My husband and I have always enjoyed travelling and we made a
promise to each other that even when we had kids, we would continue to travel.
I know that many cringe and stress, thinking that they could never do that with
kids or may think it's not possible, but it is and you all need to give
yourselves a little more credit. I guess for starters you need to understand
that it will take work. No one said that travelling would be easy with kids but
it is not the toughest thing either. Kids become great travellers when you
expose them to these opportunities and eventually things like flying become
normal to them. I’ve curated six tips that I found to be super handy
during our all-inclusive vacation to Jamaica and thought it could be beneficial
for any families who maybe travelling somewhere hot.
Umbrella stroller:
Even though we stayed at an all-inclusive where a lot of our amenities were in close walking proximity, I found it extremely helpful to have an umbrella stroller. I specifically suggest grabbing one that is of course light weight but also has the capability of reclining as you never know when your kids may want to ever take a snooze. The Uppababy G-Luxe has been a great little stroller that has literally traveled around the world with us and I cannot say enough about this stroller! Since Linden is two she’s at an age where she loves to walk but is not quite ready to do a full days worth so grabbing a scooter was one of the best decisions we made. We had ordered a universal one from Guzzie and Gus but did not come in on time so this Baby Jogger fit just fine for our trip. She loved being able to stand and see the sights and I loved having tabs on her instead of running after her!
Dollar Store Finds:
Before we left for our trip I hit up our
local dollar stores for several different items. I grabbed festive plastic
cups, Tupperware, and a small spray bottle. I grabbed this cute pineapple one
with a lid and it was perfect for Linden’s little hands and kept fluids in the
cup without creating too much of a mess and kept sand and bugs out while on the
beach. The Tupperware was great as we wanted to maximize our time either by the
pool or on the beach on certain days so we’d grab easy foods and fruits to
bring down with us. I could totally go for some of that amazing jerk chicken
right about now. We filled the little spray bottle with water and misted the
girls and ourselves when the heat would be too much and it would give us a
refresh. I also used it to spray Linden’s hair to easily style her hair.
OVer multi-use cover:
I can honestly say I thought I didn’t need this as I used blankets to cover myself when I breastfed Linden but since purchasing this one I found it to be one of the most useful things I used on our trip! This cover is amazing! It is super easy to use as you just slip it on instead of fumbling with a blanket or worrying that it may not cover all of you during feeding. One always worries about hydration in the warm weather so I was constantly feeding her any chance I had to make sure she was okay. The breathable fabric was perfect for feeds on the beach or by the pool and when needed she was able to use it as a light blanket.
I can honestly say I thought I didn’t need this as I used blankets to cover myself when I breastfed Linden but since purchasing this one I found it to be one of the most useful things I used on our trip! This cover is amazing! It is super easy to use as you just slip it on instead of fumbling with a blanket or worrying that it may not cover all of you during feeding. One always worries about hydration in the warm weather so I was constantly feeding her any chance I had to make sure she was okay. The breathable fabric was perfect for feeds on the beach or by the pool and when needed she was able to use it as a light blanket.
Aside
from the obvious iPad, I suggest grabbing some other activities to keep your
little one occupied on the plane and during meals. Stickers are a great cheap
activity that I swear all kids love. We also love our doodle boogie board that
is basically the new age pen and paper without the mess of pens and loose
papers. Although more expensive than your average note pad and pen this will
grow with your kids. You can go from doodling to playing games like tic tac toe
or hang man and with a press of a button you can clear your canvas!
Tent:
I had seen a few posts online regarding these little KidCo travel
pod/tent and it was
great on the beach! It provided shade for baby and the zippered mesh tent
protected her from the bugs. Many had also used it within the hotel room in
areas where bugs were more prominent at night however we strictly used ours
just outdoors. Comes with a little pad for added comfort. Folds up fairly
easily and packs away in a little tote to carry. We will definitely be using
this again while camping this summer!
This Diono fan saved us all. When the babies napped you know this was
going full blast and helped them continue to sleep outdoors. Even when walking
during the day or night it was nice to have them attached to the stroller to
keep them cool and comfortable so you could continue on your exploration or
excursion.
I hope you found these helpful and feel encouraged and/or
motivated to get out there and travel with your little ones, because it is just
so magical being able to see your children play and explore the world!
Toonny