Luckily, I’m a planner – and with a toddler in-tow, travel planning is a must (and replanning … and back-ups to that plan). However, just because you need to plan does not mean it isn’t doable – and it might be even easier than you think.
When our family traveled cross-country recently for a cruise (me, my husband and our 3-year-old daughter), we knew if we talked through the whole thing enough times, we would come up with a plan that worked. We even went as far as doing a run-through to the parking place for the shuttle to the airport, since we had never been there before. We figured out where the elevators were (a must with toddlers), where I could take our daughter to the bathroom, and, when we returned, how we would get back to the car (we were taking the train back to the same location). No problem.
It was what happened between pulling out of our garage – and pulling back in two weeks later – that we needed to figure out. So we asked several questions and really thought about the answers. (And no, the first question was not, “are we crazy for doing this?”)
Question 1: Do We Take the Stroller?
Most parents would probably say: why wouldn’t you? Well, we didn’t. Whether you take one or not really depends on where you are going. Here’s the discussion we had:
Yes:
- The stroller helps in the airport as a place to put stuff
- It keeps her from running off
- We were going somewhere we wouldn’t need it
- Our daughter doesn’t mind walking and running.
- We weren’t getting off in port.
- We would only need it for three hours
- It’s one more thing to shlep
Question 2: Do We Take the Car Seat?
Again – this depends on where you are going. This question was a little easier to answer for us than the stroller one.
Yes
- It would give our daughter a cushier place to sleep on the airplane
- We weren’t using a car this time.
- We didn’t need it for the train.
- It’s a even bigger shlep to take around than the stroller.
- Our daughter is old enough, tall enough and weighs enough to not need a carseat on the plane.
If you do need a carseat, I do suggest buying one and either using it on the plane (we have used the car seat backpack to carry it through the airport - to make carrying easier) or checking it through (some families don’t because of concerns it could get damaged). Some rental car companies do have car seats, but quality and availability vary .
Question 3: Undies or Pull-Ups?
One of the things we couldn’t completely plan for is bathroom trips. Our daughter is toilet-trained, but that is in places where we have easy access to a bathroom.
Undies:
- We wanted her to feel like a big girl and not regress.
- We didn’t have to worry that she would have an accident if we hit turbulence and couldn’t get out of our seats, or if there was a long line.
- Long flight.
If you are on a short flight, and your kid has been potty trained for a while, then undies are probably not an issue. Also, if you have a portable potty seat – bring it! Two people CAN squeeze into the bathroom on the plane, but having to squat and hold her so she wouldn’t fall in the toilet was less than enjoyable.
Question 4: Airplane/Airport Food or Snacks From Home?
The terminal that our preferred airline leaves from is, in my opinion, one of the worst at our home airport. The food options are limited for kids, and we have to get pretty creative.
Airport/Airline Food:
- We knew we could get bagels, fruit, Lunchables and pretzels at the airport.
- Bringing large, zip-up bags to transfer the pretzels was doable since I knew that bag (or any snack) was not going to stay closed.
- Less expensive and we would have it even before we went through the security line if she needed it.
- Our child has some brand preference with certain snacks. If your child is a picky eater and will only eat a certain brand, you might need to bring it from home (just note that there might be some security restrictions based on what it is, so check ahead on the TSA site: “If your snacks are pretzels, potato chips, dried fruit or other dry goods, you can take them in your carry-on or checked bag. Snack items that are liquids or gels, like pudding, Jell-o or yogurt, etc., fall under the 3-1-1 rules for liquids for carry-on bags. They can be transported in checked bags .”
Question 5: Portable Crib or Bed?
When our daughter sleeps well, we all sleep well. As a baby we would put her in a portable crib. Now that she’s a toddler, it was time to re-examine our options.
Portable Crib
- The hotel we stayed at had portable cribs, but not bed rails – which we would have needed.
- We didn’t have to worry about her wandering around a strange place.
- If we were staying with relatives we could purchase a Pack ‘n’ Play online if staying with relatives and have it shipped or buy once we got there.
- We could bring travel bed rails or have them shipped to our destination. (Note: Some parents, who don’t have bed rails, improvise by putting pillows or a mattress on the ground and creating a makeshift bed, or rolling up towels on both sides of a child and putting them in the middle of the bed.)
- Our cruise ship did have bed rails.
- It wouldn’t take up extra room in the room.
- If we were are staying with relatives, a bed/couch scenario might be easier since they have one.
Additional Questions to Ask
- Should the toddler get their own suitcase?
- Who sits where on the plane ?
- Infight Entertainment: Bringing the screen vs. activity books
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