traveling with babies?

Question

im traveling to ca from ak with a 2 yr old and 8month old. any helplful advice would be great. dont say not to travel with children. thank you

btw, im flying!

Answer 1

Check with the airlines. They may not allow ANY open items in light of the latest attempts by terrorists. My step-son and his wife just travelled from Guam to Arkansas with a 7 month old (23 hours on a plane). They said it was very difficult on the plane so I'm not going to give you high hopes. You just need tools to help you survive it with the least amount of destruction and stress as possible. Airplane regulations now tend to keep the child in their own seats any time the fasten seatbelt sign is on which is most of the trip. I recommend a single tactile oriented toy (without sound) and a book like Where's Waldo or Highlights magazine for the picture searches. MOST IMPORTANT! Keep the toy you're taking with you on the plane away from the child until the flight so it's new and interesting and special to him or her. You might consider a portable CD player/ tape player with a read-along story book. And ANY time the fasten seatbelt sign is off, let the child and adult walk around the plane if possible. Don't bring a bag full of toys or food. It never works. Remember how little room you'll have to maneuver in those seats. For take off and landing, bring gum or spill-proof cups with juice (if allowed). Liquids may be off limits now.

Answer 2

The baby will likely be no problem. Keeping the 2 year old entertained might be a challenge. I've traveled thousands of miles so far with my daughter, now two. Be prepared for many stops for changing, feeding, whatever. Take along noisy toys for the 2 year old and just grin and bear the noise. Finger snacks and lots of baby wipes are a must. But be careful with the drinks. Water down juices so that they don't get too much sugar. Let the two year old run and play whenever you stop. Exercise is very important and will help junior nap. Sing, tell stories, communicate with them. Try to make it fun and not something to dread. Good luck and please be safe!

Answer 3

To the great suggestions everyone else has had, I'd like to add bringing a spare shirt for yourself and a complete change of clothes for both kids if you travel on a plane. Hopefully your kids won't do this, but on my last plane trip my son vomited on everything in sight including me. In addition to being mortifying, it was a real mess to clean up. I also had to stave off my husband's threatening to jettison the car seat, which brings me to the next point ...

A little bottle of liquid laundry detergent is also useful if you're going to stay in a hotel. Shampoo is okay for getting smelly kid messes out of clothes and car seats in a pinch, but detergent would be a little better.

Also, I'd like to put in a good word for the 88 cent magnetic drawing tablets at WalMart. (The ones filled with iron filings with a little magnet-tipped pen the kid draws with.) They're a good size for two year old hands, can be used over and over, are really portable, and don't make a mess.

Oh. And bring some aspirin for yourself. And look up the locations of playgrounds close to the places you'll be traveling and/or staying, and use Yahoo Maps to print out maps. It's a lot easier for two year olds to be good and not whine if they get to run around in between being strapped in.

Oh - another thing I read about. It may not be so practical since 9/11 and increased security practices, but if you wrap individual small toys in an envelope or whatever and ration them out one at a time, your kid gets a "surprise" about the time things start getting dull. Last time we stopped at a dollar store and loaded up on small toys but also stuff like stickers, a spool of ribbon to unravel, a spool of tape, and so forth.

Good luck!

Answer 4

feed the 8 month old at landing at take off and if the 2 year old can chew gum do that and if not then give him/her some juice or seomthing then too. You can take a stroller all the way to the terminal and fold it up right when you get to the actual plane, they will take it and load it for you and have it there right when you get off the plane... o wait are you even taking a plane?? if driving just make sure you bring a lot of toys and snacks to entertain them. You going by yourself?? GOOD LUCK!

Answer 5

Well, all I can say is good luck!

Kidding ... I have traveled with a toddler and a baby before (my kids). It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.

If your traveling by car, Make sure you have plenty of diapers. Take breaks every couple of hours to let them outside and walk around a bit. Make sure you have plenty of toys to keep them occupied. Extra bottles to keep their mouths quiet ;).

If your traveling by plane, its a little bit more difficult, but you can still get them to walk up and down the isle a little bit. At least you can hold them on your lap this time. Make sure you have something for them to drink when you take off. Lots of toys! Try to bring toys that they haven't played with before, or haven't played with for a while.

And most of all, if your traveling by plane, try not to worry about what people think. Chances are there are mothers on there that have traveled with little ones of their own before.

Answer 6

You need to make sure that you pack all the needed supplies for both children.

Also make sure that you bring items to keep your children entertained. A portable DVD player and movies, toys, books, games, stuffed animals or other items that your children respond to very well. Children get bored very very easy.

Also make sure that you bring snacks along with you for both your children. Cheerios in a bag, other soft snacks that they like.

Make sure you bring some of there favorite items from home like blankets (so they feel secure) this will help them nap.

Answer 7

You need to be more specific. Are you flying or driving?

If you are driving, make sure to stop every couple of hours. Sitting and not moving around for more than a couple hours can cause blood clots if you aren't moving around to help circulation. Stop every 2 to 2 1/2 hours to use the restroom and walk around. Take plenty of activities for them to do. Make sure not to take toys that you would contantly be picking up off the floor such as small toys, crayons, etc. Window clings are always fun for kids to stick on the car window. They peel off easily so they can rearrange them into a new design or picture. Take plenty of snacks as well such as baggies of cereals, crackers, etc.

Anyway, hope I helped. Good luck and God bless.

Answer 8

Well for the 2 yr old you need something to occupy maybe colors and coloring books for the 8 month old just make sure she has colorful toys maybe something that talks and stop often and let them run around so they dont get too cramped and cranky

Answer 9

get a bunch of smallish disposable tupperware containers and portion out snacks and activities and label them for easy hand off to the toddler. if you're flying, do your best to keep a thick skin, people tend to forget how difficult it is being little on a plane, the pressure, noise, keeping still. keep your sense of humor and know that it will be over eventually.

Answer 10

Bring along things they can use to keep themselves occupied. Things like picture books, toys, puzzles, and anything that can be brought and used in the car that's entertaining. You should also bring plenty of food and drinks and of course diapers plus the supplies you use with diapers.