Toddler travel tips
We love traveling with Mav. I think a lot of people worry that after you have kids you won’t be able to travel as much, or it’ll completely stop you from being able to travel at all. I totally get why people think that, but I want to squash that thought right now! If anything, it has only made travel all the more fun for us! Here’s the biggest thing that has changed, though and if you want traveling with a toddler to be fun, you have absolutely got to be prepared. For any and everything.
Here are a few of my toddler travel tips:
Do not stress about time on electronics
We usually try to limit his time on electronics, but if we are in an airport or have a long road trip, I am not going to be strict on that. This works for us, but do whatever feels right for you!
Bring extra snacks and treats
Again, we typically aren’t as lenient about giving him treats, but when we travel, it works best for us to have his favorite treats on hand in case of a meltdown. You also never know when something may be delayed, so having more snacks than you think you may need is always smart!
Bring a new toy
It does not have to be anything fancy - I cannot emphasize that enough guys!! Even a $5 sticker book would do the trick. But, if you have a flight or a long drive, something to incentivize your kids to behave is great.
Buffer room
Always always always plan for more time than normal. It’ll make for a much more stress-free time, I promise. If it only takes 15 minutes to get to dinner, I’d plan for 30-45 instead.
Know that things won’t go according to plan
Try as we all might to plan all the activities and details, but things will still get messed up, kids will still have tantrums, something will get forgotten. If your mindset is to go with the flow and to just take things as they come rather than try to stick to a rigid plan, I promise you’ll enjoy the trip WAY more!!
Pay no attention to judgment from others
Just remember...people will judge. And it. Does. not. Matter. Seriously! You will likely never see them again and they will be just fine! It is one flight and yes, we always want to be respectful of others, but if we are doing our very best, then that is all we can do!! Focus on doing what you can do for yourself and your kids and stop there. Don’t focus on anything else.
Relax
This one is always easier said than done (especially if your child throws a tantrum), but seriously, do your best to stay calm!! Our kids feed off of our stress, so if you start to freak out, it’s only going to make them get more anxious too!
Each trip we take, we learn something new about ourselves and Mav and we LOVE it! We are so thankful we get to create memories with our boy by traveling together!
