Travelling with children can be a bit like taking aherd of wild goats on holiday. Whether they’re your own or someone else’s,factoring a child’s needs into your travels involves a lot more than stickingon a CD full of pop music and making toilet stops. So, here are several tip for travelling with toddlers:-Take your time: Toddlers love to explore and don’tcare for the time pressures of travel, so you’re more likely to all retain yourcool if you factor the faffing, gawping, stalling, toilet stops and tantrumsinto your timeframe.
Give them a camera: Giving toddlers their own(robust, child-friendly) camera encourages them to observe their surroundingsand focus on what interests them. You might be surprised at the results fromtheir knee-high view. Amongst the pictures that you will find are feet, wheels,flowers, animals, helicopters, boats, rocks and maybe cat poo.
Pack Pull-Ups for potty training: During the pottytraining days can be a nightmare. As if you didn’t have enough in your handluggage, now you’re expected to add a potty, three changes of clothes and bagsof wet, stinky pants. Potty-training gurus may disagree, but if toddlers arestill having lots of little accidents then I’m all for putting them back intoPull-Ups on the plane.
Be app-y: Thanks to toddler-friendly apps, there’sno need to cram a toy box into your hand luggage when travelling by plane. Byall means take a book and a magic scribbler (crayons just get lost down theside of seats), but the most compact form of entertainment is a device loadedwith apps and games.
Keep bugs at bay: Where ever you’re travelling,antibacterial wipes and hand sanitizer are handbag essentials. A wipe of thecutlery in restaurants where you’re unsure of hygiene, or a squirt of handsanitizer when there’s no washing facility, can zap a few germs and preventtoddlers catching some common bugs.
Don’t forget the medicine: Whether they’re out ofroutine, jet-lagged, or eating less healthily, kids always seem to get ill onholiday. Dampen the impact of broken nights, frayed temperaments and fevers bypacking an easy-to-swallow medicine such as Children Panadol. Other basicingredients in your first aid kit should include antiseptic wipes, plasters,sting treatment, and a thermometer.
Keep the activities coming: If you’re heading outon a long journey have a collection of toys to be handed out once an hour.Handheld puzzles, tiny colouring books, stickers, word searches and even tinypacks of Plasticine will pass the time on a long flight or car journey.
Avoid sweets: Resist the temptation to keep themgoing on a long journey by feeding them sweets. Pack a mixture of savourysnacks like cheese cubes, breadsticks, & fruit– anything to avoid arrivingin a strange city with children in the middle of a sugar rush.Encourage them to keep a travel journal: Get yourkids drawing and listing things they’ve seen and interesting foods they’vetried. Who knows, this might also encourage them to try different foods.Collecting postcards from places you visit and asking them to write themselvesa message on the back means they can reach adulthood with a library of memoriesall their own.
Brand them: If you’re going to be travellingthrough busy, crowded airports or transport hubs, write your mobile number onyour child’s arm in biro in case they get lost.
Remember the baby wipes: Even if all your childrenare long out of nappies don’t forget the baby wipes. They’re useful for washinghands, cleaning toilet seats, and wiping down restaurant tables. In the samespirit, little bottles of hand cleanser can be a lifesaver in some countries,but check the travel regulations for liquids well in advance.
We really hope you & the toddler will enjoy traveling together.
Selamat Hari Raya By Sweet Candyz Closet.
