Traveling with a Toddler
We traveled a ton before Aluna turned one, and now that she is 16 months, IT IS WAY DIFFERENT. If you have the ability to travel before your baby is mobile, DO IT. lol. If your baby is still an infant, check out my blog entry about it HERE. I remember how easy it was to travel with her when all she would do was sleep the whole time, and I got so many compliments “wow! I had no idea there was a baby on this plane!”
Now, I get the awkward smile when someone realizes they are sitting next to me, and I have a smiley, giggly TODDLER with me. Thankfully, people are a lot nicer than you think, or I have been very fortunate to have people sit next to us that really like kids!
AIRPORT & PLANE
I am still going hard on the baby wearing, especially since I’ve been traveling by myself with Aluna. I want my hands to be free and not have to worry about pushing a stroller on top of my suitcase and/or backpack. I do see a lot of parents traveling with their big strollers, and just loading up the stroller with their bags, and if there are two of them(parents), it makes it so much easier to pack up the stroller while the other parent watches the kiddo(s).
The ERGO Baby carrier is probably the best to save your back, BUT I’m currently pregnant, and any extra pressure on the front side of my body right now is not ideal. I went with the Wildbird SLING Carrier. It made it feel like I was just carrying her on one side like I usually do, and Aluna loved being so close to me the whole time. She even falls asleep in it sometimes. I love that they have ones made out of Linen, so they feel nice and light. It takes a second to get used to, so make sure you practice at home when your baby is happy so you can get comfortable.
I always board early once they allow families to. It gives me time to get settled into our seats, and I usually let Aluna climb around on all the seats around me until the other people get there. It helps her get some energy out. :)
I tried to plan the flying times around her nap time, and on our most recent flight, she DIDN’T nap on the way there until the last 10 minutes of the flight (when we were landing). But she was so exhausted on the flight back home that she passed out as soon as we took off. So that is hit or miss if you want to plan around nap times! You just have to be ready to entertain.
I made sure to DOWNLOAD her favorite movie on my iphone (currently, Moana) so that it was available for her to watch and stay quiet. She was fine watching it on silent, so no headphones necessary. I also brought plenty of new toys that she was excited to play with, along with her favorite book.
PACKING
So up until a few months ago, we were traveling with the Doona Stroller/Car Seat, which was such a lifesaver. You don’t need a base, and the padded backpack case is amazing. Aluna is now a little too big for it, so I decided to still utilize the Doona Backpack, but bring our Uppababy MESA Carseat. Well, silly me thought you needed the base for the Uppababy MESA, but when I got to my friend’s house who has two under 3 years old, they were like “oh….man….i wish we woulda known you were going to bring the base, because YOU DON’T NEED IT!” ….AND MY MIND WAS BLOWN. So I quickly watched this video and was in and out of Lyfts & Ubers easily. How many of you knew this?!
If you are traveling by yourself, you definitely need to check this so you don’t have to lug it through the airport. I know if Nic was with me, we probably would not have checked it, so we wouldn’t have to wait for it once we landed. …we are definitely those “we don’t want to check bags ever” people. Lol
As far as your diaper bag for the plane goes, I would make sure you have at least 1 diaper for every two hours that you are gone from the minute you leave your house until the estimated time you are going to get to your destination. If you are someone that wants to be over prepared, I would also account for delays because most airports do NOT sell diapers. Don’t forget your wipes! I wouldn’t bother packing extra diapers for when you get to your destination, because you can always buy those when you get there, unless you’re only going to be there for 1 or 2 days.
SNACKS.
I packed an obscene amount of snacks, and we ate them all! I’m not sure if it’s because I am pregnant, or if Aluna really wanted them all. I wanted to make sure I had a variety of snacks because it really depends on Aluna’s mood. Here are the top snacks I bring:
Annie’s Cheddar Bunnies and/or Pirate Booty
Annie’s Fruit Snacks
Paleo Beef Sticks (yes, she eats these!)
A few sticks of string cheese(you can also buy these at the airport!)
Blueberries
You can buy individually wrapped items, or I like to pack them in Stasher Bags, and don’t forget a Snack Cup! I personally believe you can't’ bring too many snacks :)
SLEEPING
Aluna is already in a big girl bed, so we don’t bring a pack and play or travel crib anymore. Instead, we use these amazing inflatable bumpers, where she was able to sleep in the bed with me!
If your baby is still in a crib, the Lotus was great for us. I love that it’s easy to set up and also has backpack straps. If your baby still needs complete darkness or you are room sharing, the Slumber Pod was such a game changer for us!
Don’t forget your portable sound machine, or download an app on your phone!
Well, those were some of my biggest takeaways from my recent travels with my active Aluna! Hope they help, and I would love to hear some of your tips, too!