#1. Wear them
Yes, you read that correctly. Wear your baby. If you have a wrap, sling, or carrier this is VERY helpful for getting through security and to your gate. I wore my Ergo 360 with him in front and forward facing. I did not have to remove him for security and we went through a separate gate (no detector) and they simply wiped my hands and checked that. It also gave me two free hands so I could be carrying my ID and boarding pass as well as a bag or two so my husband didn't have to be the Sherpa. At least for our son, he is much more content and lasts longer being carried in the carrier than just in my arms.
Here's the carrier and wrap I have:
#2. Borrow BIG baby items at your destination
What do I mean by this? I mean borrow a stroller, car seat, pack & play, high chair, even nursing pillow rather than taking your own. I realize this one is not always feasible due to the nature and location of your trip. But, I'd encourage you to be creative and try to find a way to make this work. Fortunately for us, we were visiting family that was expecting a third baby in another month so they had everything I mentioned above. She picked us up at the airport with the car seat and let us borrow that and the stroller when we drove to visit other friends. This was SUCH a blessing and saved us a lot of hassle checking and carrying those things on the plane. Even if the people you are visiting don't have them, they probably know someone who does. I have found that people are very willing to lend baby items that they are not currently using so don't be afraid to ask.
#3. New toys for travel
This was suggested to us by our pediatrician at the wellness appointment before our trip. I had not even though of this and it was a GREAT help so I highly recommend this tip! I searched and searched online for a fun, interactive, engaging, multi-task, yet quiet toy. I wanted it to be something that would hold his attention for a good length of time but not make noise and drive everyone in the plane bonkers. I searched high and low and found this great option:The Oombee Cube was great! He enjoyed all the strings and shapes and colors. He pulled and chewed and shook. It made NO noise, didn't have any pieces we had to keep track of, and entertained him!
This was not the only new toy we had for him. I wanted one toy for the travel there and one for the way back. I made the other toy which is a sensory tag blanket. My mom had all sorts of ribbons and cords and some fun fabric scraps that I was able to gather together and make into another quite, multi-task, engaging toy.
Here's a similar version you can buy however it appears that all the "tags" are the same material just different colors. This is one of the reasons I made mine because I wanted all different textures.
#4. Don't give the toy to your baby
Wait...what??? I thought #3 was all about a toy for your baby...
Stay with me. I didn't say the baby doesn't get it, I just said don't give it to them.
Still confused?
Okay let me explain.
We have found that with our son, things we give him to play with (aka his toys) he is semi-interested in for a short time. BUT...things that are ours and we don't hand to him he is VERY interested in and wants so badly. So, while I was nursing him during take-off, my husband took the toy and put it in a spot where it was visible but not front-and-center. We paid no attention to it and let Easton totally discover it on his own. It worked! He was curious and eager, proud of himself for finding something new, and so interested.
#5. Don't plan too much and be flexible
Before kids, you could jam-pack every day of a trip with plans to see as many places and people as possible. I would caution you to attempt that with a young kid. You already know from everyday life at home that getting out of the house to go anywhere takes 3x longer. Well be prepared for your child to not sleep as well and be off schedule (especially if you change time zones). Your time will be much more enjoyable if you scale back and have a well-rested happy baby for the adventures you do go on.
What other tips do you have for traveling with a baby? I would love to hear them! And if you try any of mine, I'd love to know how it works out for you! Happy traveling!
No comments:
Post a Comment