Traveling with Toddler

Hi N.,
It looks like you got some great advice and after travelling a lot during the last 2 years with my now 2 year old the couple of things I've noticed and always remember to take are one small new toy for every 30 min. of the flight so that when one thing is "worn out" we are ready to distract again. My son loves books so I always remember to get a couple of those plus a favorite or two. His favorite lovie and blankie and paci are a must. Extra wipes and diapers and change of clothes or PJ's if you are flying around bedtime. TONS of kid snacks - TSA will let you take them through security. I've even taken blueberries in a zip lock just fine. Several sippy cups in the carry-on are also a must. One for water to re-fill and one for milk (I usually get a small kid size whole milk at Starbucks once inside the secure area). Baby Tylenol is great and if your little one is teething then Hyland teething tablets are great too. I do put these last two items in my bag though so that my guy doesn't find them. I also put the new toys in my bag and then whatever is in his carry-on he can dig through the bag and pull out whatever he wants. :) I also make sure that my husband or I have a window seat so that my guy can look outside whenever he wants - I know there's really nothing to "see" on the way to Hawaii but it's a distraction. I think that's really all I can add. Have fun!!

Obviously, you'll bring along a favorite stuffy or comfort for the plane ride. Also pack a few toys that can occupy the little one during down time.

As for the plane ride, give a bottle on the take off and landing. Otherwise, your darlings ears will hurt and there will be screams.

Make sure you have an extra layer for the pool to go over the diapers. Most pools require it.

We went to Hawaii for a month when our daughter was 12-13 mo. We brought cds, toys, blanket, and plenty of clothes. We had a great time swimming and exploring.

I also brought a kelty kid carrier. It's a backpack like thing. I put her in and carried all over Hawaii. She loved it.

Stephanie

We took our son to Maui when he was 12 months as well. We ended up getting him his own seat and bringing his car seat so he had a familiar place to nap and wasn't laying across us for 2 hours. We brought his favorite blanket, paci, new toys, favorite toys, etc...
Expect to take a few walks around the cabin with him. Our son was already walking at the time, so we let him walk a little. If you can find any empty seats for you and your son to sit and play in that will help too. You're going to have a blast and so will your little one! Enjoy your vacation!!

Hi! I took my baby girl for her 1st birthday to Maui. We held her on the plane, had snacks, milk, and laptop with favorite Elmo & Baby Einstein DVD's - she was overall really good. Try to do a nap on the plane also. Make sure you have your carseat properly checked in so that it transfers with you if your taking 2 flights! I didn't stay in a hotel. But have the beat time ever - I know you guys will:)

I have been to Hawaii many times as my in-laws live there. Remember sunscreen every 30 minutes on the baby when you are at the beach or pool. My husband and I let my mother-in-law supervise our two year old once. We all had horrible sunburns except him. The key was my fantastic mother-in-law who kept slathering him up with sunscreen every 30 minutes. Sounds excessive but much better than a baby with a sunburn. Make sure he has his own sunglasses and hat too! It doesn't matter what your decent, the sun is very damaging on winter skin. Have fun!

portable DVD player, especially if it's a treat for her!!!
A little during special things won't hurt her!!!

Diapers: I packed 6 per day, plus 1 diaper for every hour of flight. Even though I didn't think I'd change every hour on the plane, it makes me feel better to have a large reserve in case of delays (either in the airport or stuck on the plane). Especially since I have never seen diapers for sale at the airport and I hear about people stuck on planes for hours. Diapers in other countries, even the same brand, may have a different texture. I also didn't want to risk running out. I ended up with 10-15 extra for a 3 week trip. Plus one package of swim diapers and two swimsuits. Wipes: we use them for diapers and food clean up. Packed 3, plus 1 in diaper bag. I ran out after 2 1/2 weeks and had to buy more 2 more packs. We didn't finish the last pack. Diaper disposal: we toss the wet ones as is, and bag the dirty ones. Both just go in a wastebasket at hotels.

Things I found useful
In transit:
• Toys packed in separate bags divided for time and rotated. So, for a 4 hr flight, 1 bag for the first half, etc. This keeps the toys interesting and you won't end up with tons of toys all over the place.
• Also get some new toys and reserve their introduction until needed.
• Overseas flights: you have to make sure you get a bulkhead seat with access to a bassinet. You may have to pay extra for this and arrange it far in advance. Even doing that, be vigilant when checking in, since they sometimes switch seats and might not be helpful. We had lots of trouble with seat assignments--ground staff would say that we had the right assignments or that they had to do it at the gate. The gate people would say that they couldn't do anything and the flight attendants would have to help. The flight attendants would say that we should have done it with our travel agent. More than once, we had a battle with flight attendants. So, the bassinet seats are 1 aisle + 1 center (or window). Don't leave the ticket area until you are certain they have done it. You don't want to end up stuck with a baby on your lap for 10 hours. The bassinet is small and the sides are shallow (I would say not good for much over 1 yr). The airline may not provide food for bassinet babies so you need to bring all the food for the duration of the flight. Had we known how small the bassinet was, we would have bought a seat. At 19 mos, he was trying to stand in it (the sides are maybe 10 inches).
• Bring food in a large ziploc with everything you need in it (bib, wipes, spoons).
• domestic flights allow you to bring juice for baby, but not water. Just say it is juice going through security so that you don't have to empty the sippy cup and then refill it before getting on the plane.
• Shawl--I use those ruanna style shawls a lot. In addition to being warm and thin (easy to fold and put away), they are excellent nursing cover. And double as a comforting baby blanket since it smells like mommy.

Once there:
• An extra blanket & changing supplies to create a changing table in your room. I found it was nice not to have to use the diaper bag supplies in the hotel room.
• Reliable snacks for baby (apple sauce, org raisins, cheese crackers....) anything she is used to eating in case she doesn't like the food there
• pack a first aid kit with alcohol wipes, thermometer, bandaids, neosporin, baby tylenol
• ipod & speakers to make different places feel like home (especially if you normally play music for bedtime)
• a couple of bath toys and small bottles of normal bath goo.
• In the hotel room, I designate an area for toys (a low shelf) and show him where they are so that he can find them.
• 2-3 sippy cups: one for room, one for diaper bag, one to lose. (maybe bring some dishsoap)
• In addition to a stroller (mia moda makes a great light stroller excellent for travel), bring a sling. Eventually they need to be held and then you are pushing the stroller and trying to carry them. I like hot slings b/c they fold and are machine wash as well as pretty comfortable. http://www.hotslings.com/

That's all I can think of for now. Preparation seems to be the key to stress free travel for me. Good luck.

Hi N.,
I've traveled with my kids since they were a year old. WE always took activites for them to do. My kids as soon as the plane took off slept until we almost landed. They are now 9 and 7 years old. Go on nickjr.com and print out activites for her age group. or get coloring book and play find me game such as the bathroom, plane helpers, etc. Just find things that are fun to do. Make traveling a game. WE went to hawaii and my kids were older 4 and 7. If you are going to oahu go to the build a bear store your daughter will have a blast. they have animals there you can only get in hawaii or florida. Have fun. M. p

If you allow your daughter to watch DVDs, a portable DVD player w/ an Elmo DVD can be helpful on long plane flights if your baby doesn't sleep. I used one when I had a 4-hour delay for a connecting flight and it was a life saver. Also I've discovered that there are special nursery rooms around SFO -- great place to hang out while you are waiting for a flight or if delayed. I use the nursery to breastfeed and there are nice large bathrooms with changing tables and room for toddler to walk around apart from the airport chaos.

My daughter's first trip was when she was 1 year old and we took a small purse for her that had just a bunch of different little household things for her to play with. There was a retracting measuring tape that she loved, a mirror, a small plastic snow globe, a small flashlight and a few other things that I can't remember right now. All of these things I got at the $1 store. It was perfect. Also remember to bring something for her to drink and eat. If you breastfeed, you might want to try that as well, so bring something to cover up if you are shy. For a long trip like this, she is bound to nap so make sure you yourself is comfortable if you are going to be holding her. Have fun!!!

How fun! The first time we traveled with Parker to Maui was when she was 14 months. The Kelty backpack is a great idea. Also, don't forget the time change. Not sure how they are with sleep, but she was getting up in Hawaii at 5AM and going to bed at 5PM (her sleep was 7-7pm normally). So I wouldn't plan any late night luau's, or you might have a cranky babe. If you are traveling with someone, maybe they can stay back one night so you and hubby can go out to see a luau. Aloha!

buy a swim ring to be able to have her in in the pool/ocean- that way you don't have to hold her the whole time:)

Rent your baby gear when you get to Hawaii. Traveling with a toddler is hard enough without all the added luggage. Paradise Baby Co. is a full service baby equipment rental on the island of Oahu. www.paradisebabyco.com Free pick up and delivery island wide

That's just how old my little guy was when we went to Hawaii. It's so fun !! We got him his first personal DVD player and a couple new videos. He loved them all week. He's four and a half now and still Loves them. We got him his first "Thomas the Train" video and train and he has all of them. He is a Thomas fanatic.

He didn't like any of the available foods, but we had packed his own snacks and juice boxes.

I know this sounds funny but it was presented in one of my Gymboree classes once and I always pass it along as a tip. If your child isn't "eating the kleenex", one of the best tips for occupying time is to let them pull kleenex out of the box, one by one, and then you put it back in and they pull it out again. Many Moms have said this works well and they appreciated the advice.

Also, any small new toys that you can bring for the plane will help. And, bring lots of extra food, diapers, etc in case you get stuck unexpectedly due to some kind of delay.

Have a great trips.

J. F.

We have traveled on airplane with our son quite a bit. What keeps our son occupied the most is whatever is in the seat back pockets on the plane. You may want to bring a few extra items to shove in there for her to pull out (and tear up). There were a lot of great suggestions offered to you already. One of the things I would like to add is to bring along a few safety items like outlet covers. They are small and will easily fit in your luggage. It will give you a little peace of mind at least during your stay.
I highly recommend nursing, or bottle, sippy, pacifer, etc. on take off and landing. This one thing will definitley set the mood for your trip. Also, I would get some saline nose drops to keep her nasal passages moist since the air is so dry on airplanes.
Enjoy your vacation.