Travel Tips For Parents
I put together some of my favorite travel tips to make things easier this year so you can have more jolly and less worry.
3. Power banks: Most families today are traveling with electronic devices that entertain kids, so I won’t belabor the point. But don’t forget the power banks that you can recharge and then use as external power supplies. I don’t care how many outlets your fancy van has, you will need them. Or what about the flight that said it had power outlets but didn’t? Consider a different sticker for each one and let your kids keep track of their own.
4. Pack items that help you maintain your routine. Most of you know the importance of keeping baby’s routine, but it helps at any age, especially if you are traveling to an unfamiliar place. For example, we travel with our kids’ favorite pillow cases, and I trade out the pillow case on the pillow of where we are staying. We also bring night lights and use a white noise app on the tablet that simulates the fan in their room back home. Try to keep to their regular bedtime as much as is reasonable; when you can’t, just replicate the bedtime process: bath, reading--whatever it is. And try to make bedtime the same amount of hours after wake-up, meals, etc.
5. If you are flying, try to book the aisle and the window even on a flight that has seats in sets of three. We do this with our family of four; if the airline ends up filling that middle seat, someone is always willing to trade their middle seat for an aisle, and then we end up together. If the seat remains vacant, the kids can stretch out!