Traveling with a Toddler and a Baby

Now that we’ve taken several trips with a toddler and a baby, I thought I’d share some lessons we’ve learned along the way! Remember that although traveling can be stressful in this phase of life, you won’t regret the adventures you made as a family. :) The mind also does a great job at remembering the good times over the bad, so don’t forget to relax and have a little fun. For gear-junkies like me, I have also aggregrated our few essentials of baby and toddler travel gear at the end of this post. Although I am a big fan of packing light, I am a bigger fan of being prepared when traveling with kids!

Before Your Trip:

Make a packing list early- I have a few saved Google doc packing lists (summer vs. winter, car vs. plane) that I can start going through a few days to a week ahead of time. Start packing early so that when you inevitably realize you are missing something, you have time to run to a store or Amazon prime last minute items.

“Must-do’s” and “Maybe-do’s” - Come up with a list of activities you definitely want to do while you are on your trip, and ones that could go either way. That way, you can schedule your days to have one main activity planned, with room for others depending on how the kids are doing and how you all are feeling. I have learned the hard way not to overschedule! Getting in and out of the car a dozen times in one day does not lead to happy kids, or happy parents.

Prioritize Sleep - There is a good chance your sleep on the trip won’t be great, so try to get a good night’s sleep the couple of nights leading up to the trip. Better to start on a full battery than already drained! Packing early prevents the night-before stressing too! Make sure to pack any sleep essentials, like lovies, sleep sacks, favorite book, or whatever will maximize your chance of sleep success while away.

Travel during optimal hours - Some people swear by red-eyes, so that their child will just sleep the whole plane ride. That can definitely work with babies - both our kids were easy to fly with when they nursed and slept (pre-walking)! Since D has become a toddler, she does not sleep on the plane or even the car, so I couldn’t stand the pressure of keeping our kids quiet while others are sleeping on a dark plane. We always leave in the morning, so that if and when our toddler doesn’t sleep, we still do okay, and make it to our destination by bedtime. Think about your child’s sleep patterns, and plan accordingly.

Condos/Homes over Hotels - If you are staying with family, great! If not, consider an AirBnB or condo that will make meals and sleep easier for your family. We almost never sleep in a hotel because it’s just too hard with two little kids. We need a kitchen, space to play, and bedrooms with closed doors. We’ve found the best situation to maximize baby sleep is a master closet or bathroom that can fit a pack-n-play or Lotus crib and can be dark and quiet when the rest of the house is’t. Some AirBnBs come with baby or toddler gear, which is a huge bonus! There are also baby/child gear rental companies for that kind of thing.

During the trip:

Fill that diaper bag - This is so important. Always have a few healthy snacks, a full water bottle, and a couple changes of clothes on hand. Have lots of wipes. Don’t forget all three of these things for yourself and your partner too! It is also useful to keep a couple of activity/coloring books in your bag for long waits or restaurants.

Rules can be different - Although this trip may not feel like a vacation for you with kids, let it be a vacation for the kids. It’s okay if your baby is eating squeeze packs every day and your toddler is getting to play tiny dictator with the relatives. What happens on vacation stays on vacation. It really is easier than you think to get back to your normal routines and rules once you get back home, so try to let a few things go!

Keep up Routines - That being said, keep a few routines the same. This is especially important with sleep. Although schedules might be thrown off with time changes and long travel days, keep the bedtime sequence the same (e.g. bath, pjs, stories, white noise, songs). Try to bring as much as you can to recreate their normal bedtime/sleep routine, so they feel safe and able to rest.

We usually take a crib or twin mattress from the house and put it on the floor for her to sleep on, with all her favorite things!

Flexible Naps - It can be hard for toddlers to nap on vacation, so try not to get too worked up about it (I’m guilty of this). It’s okay if the only nap happens in the car or stroller. As D has gotten older, she phased out naps on trips before phasing them out at home. With babies, try to focus on wake windows and sleepy cues rather than the clock when it comes to naps. It can help to plan for one good nap at home and one short on on the go. We always make sure we are “home” by their bedtime in the evening and keep the nighttime sleep consistent.

Make time for yourself - If possible, plan something fun on this trip for just you. Maybe that’s yoga or a run by yourself, maybe it’s a date night, or maybe it’s a fun adventure to some place you really want to see with the whole family. Even if it seems difficult to get you or everyone out, you don’t want to feel bummed that you missed out on a little adventure once you get back home. If you have help from family, embrace that and take some “me time”!

It’s okay to say no - That being said, there are times when everyone, including yourself, has reached their limit and you just need to stay “home” and recharge. There are also times when your toddler says no, and you should respect that too. It’s about finding that balance of adventure and fun while still staying sane and making this enjoyable for all.

Be Montessori-ish - Though Montessori is a big part of our home life, travel is a little different. Most of our time is spent outside anyway, playing in nature! We try to come up with small ways to allow for toddler independence when we travel, like setting up a spot for D to put her shoes and coat by the door, or letting her help cook when we have a kitchen (she can stand on a chair with supervision). We bring a few natural rubber or wooden teethers for S, but he is usually just happy to be held by family when we travel.

Expect Less - Lastly, I recommend going into trips expecting the littles to sleep less, have big emotional ups and downs, and probably some kind of sickness. If not, you can feel pleasantly surprised! 😉