In last post, 10 don’ts when travel with kids, we talked about all the don’ts; now let’s look at what we should do when travel with these lovely creatures.
1. Go travel
Some of my friends gave up on travelling till their kid(s) become older (more than 2 years), the reasons being： 1）too much hassle 2)they can’t remember anything; I totally don’t agree! Parents are just being lazy not to take their babies traveling, babies have the equal chance getting sick no matter they are at home or outside. While travelling, they are exposed to more interesting things, colors, sounds which are great for their development.
2. Make the most of what’s available for parents with baby
Many airports have fast lane for parents with little babies, parents pushing strollers, so use them. Get the front row on the plane with the hook for baby bassinet and it has more leg rooms too. You can stand up and walk the baby if needed.
3. Take time to book and book wisely
No matter hotels or AirBnB, think about the situation the property located, on high hills, dark lane, noisy neighbors, remote area… ? What used to be a great option when you were single doesn’t really work now, right?
4. Stroller might be the winner
If you are struggling about taking pram, baby carrier or stroller, think about your major activities in the destination will help a lot. If you are going to hike or up & down a lot, maybe a carrier is necessary; but in general a light stroller is more than enough. It’s light, it’s easy to pack and unpack, and when the little one get tired, it can be used as a small mobile bed. Large pram maybe better if you travel with the car.
5. Invest in having a car seat
If you travel by car, definitely need a car seat. A lot of times we rent the car for a period of time, for example in Europe and US, if you rent the car seat from rental company, the money you pay daily added up is more expensive than purchase one by yourself. So easy calculation, right?
6. Practice run
My husband loves to do the practice packing, luggage packing and packing in the car when travelling with car. However, I always just imagining how much stuff I got and every single time got extra stuffs, either throwing away or paying extra at the airport — I have to say, quite an issue. So yes, practice run or say reality check is recommended.
7. Take things that kids love to the plane
What you can take on the plane is limited, 7-8kg most of the case. However, mums do have super big mum bags, which sometimes can do magic. However, you can’t take everything, so filter through millions of things that your kids have and find the most efficient ‘savior’ and make sure they appear on your check list.
8. Let the little ones consume their energy
Whenever there’s chance, let the kids walk or run, even you have stroller with you. One thing is to keep them awake and see more things, the other is to make them tired, then you can have some quiet time in your next journey.
9. Know your bottom line
Sometimes parents tend to give in on kids’ constant murmuring, or use the ‘junk food’ as treat. I do. (shy face) but they will get used to it or use it as the bargain for next time. Think twice. 😉
10. Enjoy your trip
The most important thing is to enjoy your trip! See, eat, play, take photos, laugh… enjoy every moment!