Friday, July 15, 2011

Traveling with a Toddler



My darling Olivia was born in the US just 3 weeks before we moved to Dubai via London (2 months training in London). In these last 2 years, Olivia has visited 12 countries (I did too) and I can't even begin to count the number of flights we've been on. Now, I can't say that I would be a pro on a flight with multiple children but I've pretty much mastered the art of traveling with one. So this is a post in response to alot of emails asking for traveling tips...I apologize that for some, it's overdue! 

#1- The Travel bag. 

This is key...I like having a bag that can sit underneath the seat so I have access to everything that I might need on a 16 hour flight. Change of clothes, diapers, wipes, food, bottles, activities...you name it. I've tried alot of bags and the large Longchamp bag (The Pilage) is by far my favorite. It's huge yet I can still carry it down the aisle of the plane with Olivia in my other arm, whereas a rolling bag gets difficult to carry with a baby. Not to mention that it can hang on the handle of the stroller. I even got livi a mini version so she can keep her toys and snacks in it ( a fake version of course:) Tip- I like to put a smaller purse inside of the big bag so I can separate my stuff from Livi's stuff once I am on the plane cause after 16 hours, it gets messy! And don't forget ziplocs for trash and food:)


#2 The stroller. 

Don't even think about bringing a big stroller when you're flying or traveling. These days the stroller has to go through security and most of the time it acts as a cart anyway, on international layovers, it saves me! I love my Maclaren Triumph

#3 Traveling Essentials.

~ Socks for Olivia & me. 
~EmergenC- I always get sore throats after international flights so I try to take a couple of these. 
~ Ponds facial cleansing wipes so I don't have to wash my face in the bathroom. 
~ Colgate Wisps (mini disposable toothbrushes)


#4.  Activities- colored pencils & paper, coloring books, ipod touch/ipad and STICKERS...I'm a big fan of sticker books. 



This sticker book is awesome by the way- They take off a sticker and have to find where it goes in the book, it keeps Livi and my older nieces busy for hours! 


And a few extra tips: 

*I rarely get drinks on the plane...it's just asking to get wet whether it get's bumped or Olivia wants to drink it and it get's dumped. So I always buy a couple bottles before I get on so I don't have to wait or worry about spills. (Some international flights will actually give families big bottles of water for the long flight- just ask!)


*Olivia is allergic to dairy so I have to bring almond milk on the plane everytime I travel. Don't worry- you can get any liquid through security with a baby! I also love these little cold pouches to keep the bottles in so they don't spill in the bag and then you can keep it in the airplane fridge. I got mine at muji


*Jetlag- that's always the big question. It's inevitably terrible every time but as Olivia has gotten older I started using Melatonin. It's a natural supplement that's totally safe- it just shouldn't be used all the time. When she wakes up in the middle of the night, I give her a half of a 1 mg tablet and within an hour she generally falls back asleep. It just speeds up the adjustment time so in a few days we're on a normal schedule (make sure you don't use Melatonin for more than a couple of days so your child doesn't become reliant on it). 

While I've gotten pretty speedy at getting through security with one arm, I must say that I am quite relieved that my international traveling days are going to be on hold for a couple years. I have no plans to travel anywhere for a while once we get to Philly- but when I do, I'll be prepared! Feel free to ask any questions in the comments and I'll respond! 

Happy Travels!

18 comments:

  1. I am so glad you posted this! I think I am pretty good but still have more to learn! What do you do about the car seat? Does she sit in it on the plane? If so have you found a good one that fits? How do you travel with a car seat when traveling in taxis?

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  2. Caitlin, I just found your blog through Emily Clark's and I love it! I have 9 month old twins, one of which is Olivia and we call Livi! Too funny! We are planning a trip from Va to Ca this fall and they will be about 13 mths then. Any additional tips on time adjustment? Thanks for this post :)

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  3. p.s. What size is your long champ bag? Large or X-large?

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  4. Love this - actually we've been working on our go to list since in the past month we've taken about 7 flights with our 6 month old. did you buy seats for Olivia before she was two? Any tips there?

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  5. Sanders Fam- I believe mine is the X-large longchamp:)
    It's the biggest one with a short handle- it's about 20-24 inches wide.

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  6. Jessica- I would suggest flying during their second nap time if possible so they sleep but not too long so they'll be tired enough to go to bed that night.

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  7. I suggest a snap and go or stroller than can handle an infant seat when they're little and once they are bigger- to be honest I don't use a carseat in foreign countries. I used an Ergo carrier in taxis so she's strapped to me.

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  8. Yes we've bought a seat for her a few times and it is so nice when I am alone- sometimes I'll put the carseat there but I think it's better to have the space for her to play and sleep comfortably. If there are 2 of you, then I think you can go without the extra seat if you have to. It's always better to have the extra seat though:)

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  9. great tips!! I will definitely have to try the sticker book, we are always losing crayons.
    kennedy is also allergic to milk so I bring her almond milk as well BUT after they are 3, you may need a doctor's note. that has only happened to me twice so I just have an undated letter from her dr and I keep it with her passport.

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  10. this was such a great post!! I have the hardest time traveling with my one year old just in the car!!...I could not imagine an airplane!! i'll have to remember your tips when we do take that first flight with her!! Thanks for sharing!!

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  11. I am still grateful for the tips you gave me on traveling and where to go in London last summer! You r the bomb and my hero for traveling all over the world with a kid by. Your. Self.!!

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  12. Wonderful tips! I liked the one about the cleanser so you don't have to leave your child or try to squeeze into the tiny bathroom to freshen up a bit! I have also traveled many times with my kids to and from/within Europe...one other thing I do is set aside toys a few months before the trip, so they are "new" again during the flight...I also buy a few new things and wrap them so the kids can unwrap something on the flight - they love that!

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  13. Lovely post and one that I can completely relate to. I've been traveling a lot with my baby too, and I too love having everything together in one bag that I can sling over my shoulder. So far all our trips have been 3-4 hours so not much of jet lag. Thanks for the tips.

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  14. So interesting that you just posted this. I just arrived in Hong Kong late last night (it's. 7:30am here). I used to come to China every other month for before I had my now 1 year old. It was so hard to leave her this time to come for work! I had thought about the possibility of bringing her with me. I thought a lot about you and how you have traveled with Olivia. Thanks for the tips. Can't wait to bring my Koa to see Asia!

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  15. Thanks for all the tips, they are very welcomed!
    I also love my Pliage and I think is the best "diaper bag", lots of room and totally wipe-able, plus I don't mind putting it on the floor. I also have a nylon Dooney & Bourke that has 3 compartments, so both of them have become my favorite "toddler" bags.

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  16. We took my little one to India earlier this year and we live in Fort Worth Texas. I wish I had known all of this then! Since Eve was only 10 months, we took her baby bjorn and another front carrier. These were life savers. We made the mistake of taking her carseat. A total waste of energy and time. Next year we are going to Europe, so I'll be sure to keep these for reference points for traveling with a toddler. THANK YOU!

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  17. Thanks for the bag info. I travel from the east coast to the west coast all alone with my four kids and I can never find a good bag and one that can hold up to all our stuff. I'll check out the longchamp.

    I also did a traveling with kids post on my blog:
    http://darlingdarleen.blogspot.com/2008/06/traveling-with-kids.html

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  18. any ideas on helping relieve the pressure on your baby's ears? mine wont take a pacifier or bottle, and we had a hard time.

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