Traveling with a toddler is a toss-up every time. You never know if it will be smooth sailing, or a total disaster. I’ve experienced both with my one-year-old. The good news is, we always get through it. With help from friends and a whole lot of Pinterest searching, I’ve learned a few tricks for traveling with a toddler that I’m excited to share with you!
Start Organized
There are many things you can’t control when traveling – flight delays, security lines, toddler behavior and diaper blowouts, to name a few. One thing you can make sure of, is that you are packed ahead of time, and in an organized fashion. For our recent trip to California, I used ToteSavvy clear nesting pouches to organize my carry-on. These helped me easily see and grab what I needed. Here’s what I packed in them:
Small Pouch: Snacks
Snacks are a great way to keep a toddler occupied, and we went through a lot of them. The small pouch was able to hold a surprising amount, including fruit pouches, bars, and a sippy cup.
Medium Pouch: Diaper Essentials
I wanted this pouch to have everything I needed for diaper changes. It’s difficult enough to scooch past passengers and get your toddler on the tiny, airplane changing table – you don’t want to forget anything once you are finally in there. Mine had a few regular, and a few overnight diapers, wipes, rash cream, and a change of clothes. Tip – overnight diapers can hold more, and you might mean less changes on the plane.
Even when I’m not traveling, I think I will keep this pouch in the car to make sure I always have enough
Big Pouch: All the Fun Stuff
In the biggest pouch, I kept everything to entertain her: my Kindle for her to watch movies, headphones (which she wouldn’t wear), a new book, a small Barbie, stickers, Color Wonder markers and Frozen coloring pages. My friend Nicole recommended all these little ideas to keep her busy, and they worked great on the flight home. On the way there, she was too exhausted and nothing worked. When Justus and I were frazzled trying to calm Emmy down, these clear pouches helped us so much to quickly grab things.
Buy an Extra Seat
I love that kids under two can travel on your lap for free. It’s helped us travel multiple times to California, Texas, and Arizona with Emmy. However, I think we have reached the age (18 months) where she truly needs her own seat. On the flight home, we were lucky enough to have an empty seat in our row, which she sat in for a lot of the flight. She was way more content, and it was easier to calm her and keep her occupied. She didn’t like being constrained in our arms in the whole way to California. So, if it’s in the budget, it may help you to have a more peaceful travel. Especially if you need to go a longer distance.
Take a Road Trip
A few months ago, Justus and I took our first road trip with Emmy. We were very nervous, but she did AMAZING. It was way more calm than traveling by plane. For us, Arizona was a 12-hour trip. I don’t know if I would try anything longer than that, but she did great with a full-day in the car. We are heading to Texas in July and will be roadtripping then. I would pack similar things to entertain your toddler that I mentioned earlier. I liked that she was content in her car seat, but that I could easily get her a snack, toy, etc. and she didn’t have to wear headphones to watch a show.
Be an Encourager
When I thought back on what helped us a lot during this past trip, it was kind and encouraging people. I know it sucks to be around a screaming baby, but when people kindly say “I’ve been there before”, or try to make your little one smile, it feels so much better. I am going to be more intentional about doing the same to others because it really calmed my anxiety. We had a very kind gentleman that turned off his reading light to help Emmy sleep, a sweet teenager that offered for her to hold his stuffed animal, and a mom that empathized with us – it all helped so much.
Let it Go
Finally, my last travel tip is to let it go. I had to let go of my pride and try to relax when Emmy was having such a difficult time. It’s embarrassing when your toddler is throwing a fit, but it makes it worse when you are super tense yourself. Your toddler’s behavior is not personal – they might just be super tried, not feeling well, overwhelmed, etc. Justus and I kept trading off with Emmy and told ourselves that we would get through it, and we did. I want to grow in discipling her, and knowing how to and what she can handle, but at the end of rough day, you just have to let it go and try again tomorrow.
Actually, one last thing – don’t book a super late flight. We had the theory that Emmy would sleep during a really late flight, but it threw her off so much that she was BEYOND exhausted and couldn’t get comfortable. She eventually slept for 40 minutes or so, but it was much better on the flight home when she was awake and could play or be entertained.
Thanks for taking the time to read this post, and please share your travel tips too!
