Weekly thread: Your Traveling-with-Kids Hacks
It’s officially summer now, which means that many of you will probably be traveling with your children over the next few months. We’re taking the kids on their first trip to Europe at the end of August (don’t worry, you’ll get the play-by-play on how that goes, omg jet lag with kids?!).
I’ve learned over the last couple of years that you all are extremely clever and wise, so I’d love to crowdsource and hear your favorite travel hacks.
I’ll share four things we always do when we travel:
The kids have to carry whatever they want on travel day in their backpacks. Then they’re less likely to ask to bring 402 stuffies. (Less likely, but the chance is definitely still not 0%.)
We offer the kids gum for airplane descents to help with ear pressure. If nothing else, it distracts them.
On long drives, we have our 8-year-old sit in the middle of the backseat, which minimizes her carsickness. (Here’s a piece I wrote last year on the science of preventing motion sickness.) We also bring a few plastic bags in case she throws up.
We write out a physical schedule every morning to help our routine-oriented 8-year-old. We emphasize it could change, but just having a plan helps curb her anxiety.
What are your favorite hacks? And/or what have you learned NOT to do while traveling? Please share in the comments!
We used to joke that traveling with small kids was like traveling with your drunk friends. It’s somehow more bearable when you can shrug off the left-behind personal effects, the inappropriate loudness, and the spilled drink and say “drunk friends!” to your adult travel companion. Now, with kids 11 and 14, it’s getting more like traveling with your hungover friends. For car travel, a designated, larger-than-you-think trashbag is important. No one leaves the car without collecting trash first.
Just took our almost 2 year old to Portugal for a few weeks. We’ve also done some domestic travel in the US and South America, plus an international move when she was 10 months old. So, lots of experience traveling and moving around with a little one!
Firmly believe that a few solid pieces of good gear can change your life. We cannot live without her SlumberPod, for example. We always travel with her pack n play (Guava Travel Crib - it’s carry on size 🙌🏼), Slumberpod, and white noise machine. Our kid is NOT a naturally good sleeper. Like, she does NOT sleep in car seats or on airplanes. Ever. BUT, she’s never had a problem sleeping in a new place once we have her SlumberPod set up! She even slept in it for several months while we were moving overseas and waiting for our stuff to arrive.
Also, the BitsyBean baby carrier is amazing. Is it as comfortable as our bulkier, fancier carrier? Nope. But it packs down smaller and lighter than a kid’s water bottle, doesn’t get hot, and dries super fast. So worth it.
We always try to book Airbnbs when we can, with a separate bedroom or at least a little nook for her. After spending one trip trapped in dark and silence during naps and bedtime, we’ve really come to appreciate a separate sleep and living space! Also, a dishwasher and washing machine. Kids puke. Kid food stuff gets gross. Did I mention kids puke, especially in countries where all the Ubers have manual transitions on windy roads? Yeah, washing machine has saved our lives in several countries on several trips 😂
The other rules we live by are nothing new: packing cubes, unlimited screen time on planes , buy daytime diapers when you get there (but bring at least two days worth in your carry on - you never know). Changes of clothes and ALL THE SNACKS in carry ons for everyone. Multiple changes if you have someone who is easily motion sick.
We bring enough nighttime diapers for the length of our stay + airplanes or long car rides + a few extras on international trips, because those are less common in some countries.
Gate check bags for strollers and car seats, so they don’t get too beat up (if you need to bring them - if not, don’t!)
And don’t feel guilty about getting your kid McDonalds for dinner when you’re in some amazing culinary capital. Sometimes, we all just need a taste of home.