Travelling with Kids – Make it Easy

Travelling with kids – well many might get jitters even thinking about it! Kids, our super smart aliens get over excited learning about the travel plans. And at times this – over the board excitement takes a toll. For our family travelling is a routine job, as visiting parents once in a year is A necessity. Most of our travels are just daughter and me. Better half has the obligations of corporate responsibilities; hence my freelancing career provides flexibility of timings. Earlier it was super easy, just pack few things and board a train or take a flight. Who plans for traveling? It’s just a 24 hours joy ride by train. Or in 2 hours we will be with them – why sweat! However, all these things fell upside down, when we got new arrival in family.

Travelling & Kids – it’s all about planning right!

Our first travel as a family of three, was when she was just 6 months. Taking her to colder North India from hot & humid Mumbai was tricky. We packed and stuffed everything related to her needs, from nappies to towels, baby detergents to body washes, toiletries to fixing meals and even her utensils. Seeing the weighing scale going red at the airport made us realize what a fool we had been.

Our next visit was to Goa when she was almost two years, we took road ride and what fun it was. Carrying just the right kind of things and ONLY necessities. Though I recall carrying a hotplate to warm her quickie meals or milk in hotel room. However, it was never even touched as it was a child-friendly hotel.

Keep your car fit with easy self care tips.

Plan it well –

Just recently I had been to New Delhi with my girl, and what fun it was. We enjoyed our travel while talking, listening to music, drawing and solving funny puzzles. So, the crux is plan in advance and according to the need.

• Plan the travel dates rights, keep the schedule in check to avoid unnecessary idle days.
• With the conveyance facilities improving across our country, it is very easy to book pick up and drop to travelling points.
• Web check-in help you in getting rid of long queues at Airports.
• Travel paper less. Searching for tickets – digging in your hand bag again and again is very tedious. Keep the soft copy of tickets on your smart phone and travel hassle free.
• Re-confirm the hotel arrangements just a day before your departure.
• Tag the luggage well, mention your or emergency contact numbers clearly – use permanent/ waterproof ink.
• Use locks with the keys, number locks – I always jumble them and later repent. Godrej has got some real strong & stylish locks; check those out.

Travelling with kid does not mean packing whole house!

I recall my earlier days of travelling with parents, we would pack every thing possible in those big gigantic suitcases. And stuffing those suitcases under the train berth racks was another tug-of-war. But for me travelling with kid = travelling light. Pack only what you need, and reuse as much a possible.

Travel Friendly packing –

While preparing travel schedule check out the days& nights you are out of home. Plan and carry according to these days.

• Carry travel friendly packs of toiletries. Use the smaller bottles for essentials.
• Use zip lock pouches instead of carrying whole cereal boxes or kid’s favourite snack.
• Carry smaller unbreakable medicine bottles for kids instead of whole stash of medical care kit.
• Keep few T-shirts that can be re-used with the denims or thick bottoms.
• Travelling to colder places – let kids wear warmers/thermals inner ware doubled with a heavy bomber jacket.
• Avoid carrying eatables as Airports or Railways Stations today have huge variety of healthy & hygienic food. If you must – then carry dry snacks.
• Keep kid’s suitcase/bag separate, it is much easier to handle when things are packed separately.
• Save space for bag-packs – I avoid carrying handbags, instead take a bag pack. This offers larger space to keep miscellaneous.
• En-route entertainment – keep drawing books, puzzles, music, story books etc or if carrying laptop; it’s sorted.

These are few travelling tips from our experience, what is your most advisable tip? Share with us in comments below.

Linking this post with Deepa & Amrita for #mondaymommymomments.