Visiting & Traveling With Little Ones

It doesn’t matter if you are traveling for vacation or just an overnight. If you have a child, you’re likely going to need to bring a whole lot of stuff with you. We have grandparents located at each end of the east coast, Maine and Florida, so we traveled often when our son was little. There were also times we traveled with my husband on business trips.

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We have ended up in walk-in clinics and doctor’s offices while traveling, so we learned along the way how important it is to have some essential items with us. Visiting & traveling with little ones can be a stressful time, but when you’re prepared everything gets just a little easier.

Pack Extra

Of course you’ll remember to pack extra diapers, formula or your breast pump, extra clothes, and all of the other items you’ll need “extra” of for day-to-day, but there are a few things that you should bring with you whenever you go on the road.

INFANTS

Often sickness can come on without warning.

Without warning, however, will be on a Sunday night at almost midnight, or on Christmas morning. Or when the only store within 20 miles is the country gas station, and they’re inventory actually expired in June of 2006. You know, to keep you on your toes … 🙂

Always have these items in your bag to be prepared. When you call your doctor’s emergency line from hundreds of miles away you want to be able to give them the information they need so they can tell you what the next steps are. You’ll need to know their current temperature, have a fever reducer on-hand and be able to clear out that little nose. Make sure you have:

Infant Tylenol
Rectal Thermometer
Nasal Aspirator

TODDLERS & PRESCHOOLERS:

Your little one will most often be able to verbally tell you a little more about what’s going on, however; you will still need to give the doctor numbers for a fever and be able to give your child a fever reducer, if needed, without having to hunt down the local pharmacy in the middle of the night.

Tylenol or Ibuprofen
Thermometer
Liquid electrolyte bars (in case of a stomach bug)

There are also items that we took with us each time we traveled. This was to make wherever we were going feel more like home. Although it was a little more to pack, the following items made it easier to stick to our routine, which is best for everyone. These items include:

iPod with dock for music we play each night
Pack & Play or for older children, a blow up toddler bed they are familiar with.
Two favorite stuffed animals
One favorite blanket or special sleeping bag
A few favorite toys

Often we would purchase items in order to know that they were there when we were (and helped us to have to pack less). As you aren’t using them as frequently, you just need to be sure to look at expiration dates on medicines, etc. to make sure that they are safe to use. Other items that I always kept at the grandparents house were:

Cool Mist Humidifier
A couple extra outfits
Toothbrush/toothpaste
Sunscreen
Hat (cold & warm weather)
Brush
Toothbrush & Toothpaste
Blow up infant tub

Stick to the same routine, even if it’s just for one night. Little ones find comfort in routine, and are more likely to adapt to new or unfamiliar surroundings if you stick to it. Parents find comfort in the little one(s) going to sleep and not being up all night.

Consider ‘sticking to this routine’ a gift to your whole family. Over time you’ll develop your own routine and have exactly what you need on-hand for your child without a second thought. So much of it is trial and error.

I’d love to hear about your travel essentials! Please leave them in comments below.

Happy Travels!

xoxo – JJ