Kid-Friendly Travel

We stopped here on part of our mountain drive. The easiest way to get here is to go through the town of Morrison. Bring picnic supplies to have lunch up in Red Rocks, or eat at one of the restaurants in town.

I was surprised how smooth and roundy (is that a word? oh well) these HUGE stones were. It's something I'd expect by a seashore, but this area is practically desert in the summer. Way down at the bottom you can see the handrail for walking up to the stadium. The whole thing is a ramp, so you could easily bring a stroller up.

Our reciprocal museum membership back home got us in free here, so we went 3 days in a row. The first two days I had to drag Toddler out kicking and screaming. "Wait! I want to see something else!" he wailed at the top of his lungs. Luckily, he wasn't the only child to do this upon exiting. As you can guess, kids really like this place! The third day, I gave him more warning. I said, "OK, it's time to go. What would you like to do again before we go?" After going through the rabbit hole again, he walked out calmly and bubbling about how much fun he had.

I love the idea of packing light. When traveling with kids, however, it's more like 'try to pack as light as you can'. Many of the 'wants' to a toddler are 'needs' if you want sanity on your trip. Here, I'll share some tips I've collected on the way for things that do double-duty or are light and serve a cost or time-saving function.

-Laundry
It's not that hard to do laundry in a hotel bathroom sink, especially for undergarments. For items that can't be wrung or washed, most hotels offer a dry-cleaning service, often with same or next day service. Of course, you won't be bringing many of those, will you. ;)
To do laundry in your room, you'll need a Flat Sink Stopper and some laundry soap. I've used baby shampoo with mixed results. Extra rinsing in very cold water helps to get all the suds out. You can bring a clothes line, but I just use the hotel pants hangers or hang them on the towel rod to dry.

-Clothes
Even though we're packing for kids, maximizing the uses for our own things leaves more room for the toys and extras that we need to bring for the kids.
We really try to mix and match as much as possible. I pick a color scheme for myself and for my son. This way, I can minimize the bulk for each of us.

For myself, I do one light and one dark piece in each category: tank top, short sleeve shirt, shorts, capris, and pants. (the dark pant is usually my jeans). Add to that pajamas, swimsuit and undergarments, and that's my packing list. Because they're all in one color scheme, (say, khaki and navy) I can dress up or down and not necessarily wear the same outfit twice. Also, my swimsuits are tankinis so I can use the top as a bonus top with shorts. Pajamas are t-shirt and shorts so if I need to make a trip down the hall, I'm covered.

I do the same light/dark system with my son in his color scheme adding an extra piece to each category, and doubling the amount of shirts. With his swim shorts and regular shorts, I've now packed 5 or 6 pairs of shorts for him. I can cut down on this, but his clothes are so small, it's worth bringing the extras in the hopes of minimal laundry duty.

Shoes: I bring one pair of comfortable walking shoes, one pair of semi-dressy shoes for dining out, and a pair of thin flip-flops for going to the pool and picking up continental breakfast to bring back to the room.

-Other Mom Stuff
A sarong should be in every mom's bag. It's a piece of thin-but-strong fabric about 45" wide and about 66" long. Mine is a neutral gray linen with fringed ends. I use this thing as a wrap when dining out, as a baby/toddler carrier, as a beach cover-up, a beach/picnic blanket, stroller shade (draping it over the stroller to encourage a public nap), stroller blanket(wrap his legs up with it when the weather has an unexpected chill), etc. It's so versatile, lightweight, and dries quickly, I often just keep it in my diaper bag all the time.

As for make-up, bring the minimum. I find that sunscreen, self-tanner for foundation (Colour Shimmering Sunless Self Tanning Mousse 8 oz Pump is gentle enough to use all over AND on my sensitive-skin face... also covers odd tan lines), powder blush (doubles as an eye-shadow), a neutral eyeshadow, mascara, eyebrow pencil (I use Almay Brow Defining Pencil, Dark Blonde 801, 0.002 oz (.08 g) (Pack of 2)), and one lipstick can easily get me through the trip. The eyebrow pencil is because I have a picture of me that, thanks to the angle of the sun, looks like I have no eyebrows! Choose the blonde brow pencil no matter what your brow/hair color is; it'll look more natural.
The hotel probably has a hairdryer. Call or check their website if you're not sure.

-Bath
A folded hotel towel on the floor of the tub or shower keeps him from slipping around, and keeps his sweet little skin off the who-knows-how-clean floor. (This also worked well when he was an infant, using just enough water to keep the towel wet.) I also tie a hand towel around the tub spout when he's in the tub to minimize head-bonks.

I always bring a large drain cover or two (ours is ). I found that it works perfectly to cover the drain stop that has a little knob just where a busy bather could bump into.
For bath toys, we either use a small inflatable ball or animal, Munchkin Sea & Learn Bath Shapes, or we bring plastic sea animals that are about the size of Matchbox cars. These toys can also be used outside the tub, so do double-duty.

The hotel washcloths are too rough on delicate skin, so I bring a soft baby washcloth from home. As for shampoo, we either bring enough baby shampoo to share, or we do the pre-soaped cloths from Johnson & Johnson. Safety Q-tips keep little ears dry after being in water.

I also make sure to bring his Tylenol/Motrin, decongestant and our thermometer from home. There's no way I'll risk not having it on the plane. (More on carry-on items on the Best Kid-Friendly Travel website.)

-The Room
A roll tape makes quick work of baby-proofing a hotel room. Cover outlets, tape drawers shut, wrap cords. It's also come in handy to keep the drapes closed. The painters tape comes off easily and doesn't leave any residue.

Here's an odd tip that has come in handy quite often... Palmolive makes a dishsoap cloth that suds when it you get it wet(Colgate Palmolive #50076 20CT Lemon Dish Wipes). I cut them into strips (so I always have a clean one) and wash sippy cups and baby spoons in the bathroom when I have no kitchen. They're handy on outings, too.

We always bring a night light. If you plug it in in the bathroom, the sleeping room's not too bright, and middle of the night bathroom visits are much easier.

Because his bedtime is about the time other guests are going out for the evening, I bring our little iPod shuffle (loaded with soothing music) and speaker and keep it in there with him to help disguise the sounds of the hotel so he can sleep. When we get a room with a separate bedroom, I bring a baby monitor. I get to listen to soothing music in another room, and I know instantly if he needs my attention.
I've also used the baby monitor as a security device by reversing it when I go to bed so I can hear if anyone's trying to get into our room. I've done this with ground floor rooms and outside corridor rooms. I also kind of booby-trap our room, which is probably funny. I put a half-empty paper bag a few steps in from the door (it would be loud if someone stepped on it, but not unsafe for us to get out in an emergency), and if on the ground floor something similar by the windows.

-Ship it
Often times, we mail most of the diapers and toys to our hotel a few days before we get there. Call your hotel to see how they want you to handle this if you do it. This has worked out great because when we use up all the diapers, we either have room to put the toys in our suitcase and leave the box, or we have room in the box to mail things home. Of course, you'll want to have packed enough diapers in your suitcase to get you through the first day and a half. Even if you've paid for expedited shipping, delays happen so give yourself time to get to the store before you run out.



It's so easy to overpack. Just remember, if you're going to a major metropolitan area within the US, chances are you can buy what you need when you get there. There's probably a grocery store or drugstore nearby. If you're loyal to a brand, by all means, bring it. Otherwise, plan a trip to the local discount store to pick the rest.


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Ahh, the open road. Feel the wind in your hair, smell the… is that cow manure or pig? Definitely, pig. There are the holiday road trips –get to Grandma’s house in time for Thanksgiving Dinner, and there are vacation road trips. Not all parents remember that these are two separate things. Vacation road trips are about experiencing the places between your house and your destination. Your destination is possibly simply the place to turn around and head back home.

My #1Tip: Do your best to keep the normal routines for meals and sleeping, and your child will be much more cooperative. If you’re doing a road trip, plan to stop at least every 2 or 3 hours and let your toddler walk or run around for at least 15 or 20 minutes. Those little legs need to move! (not to mention diapers need to be changed. PU!) Don’t be tempted to snack in the car all day. Not only is it a choking hazard, but you’re missing out on one of the best parts of the road trip… eating with the locals! You get a real ‘flavor’ of the town when you eat in its restaurants, or picnic in its parks.

Fodor’s had a great article highlighting 7 tips for avoiding common road trip mistakes. You can view it here: http://www.fodors.com/wire/archives/002473.cfm.

I especially like the tip about bringing an actual road map. I personally print a screen shot from Google Earth of key points, stops or turns; the detailed street maps of destinations, AND bring a road atlas. Overkill? I don’t think so. Oh, here’s a tip –maybe more of a vent- if you’re lost, don’t start frantically turning down side roads trying to get back to where you were. Or, if you think you’re in a scary neighborhood, don’t keep driving further into it ‘looking for a place to turn around’. Just do a U-turn as quickly and safely as possible staying on roads you’ve been on before so you can recognize where things went wrong. Whew! Glad I got that out. Moving on...

Another thing I make a point of is to be sure to have at least one non-travel day… ideally only traveling every other day. Let me clarify… say you hit the road bright and early Saturday morning. When you stop for the night Saturday night, try to stay there until bright and early Monday morning (instead of Sunday). Now, of course, this isn’t always logistically possible. But, if you think about this when planning the trip, it may make it easier to chart your course to places of interest. It also gives the kids more time to explore and cement some memories of the trip.

I’d love to hear your favorite games/entertainment for the kids in the car. Of course, I’m a fan of the DVD player when you’ve already seen 20 minutes of corn and there’s nothing else on the horizon. Then again, that’s part of the experience, isn’t it?

Related Articles:

Keeping the Kids Occupied En Route

Our trip to Charlotte, NC is where we learned of our 2-year-old son’s affinity for tall blonde girls. Thankfully, he chooses the under age 8 girls, but still. It happened one night at the Marriott Residence Inn near South Park Mall. We were enjoying our complimentary spaghetti and meatball dinner, when he spotted her. She was about 6 or 7 years old, blonde, bobbed hair, adorable little southern belle. He couldn’t take his eyes off her, not even to eat. She caught him staring at her and began a game of peek-a-boo with him. Oh, he was hooked! He laughed so hard, tears were streaming down his face. I had to schedule a play-date with her later that night so he would eat his dinner. She and her mom came by our room about a half hour later and he let her do one of his sticker books! Now, this is getting serious. He tripped on something and bumped his head, just a little bonk. But when I went to check to see if he was hurt, he pushed me away saying, “I’m fine Mom”. Mom? He’s calling me Mom at 2 yrs old? Oh my. Soon it was time for her to go, and he cried as soon as that door closed, but not before. We had already made plans to get together the next day, but having only a vague concept of time, that was little consolation. The next day she had to leave before our play date, but did stop to say good-bye. I was a tiny bit relieved to not have to see my son become a teenaged toddler again, but he was sad, and so was I. The next day at the park he spotted another blonde, this time about 4 yrs old. He had moved on.
If this trend continues through high school, I’ll have to tell him he doesn’t need to be so selective. As a hairdresser, I can help anyone be blonde.

I know I'm a bit of a freak when it comes to being prepared, but it usually saves me when I'm out. I say 'usually' because he is 2, after all.

I try to always bring a 'meal setup' when we'll be eating away from home. Table Topper makes an awesome product that I can’t always find in stores, but we offer it here through our Best Kid-Friendly Travel Store. Just drop the shrink-wrapped sippy-cup filled with silverware, placemat and a bib, into your bag and go! In a pinch, you can put your own items in a zip-top bag. At the very least, I ALWAYS have a disposable placemat in my bag for an impromptu meal on the go. The waitstaff really appreciates a prepared parent, which results in even better service for you.

Bring to the restaurant:

• Toppers-To-Go feeding set (or make your own: sippy cup, disposable placemat, disposable child-size silverware, bib)
• baby wipes
• pack of 4 crayons and mini coloring book, or stencils and pen and paper
• small toys, or sticker book
• juice box or individual serving of milk/soymilk, and crackers
• I found that the restaurant beverage offerings for toddlers are surprisingly slim, and too acidic for my little one. Most of the juices from the bar are: orange, cranberry, or lemonade-type. I don’t give my little guy carbonated beverages just yet, and he can’t drink cow’s milk, so I just bring my own. You may have more flexibility.
  

At the table:

• Be realistic with your expectations for your child’s behavior. Most kids can’t sit still for a 2-hour, multi-course meal. You should try to be in and out within 45 minutes to give kids the best chance for success in the restaurant. It’s sometimes helpful to pay the bill when your food comes, although, tell the server that you’re not quite ready to leave, so they don’t get antsy while you finish your meal.
• Break out a toy right away, but hold off on the beverage and snack for at least a few minutes. Bring out toys one at a time, as needed. This will buy you more time for your meal if you know you’ve got another something in your bag.
• Have your child’s meal come out ‘as soon as it’s ready’. Order it when you order your beverages. If you order appetizers as a separate course (which I don’t recommend unless your child is a very slow eater), have your toddler’s meal come out with them.
• Involve your child in as many decisions as possible, or at least talk them through what's going on around them. Mine is much more cooperative when he feels he's involved.
• Choose a meal you think they’ll actually eat. Let them tell the server their order... you may need to translate. Try to round out their meal by giving them some of your vegetables or the oranges from your Chinese chicken salad. :) You can probably order a side for them, for a price, but if you’re not sure if they’ll eat it, just share.

Above all, keep a positive attitude. Your job as a parent is only to provide healthy and balanced meals, not force them to eat. Let your little entertainer shine! Relax and enjoy that someone else is doing the cooking!

Now, to be clear, my official recommendation is to use the carseat on the plane, just as the experts advise. And on international flights, I will absolutely use the carseat on the plane. However, you as the parent, are the ultimate decision-maker as to the safety of your child.

Okay, so here's my story of bringing my carseat on the plane. Before buying the forward-facing carseat, I researched which ones would actually fit in the 17" airline seat. I decided on the Britax Roundabout Convertible Car Seat because a.) it fit. and b.) Britax makes airline seats... or rather, their parent company does. I want to go on record that I love this carseat.

All the written documentation and safety advisors say bring the carseat on the plane. Many people claim to have done this with great ease. So I did. I lug the seat, my carry-on, and my child on the plane, my husband begging to help. "No." I say, "I need to know I can do this alone on the way back." He looks sheepishly around at the other passengers who did not hear our exchange.

I buckle the thing in, then buckle in my son. Now my 2 year old is so tall, he physically can't keep his feet off the seat in front of him, which to him is pretty fun. So I repeatedly tell him to stop. Forget the tray table. He is not happy. Neither is the guy in front of him. For the first time, my happy traveler is no picnic. I start to wonder about the real safety factors of this situation. In case of a real emergency, I now have wrestle with a 5-point harness system?

Now we land. I can't get the stupid thing out! You see, in order to get it safe and secure, I had to trap the seatbelt buckle under the carseat. Remember, in order to undo your seatbelt on the plane, you lift the buckle. I chewed up my arms trying to get at it, when a friendly passenger came to my assistance. He simply reclined the seat, reached his arm in, and undid the buckle. Sweating like a pig and arms bleeding, I humbly thanked him. He said, "We check ours." "Good call," I said. While stuffing the carseat into the carseat bag (the 2-in-1 Car Seat Cover ‘n Carry), a baggage handler was standing by to help. (Because we were holding up the plane) He complimented us on our carseat bag, and wished more people would use them, noting that most people use garbage bags when checking their carseats. Duly noted.

On the way home, I checked that carseat, and have done so ever since. My child is much happier (as are the surrounding passengers) when we buy him his own seat, buckle him in the airline-provided seatbelts, and he can watch a movie with his headphones until he falls asleep... which he does for the entire flight. I feel comfortable that he is safe, and my happy traveler is happy again. So then, are we.