Imagine if you were already dreaming about the lovely vacation you would soon be taking with your family to maybe an island resort in the Caribbean, or an idyllic tourist village in Europe. You, your spouse, and the kids have been talking about almost no other way except for preparing for the family vacation. The thrill of how you are going to enjoy all the beautiful sights you are going to see and the exotic kinds of stuff you are probably going to buy when you get to those places keep playing around on your end. Then all of a sudden, the wind of your beautiful daydreams got knocked out of you when the sight of the personal effects for yourself and that of the kids still lay scattered about with no idea of how you are going to start packing them, or even how much you’d need to bring along for the kids.
To be factual, taking a family vacation with a toddler and an infant definitely presents some unique challenges. Babies are always needing a lot of personal items and it can be overwhelming to gather up everything needed to ensure their survival and comfort for either the sea, the road, or in the air. In fact, For such tiny people, babies sure take up a lot of packing space. In addition to the day-to-day items you tout in a diaper bag, you’ll also need extra changes of clean clothes, diapers, bottles, nipples, formula (or equipment for pumping breast milk), toys, medicine, and whatever your little one needs to sleep. Exactly what you will need to pack will depend on how you are traveling, where you will be staying, and how long you will be gone.
This is the major reason why a lot of traveling parents consider packing for a trip to be the most stressful part of the adventure, especially when little kids are involved and you have to decide what is truly essential and what is not. There is no exact science to knowing what and how much to bring, especially if you’re going on a longer trip. Also, you would be needing to put so many things into consideration like for instance the weather, which can be very unpredictable at times. And depending on your itinerary, you and your kids might be needing just simple, comfortable clothes and shoes the first day and a more formal outfit the next. So one can imagine the stress of having a toddler or two and a baby coming along for the journey.
And there is also the case of having to sort out the different belongings of your kids so that things won’t mix up along the line, which can cause some chaos especially if you are having an army with you. But not to worry, having to bring a couple of toddlers and a baby with you is something you can still work your way around.
Here Are Some Packing And Baggage Suggestions That Would Be Useful For You And Your Kids:
- Take the time to select, review, and double-check all the things you have finally planned to bring. You have the choice of either selecting nice-to-have items or the must-have ones. But at this point, it is advisable to majorly consider taking items that are more of multipurpose in their usage. You know you have a team or duo of kids with you so you can’t really afford to bring things that are only fancy and limited to one purpose. For example, a fleece jacket can be used as a blanket on a flight. Or, a light-receiving blanket can double as a towel in case of an emergency.
- Utilization Of Pack Cubes: Packing cubes keep your luggage organized by grouping similar items together. This is a relevant item that can be of great help to you, especially in the organizing and sorting of your kids’ clothing and toiletries. Packing cubes are truly lightweight and quite simple to use. However, they don’t fit as nicely in a traditional backpack but are more designed for suitcases or travel backpacks, which will suit you well. To use your packing cubes, first group your clothes together and designate a bag for each grouping. Next, roll, don’t fold, your clothes so you can easily see everything in each cube. Like you would your luggage, avoid under or overfilling the cubes. If you end up with a half-empty cube, try consolidating.
Suggested Items You Can Pack For Both Your Baby And Toddler
- A well-charged tablet or DVD player for the kids
- A pack of prepared baby formula or breast milk bottles
- Extra pairs of clothing for the toddler and baby (in case of mess or spills during the journey)
- Baby wipes and paper towels
- Pajamas to backup the baby diapers
- Comfy shoes for your toddler
- Toiletries (both for you and the kids)
- Hair accessories
- Some toys
- Sippy cups
- Packaged snacks and drinks (water, fruit juice, etc)
- Necessary medications for you and the kids
- And the most useful among your clothing
Is it easy for your to travel with your little one?