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Plan well and equip yourself for travel with toddlersMar 19 '01 Write an essay on this topic.
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The Bottom Line Do your planning well in advance and stock up on some entertaining activities. Most of all, relax and make it fun, your toddler will catch on!
In our travels with our toddler, we've found that there are two things that are essential for a successful trip. Careful planning and a good choice of distracting activities. Firstly about planning- you must know that a five hour car ride with no stops is impossible unless it's planned during your child's nighttime sleep. And even then, it's not a given. Let's face it, many adults don't sleep well in the car or on a plane so why should we expect our kids to do any better. So you're better off planning to stop every few hours (we shoot for every two hours) if traveling by car. Plan for diaper change, snack, drink and a few minutes to half hour of running and "getting your wiggles out". We try to wait until we're stopped to give her something to munch on for a few reasons. Most importantly is the fear of choking. If she were to choke and be strapped into her carseat, I know my nerves would make it that much harder and longer before I could get her out and perform the heimlich. Secondly, our car is a disaster area after any prolonged trip and adding munchies to the mess doesn't help. If traveling by air, you're slightly better off since (except during take off/ landing, food and drink service, and times of turbulence) you have the luxury of being able to get up and move. You may not want to but you can be sure that a curious and restless toddler will! The good part about that is the hope of tiring them out enough so they'll sit longer or (YES!) even sleep. When your toddler has thoroughly tired his or herself of looking and exploring the plane and all it's passengers, your next line of defense is the equipment part of the successful travel equation. Now the best advice I can give here is to prepare several months ahead, thinking about the age your child will be when you travel. You know your child best so watch what types of toys and books your child enjoys and look for similar (preferably inexpensive) items that will fit the age range of your child at the time of travel. I stress the "inexpensive" part for a few reasons. One is that they might not like it and then your stuck with an expensive dust collector. Secondly, it’s almost inevitable that you’ll lose something on a trip, better that it be something inexpensive. Thirdly, most inexpensive toys are more of the compact type, and the more toys you can pack, the more chance you have of keeping your toddler’s attention off of “are we there yet?” type behavior. Another thing to keep in mind is that there’s always a little more interest when the stuff is new. That is, although I may let my daughter play with her new travel toys once before the trip, just to insure her interest, I won’t let her see it again until we depart. And bring out one toy at a time, putting it away when her interest wanes. Don’t forget the importance of snacks either! Not only does it keep them from getting the hungry crankies but it occupies them for a few minutes. That goes equally for keeping them hydrated with plenty of water. Stay away from the sugary stuff if you can, you don’t want them to be more active than they already are!. Some “for examples” of tried and true toddler (well, at least my fussy little one!) pleasers are: the Circle Time book by Baby Einstein ( an interactive book in which the toddler can pass two discs through the book), “nuts and bolts” (great manipulative wooden shapes that can screw into each other), a travel size magnadoodle (we bought a cheap generic one for $5- great for ABC’s, practicing shapes, etc.), crayons and coloring book, and compact picture dictionaries (for lots of “what’s this” and “where’s the ….” games) or the great “I Spy” books for toddlers. So there are a few pointers to keep in mind when traveling with your toddler. Remember, your toddler may be a creature of habit and this is certainly not what she’s used to. If you keep that in mind, it may help you be more sympathetic (and in control) when your little one throws a fit. If all else fails, keep practicing your “I’m on vacation” mantra even if the vacation is only in your mind! Relax and make it fun, your toddler will catch on!  |
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