7 Baby and Toddler Travel Tips: Stress-Free Holiday Travel
Traveling with your family during the holidays can be stressful for parents. Little ones tend to get fussy and require mom's (or dad’s) attention at all times to keep calm. Toddlers get restless and cranky and make the situation more difficult. When you're traveling by car or plane this winter, keep these tips in mind for a smoother trip so mom and dad can relax and not worry about overtired kids. Once you get to your destination everyone will feel refreshed and ready for some holiday fun! Here are seven must-know tips for traveling with babies and toddlers.
1. Make sure babies and toddlers are dressed warm and comfortable.
It can get cold in the car/plane sometimes so making sure your little one is bundled up and feeling comfortable is an important factor in ensuring that they will sleep during the trip. Clothes that zip up for quick and easy on/off access make diaper changes a breeze. The Zipadee-Zip is a warm and soft sleep garment that keeps babies and toddlers feeling cozy so they can fall asleep more easily. The fabric is breathable and allows baby to move around freely. It's also easier to put on than pajamas and protects baby from germs.
2. Bring plenty of snacks.
Toddlers get hungry on long trips and bringing a variety of snacks to tide them over is really helpful. It's better to bring snacks that can be easily packed in small baggies and won't create a mess. Puffs, squeezable food pouches, yogurt melts and other healthy snacks are some good options.
If you want your baby to take a nap on the trip, it can help to mix in rice or oatmeal cereal into breast milk or formula. This will give your little one a more full feeling which can help ensure longer sleep. Also, on plane rides many babies need a soother or a bottle to suck on during take-off and landing to help prevent their little ears from hurting; it’s good to have a couple soothers on hand.
3. Bring Creative Distractions
You can never go wrong with bringing extra paper and pencils/crayons for kids to draw and color with. This activity can keep them occupied for the entire trip and encourages creativity. Another great way to keep kids occupied is DistrACTION cards by Buzzy. Bee-Stractor DistrACTION cards are deceptively simple cards that have about 2 hours of finding tasks. They're particularly great when the batteries of your smart phone go out, or hands are too sticky to entrust kids with electronics.
4. Play music.
Music can be very soothing for babies and toddlers like to sing along to their favorite songs. Try creating a special playlist for road trips and include some classic holiday songs to get the whole family in the holiday spirit.
5. Keep wipes on hand.
Be prepared for any messes and accidents by always having a stash of wipes, paper towels and extra diapers. It's also a good idea to keep a bag with a change of clothes ready for each child.
6. Bring a toy bag.
Have some special travel-only toys set aside for kids to play with on trips. These should be toys that your child gets to play with only during travel so it will remain a special treat. You can store small toys and crafts in ZizzyBee Bags, reusable eco-friendly storage bags that are also see-through and washable.
7. Pack pillows and blankets.
For extra-long trips, bringing your child's favorite blanket, pillow and stuffed animal can make the ride much more comfortable. It will be easier for your child to fall asleep with these items that remind them of home. For your baby or toddler bring Baby Elephant Ears, a unique support pillow for optimal comfort; when baby/toddler is comfy they will sleep better! Also, the Zipadee-Zip is the perfect wearable blanket. “It won’t fall off like loose blankets do and it keeps those little hands warm while preventing scratching,” shares Stephanie.
Zipadee-Zips can be purchased online for $34.95 at www.sleepingbaby.com. Enter promo code ZIPPY at checkout to buy 2 Zipadee-Zips and get $5 off.
Written by Stephanie Parker from Sleepingbaby.com, inventors of the Zipadee-Zip
The motto for Sleeping Baby, makers of the Zipadee-Zip, is: "Inspiring Dreams One Night at A time," and that, in a nutshell, is how it all started…with one little dream that has since become the Parker family's reality. When Brett and Stephanie Parker's daughter, Charlotte, was born, the feeling that welled up inside of them was indescribable; they never realized until first looking into those baby blues of hers that they were even capable of that kind of love.
When it was time to transition baby from swaddling, the Parkers tried every sleep sack on the market and every swaddle weaning trick they could find for nearly two weeks and nothing worked to get baby Charlotte to fall and stay asleep.
Stephanie became determined to restore sleep and sanity to their household and set out to find a solution that would soothe Charlotte's startle reflex and provide her the cozy womb-like environment she loved so much but still give her the freedom to roll over and wiggle around in her crib safely. Out of sheer desperation and exhaustion, the Zipadee-Zip was born. The first Zipadee-Zip(R) Stephanie put together on her little sewing machine worked like magic!
To date tens of thousands of Zipadee-Zips have been sold and all from word-of-mouth marketing. It is so rewarding for the Parkers to see other parents and babies getting the sleep they both need and deserve!
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