3 Hacks For Travel With Children Under 3

Does the thought of traveling with a child make you want to lock the door and stay home forever? Then keep reading!! While travel with kids can be challenging, it shouldn't be something that stops you from making the trip all together. Check out my 3 favorite hacks for traveling with kids, by land or by air!

Plan Around Naptimes/Bedtimes

Depending on how far away from home you are going will depend on how best to approach the situation to ensure your child is rested and ready to party when you arrive. Going on a day trip? Plan to start driving during your child's nap time so they can grab a snooze while you drive. Ideally I recommend planning at least an hour for a car nap, so if your trip is not that far away, then try to arrive early so you can drive around bit.

However, if your trip is WAY loner than a typical naptime, see if it is possible to plan the trip after bedtime. Story time! Growing up my grandparents lived 5/6 hours away. Whenever we would go visit when my brother and I were young my parents would drive overnight. They would put me down for bed, pack up the car and get everything ready, then wake me and carry me to the car where I could fall right back to sleep. We did this for years, and some of my favorite memories were of magically being woken up in the middle of the night (come to find out years later it was like 9:30!) and sleeping cozily in the car.

If you will be flying to get to your destination, flying during the day rather than overnight. That will keep your child on the best schedule overall. Yes, we want children to nap during the day, but nighttime sleep is SO important as that is when the most restorative sleep happens. Think about how hard it is for you to sleep on a plane. It's even more difficult for your little ones. So if you have to sacrifice anything, sacrifice the naps and aim for an earlier bedtime. Children are more alert during the mornings after a nice restful sleep, so the ideal time to plan a flight is first thing in the morning.

Ensure You Have Things For Entertainment

One of the most important things you want to make sure you have planned (and actually packed with you to come!) is a bag of goodies for keeping your kids entertained! A car trip or airplane ride can get REAL long if you have to keep answering the same questions over and over again with no way to distract them.

Although I haven't used one as both the boys are still rear facing, these backseat organizers are a great way to have everything easily accessible.  Children can pick and choose what they want at anytime through the car ride with ease. On a plane, make sure your carry on is packed with snacks, quiet games, books. Possibly an ipad or computer if you allow screen time. Ensure if you are doing screen time that everything is previously downloaded to the device before you board the plane or get in the car -- having to rely on shaking wifi can really ruin a trip!

If your looking for some good road tip travel toys for kids -- and these are already great for planes! -- check out thispost by Happy Toddler Playtime!

Have A Backup Plan

Worst comes to worst, make sure you have all the backup essentials handy! Moving away from using the pacifier as much during the day? Make sure you bring it just in case!! Know your little one needs their lovey to sleep? Double check that lovey is backed! If there is any items that you know will comfort your child any time, any place - PACK IT!!

Sometimes plans derail, and thats ok! Travel can cause some less than ideal situations for families, but knowing that is half the battle. It's ok if your child falls asleep being held, rocked, nursed while on the plane. It's ok if they take a long nap in the car while driving. Enjoy the ride while you can, and worry later!