Traveling with Toddlers

For 2019, my husband and I set a New Year’s resolution that we were going to strive to give our children “experiences” over material possessions. After Christmas 2018, we found ourselves drowning in stuff. Unworn clothes still with the tags on, shoes that no longer fit, birthday gifts stacked in a closet and it looked as if Toy ‘R Us vomited in our living room. We had a newborn and a 4 year old that we were spoiling with stuff. Who needs this much stuff?? I no longer wanted to live in clutter and stuff!!! After our home remodel, we used the Marie Kondo technique and got rid of a lot of junk but when it came to the children’s stuff I struggled!!! That is what led us to our 2019 resolution! So what do I mean by “experiences?” Trips, zoo visits, aquariums, hotels, planes, different cities, different cultures and all the things outside of our little bubble!!! Once John Luke was old enough to wear sunscreen, we hit the beach! A full week of fun, family and friends!! All summer we focused on getting out of the house!! And we capped it off with a trip with our oldest to Denver, Colorado. My husband’s god sister, who is also my daughter’s beloved babysitter, was out west for a summer internship and we took this chance to show her a different part of the country. But before we could get on a plane, Momma had to get us all packed within the luggage weight limit for a week of fun. And –  Lord, have mercy – that was not easy for my overpacking self! But after traveling and being home, I have to give myself a pat on the back! We had everything we needed, it was neatly organized and everyone was happy! Even on the four hour plane ride!

So what did I do differently than when I pack for just my husband and I? Here ya go!!

1: MAKE AN ITINERARY. Even if you are not a super planner you still need an itinerary. This is the most important in the clothing department. Fancy dinners? Swimming? Hiking? They all need a different set of clothes. I listed out each day, meals, travel, rest and activities. Here is an example:

Day 1: Day trip to Fort Collins, CO

      Breakfast: Hotel, 1 hour drive, Tour of Walker Factory (closed toe shoes)

      Lunch: Casual in Fort Collins, the find an activity for Lily (Trampoline Park, 1 hour drive back to          Denver) 

      Dinner: Hotel Sports Bar, the walk around resort 

2: PACKING LIST. Once you have you itinerary you can make your packing list. So based on the info above, I knew we would all need closed toe shoes and Lily would need an outfit for playing at the trampoline park. The packing list also included how many pair of panties Lily needed, socks, shoes, etc. I also wrote down all the toiletries she would need. Medicines we didn’t need to forget were listed as well as vitamins and things to help our immunity while traveling. I did a list for each of us and a list for Lily’s plane bag. I did this about two weeks before our trip! 

3: DO LAUNDRY!!! Before you start packing have a laundry day! It stinks to be packing and go to grab something and it needs to be washed! By the time you get it washed and dried it will be long forgotten. Also, steam or iron anything you need and pick up the dry cleaning.

4: GET ORGANIZED. Shop for any items you need! No last minute rushed trips to Target for this Momma! Check your toiletries, medicines and all the things.  Also, get out the luggage you plan to take so you know if you need to take a carry on.  We started with one suitcase and two carry-ons and quickly realized that was not going to happen!! Make sure you have luggage tags with your current information on your bags and that any old airline tags are cut off.

5: START PACKING!!! I used to run around like a chicken with my head cut off going from room to room packing for all of us. Now, I pack one person at a time. Lily is always first. I pull out all of her clothes, match bows to outfits, get shoes, undergarments and toiletries out and on the dining room table. Her packing is a lot different than ours. If you aren’t packing your kids in Ziploc bags, you are missing out!!! Each Ziploc bag contains one outfit, one swimsuit or one set of PJs. I go as far as to color code her Ziploc bags, so when I tell my husband to grab a pair of PJs I can say grab a bag with a pink post it note. Easy Peezy. In the bag with her outfits there is also socks and a bow that matches.It makes getting ready each day so so easy!! Also when you put it in a hotel room drawer it looks nice and neat! For us, I use packing cubes and they make a world of difference!!! I started packing about a week before the trip and designated certain things to pack for each day. Also, I recommend the new style of suitcase that has each side of equal size with zippers! The ones we have are hard sided! It makes keeping it all organized in the suitcase easier and unpacking a breeze.  Keep in mind when using packing cubes, how you get dressed each day.  I keep most items separate.  Underwear and socks in one, swimsuits in another and then outfits.  My goal is always to make it where we don’t destroy the suitcase looking for an item!

6: PLANE ENTERTAINMENT. Now that everyone is packed it is time to plan for the plane. I already knew we would be taking two carry on’s and a backpack for Lily. This was simply based on the size suitcases we had to check and the fact that I wanted to have a carry on with outfits for each of us and my husbands medication in case our bags did not make it. Even though I don’t need a bag of entertainment, I knew a 4 year old needs things to do and snacks!!! The month before we were to travel. I started looking for travel friendly activities every time I was in Target or the grocery store. I steered away from our traditional toys and focused on activities such as coloring, stickers, puzzles and wicki sticks. I also picked up her favorite snacks and packed all of that with her Kindle, a box of crayons and an empty water bottle for the flight attendants to fill instead of giving her an open cup. Also, in her bag were some wet ones for the tray table, headphones, a light blanket and an extra set of panties. It was all in a backpack she could carry, so her hands were free and so were mine! 

So now we are set and off to the airport! She was well entertained during the flight and we maneuvered the airport well. I will say travel days are hard but travel days with a toddler are twice as hard!!! Once we arrived, my husband took her on a tour of the hotel while I organized our room and got unpacked. The best travel tip I can give you is to leave one suitcase open in the corner of the room. This is now your dirty clothes basket. All dirty clothes go in this one suitcase and the morning you leave to come home just zip it up and off you go. When you get home, you know all the laundry is in that one bag! Complete time saver. Also all those Ziploc bags you now have can be reused for swim suits that haven’t completely dried, clothes with stains you need to treat when you get home or outfits that may have been the victim of a potty accident.

Just a few other travel tips that made our trip so much better.  When booking a hotel, look for kid friendly options.  I originally was only looking in downtown Denver for hotels. Most didn’t even have a pool.  Then I discovered that just on the outskirts there was a Gaylord Resort that was amazing and cheaper than the hotels that I had previously looked at.  It had an indoor water park, lazy river, 3 pools, putt-putt golf and Alice in Wonderland hosted a pool party every afternoon.  There were also ample restaurants and a cafe where quick breakfast items could be purchased. As with any activity with our kids, we try our best to manage our expectations.  You know your child better than anyone.  If you know they need a nap, plan it.  If you know they can miss bedtime and still have a good day the next day, go for it.  If you plan a fancy dinner that could take a while, make sure you have something to entertain your child. You want to have a good vacation and a cranky toddler can for sure ruin it in just a few minutes.  The only  vacation we throw schedules out the window is Disney, we go non-stop when we are there but not every vacation will offer that level of activity or stimulation for your child. And lastly, consider traveling with one child or two depending on how many kids you have.  This makes it special for the child that gets to go. For us. we realized that with a baby it is difficult to go where we wanted to this year, so he enjoyed a nice vacation with his grandparents! It was a win-win for everyone!

I hope you find all this information helpful.  I have learned a lot in my four years of motherhood and traveling was one of the hardest things for us until I realized we could still go anywhere we wanted we just had to adjust how we did it to make sure everyone was happy and entertained.  Next stop is Dollywood (my four year old’s choice) for Spring Break!