:

Newborn babies are so vulnerable. That's why it's not recommended to make a vacation plan with newborn babies. However sometimes traveling with newborn becomes a need.  So, these are the preparation you can take to travel with newborns.

Take Medical prescription:

If you find it easy to get medicines for your baby then just take the prescription. Or take the medicines for that travel period. You can also carry a first aid kit in case you need to deal with any health issues. Don't forget to save the phone number of the pediatrician you see for your baby. You can easily take suggestion if you find any health issue with your baby.

Proper Clothing:

Whether its summer or winter, you should prepare your baby with proper clothing. In summer you can take a baby hat to shade his/her head. And for winter don't forget to wrap up your doll with full of cloaks. Instead, find some nice winter clothes that fit your baby.

A box of wipes:

Sometimes baby starts vomiting or when you need to change the diaper you should use wipes. For wiping baby vomit or drool you should soft burp cloths. And use wet wipes for wiping potty.

Hand sanitizer:

Before using baby wipes you should use hand sanitizer while traveling. This is the best solution to avoid any rash on babies.

Traveling with infants:

I was only concerned about the medical issues of my newborn baby when I had to move to my parent's home. Later on, I didn't see any health issue traveling with my kid when he was 5 to 1 year old.  So, here are some tips for mama for traveling with infants. 

Take a stroller

For babies up to 2 years its best to make one day trip. Weather condition of different cities affects the health of babies. So, for one or two-day trip you can carry a baby stroller which will be convenient to carry your baby as well to enjoy the trip. You should also take a breathable blanket to shade stroller.
You can find more information on the right stroller for you explained on this page

Car seat:

If you want to make a road trip it's recommended to install a baby car seat. Carrying baby in your lap or sleeping is not comfortable for them in a long car journey. We can easily feed them on the baby car seat. Some parents avoid the baby car seat for kids up to 1-year-old. The normal car seat is not comfortable for babies and this is risky for them. 

Carry a diaper bag:

It's always recommended for parents to carry an extra diaper bag for traveling with kids. If your baby can't tell when they get the pressure you should then carry a diaper bag for safety. This is something most necessary to take when you travel with your baby till they become 4.  For keeping the after-use diaper, you should carry a sealable plastic bag until you get any place to dispose of.

Travel potty:

If you are on a road trip you can carry a travel potty for babies which are the best solution in case you are short in diapers. 

Traveling with a toddler:

Here you have to pay the most attention to travel with a toddler. It sometimes becomes difficult to deal with the active toddler when they are on a trip. Most of the time parents feel embarrassed for the funny act of toddlers. Follow this guide to keep the weather calm.

Managing them in the car or plane:

When the trip got long hour journey you got problems with your kid. Toddlers don't like to sit for long hours like us. That's why sometimes they start crying to go home. In such situation let them do something that they do sitting. It might be painting or playing with Rubik's cube or Legos. You should give them different things to play with in the long hour journey.

Extra water bottle for them:

When you travel in summer, you should never forget packing an extra water bottle for your toddler. I think some toddler drinks more water than their parents when they are on the journey. You can also fill the extra bottle with formula.

Food for toddler:

You can breastfeed or bottle feed your newborn or infant but toddler is different from them. Don't take much food for the toddler from home if the place you are traveling is easy to find baby food. For onboard snacks, you can take dried and pureed fruits, mini pizza, cottage cheese, Mini quesadilla.

Traveling with school-age kids:

Give them a packing list so they can pack their own. Traveling with school going kids is so much comfortable as they can take care themselves if you instruct them.

Backpack:

They should only pack their necessary gadgets and travel accessories in their bag. This is just to let them learn the way of traveling. Parents should carry their clothes in the carry-on.

Books and toys:

It would be best if you can find some books about the place you are traveling with your kid. Reading through the book they will picture an image in their mind. When you and your kid will be on the trip he/ she can easily identify the places before you tell them about.

Air travel tips:

These are the air travel tips for newborn to school age kids.

For newborn:

When you are traveling with a newborn baby, you must notice whether air pressure during takeoff and landing is causing any problem to your baby. They will cry out if they feel uncomfortable due to the air pressure changes.

This doesn't happen to every baby but babies who are vulnerable often caught by this situation. To avoid these kinds of problem you can breastfeed your baby. You can also give them pacifier if they are not sleeping.

For infant:

If you get a sitter for your baby, this will be more comfortable for you. Otherwise traveling with infant or toddler for long hours isn't an easy task. Sometimes it will be a blessing if you get an extra sit for your baby when the flight is not full. You can take an FFA approved seat which is allowed on airlines for flying babies. But for saving money you can take your baby on your lap according to the airline age instruction for babies.

For toddler:

You just need to keep him busy during the flight with their favorite game and books. Toddlers are curious to know about the things they see on the airplane. If you ask any air hostage to make a tour of the plane they will not hesitate to take your kid for the tour. I was surprised by one of my friend who is a flight attendant when he told me that we can visit the cockpit before or after the flight. This is a great chance to visit the pilot room with your kid.

Road trip tips:

Pack the car one night before traveling. Keep the necessary stuff near your hand. Always keep the gadgets inside the car not in the back. If you are traveling with up to 4 years old baby you should install a bay seat for them. You can rent one from here if you don't want to buy.

For road trip with a baby, you should plan for frequent breaks which are necessary for changing diapers, eating or walking around. The breaks should be after 3 to 4 hours in the day and 6 to 7 hours at night. For a single mom, it's always best to take a friend with them to look after the baby or drive the car.

Summer vacation:

We all do mistakes planning summer vacations with kids. While we plan to spend the vacation plan according to kid's zone, we should prioritize our plan and think that our kid will enjoy the vacation as we will be doing. For one day trip, you can visit your kid to a firm to get known about animals. Disney land could be the better choice and really fun for them but don't travel there often. Rather bring diversity in traveling summer.

Summer clothing:

The outfit of your kid is very important while traveling in summer. Bring light and cotton clothes to stay cool. If you are going to the beach don't forget to get them sunglass and sunhat.

Cruising and fishing:

This is not familiar to mamas to go with their kid alone fishing or cruising. But it could be a nice trip with toddlers and school-age kids. For fishing, you should get baby fishing accessories for your kid. To make the trip safe don't forget to wear lifejacket and sunscreen.

For cruising, you should rent the boat according to your need. If you get more than 3 kids it will be difficult for you to maintain them in an open boat. I am blessed with only my boy and we usually go for canyoning where his mama assists us by helping food supply.

Hiking and camping:

This is one of my yearly routines to go hiking and camping with my Wife Tina and my Boy. They just love it more than anything. Before going to hike or camping make sure your kid doesn't have any health issues. You should also avoid this if your kid has just recovered the sickness.

While camping, use mosquito repellent on the skin of your kid to avoid any trouble after camping. Don't forget to take enough water and get hiking shoes for your kid. If you are planning for family camping, make sure you got the right size camping tent. One tent should be taken for 2 people which is comfortable for sleeping at night.

Summer vacation:

Some camping group organizes camping for school age kid. If you want to send your kid with them just search Facebook and talk with them. To send them with a group you should pack their bag with everything that will be needed in the camp. Don't put any chips or fried snacks which may cause gas in their stomach during the camping. You can pack sandwich or juice as a snack which is safe for them.  These website https://trollingpowersolution.com/ share tips and  information about hiking and camping which will be great if you know before prepare your kids.

Winter vacation:

Before stepping out of the home, check the weather update. Your winter plan with the kid could be ruined only for bad weather. I care more about winter vacation than summer. Health issues with kids are very regular in winter. So, don't make any mistake while traveling in winter. Rather making a road trip in winter for a vacation you should take the air flight. I got this is the safest journey in winter for kids.

 Kids love sports but in winter snow gliding and skiing are the best sports to them. Make sure you get proper clothing and equipment for your kids to enjoy the snow time.