Travelling with Kids

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.

Toddler Toys:

     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!

Portable Fan: 

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!

xo,

Toonny