Travel is sometimes for fun, sometimes for work, and always a bit of a hassle. However, when you take a baby along, that hassle often multiples and becomes extremely stressful. Packing is difficult enough as it is, but packing for a baby can be a virtual nightmare. Instead of foregoing traveling with your baby, consider the following tips for making travel with baby stress free:
Know your baby. You probably know your baby better than anyone else, so you know if they are cranky in the mornings, but happy in the afternoons, if they need a blanket around them to sleep, or if they like rice cereal, but hate oatmeal. Use your knowledge of your baby as you plan your travel. If you are flying, fly out during a time your baby is generally napping, thus you can avoid a fussing baby and flustered passengers on the plane. If your baby loves applesauce, pack some so you are never without it on your trip. As you make your travel plans, take into consideration the likes, dislikes, personality, and schedule of your baby.
Bring some fun. Babies, just like adults, get bored, especially when they are stuck in a car, on a plane, or some other place. So, bring plenty for baby to keep them occupied. You can get toys to hang from their car seat, or you pack some of their favorites in their diaper bag. Do not over do it, but bring more than one so baby always has something to keep their interest.
Have snacks and food on hand. Babies get hungry, and unlike adults, they want food immediately and are unwilling to wait. Thus, they cry. So, have cherries, puffed grain, baby food, formula, and whatever else your baby may want to eat on hand. Be sure to pack a bib, spoon, wet wipes, and whatever else you may need to make snack time stress free. No matter what you do, have some snacks or a bottle in your diaper bag at all times.
Bottles, pacifiers, and more. One of the most comforting things to a baby is sucking. So, when you travel with a baby, be sure to have plenty of bottles and pacifiers for them to suck on. Pacifiers have a way of getting lost, dropped, etc. So, have a few spares with you so that if one disappears, or gets dirty, baby has another one.
Toys, blankets, comforts. Babies do well with familiar things, and often get irritable in a new environment, so do your best to keep their environment comfortable and familiar. Bring blankets, toys, and anything your baby loves and is used to. If they have a special stuffed animal, bring it along. Small comforts from home help baby be stress free, and thus mommy and daddy can be stress free as well.
Schedules! Babies nap, eat, and even tend to poop on a pretty predictable schedule. If your baby is on a schedule, or has a routine at home, do your best to stick with it while traveling. If your baby is used to going to bed by eight, and you are keeping them up past midnight, you have to be understanding of their irritation, fussiness, etc. So, avoid it by doing what you can to help them be on their normal schedule.
Parenting viewpoints from parents in the trenches, because parenting doesn’t come with a manual. In addition to