Tricks for Easy Travel With Toddlers

by Elizabeth Faden

Aug 15, 2009

Traveling with toddlers can be draining at its best, and a downright nightmare at its worst. We talked with a mom who travels extensively with her two year old toddler.

Distraction

Our mom's first tip was to distract the toddler as much as possible. Since most children do not understand why they cannot get up and move around, she finds it best to travel at night. This allows her toddler to sleep through the trip.

If traveling at night is not an option, our mom always carries a new or favorite toy for her son. She says the key is to bring several toys, and to take them out one at a time to keep them interested.

Another one of her tricks is to bring fun snacks. Our mom says she will not fly with her son unless she has brought lollipops for the take offs and landings, because the sucking helps pop her son's ears.

Comfort

Our mom says that it is also important for both the mom and child to be comfortable on trips. For her, that means wearing comfortable clothes. "Why make it harder for yourself?"

While it is not easy, she also says she travels as light as possible. She tries to check in as much luggage at the airport as possible so that her hands are free and that she is not weighted down.

But she also finds that, no matter how comfortable she makes her son, he always ends up wanting to stand up and walk around. Our mom's solution to this problem is to request middle and window seats on a plane. She takes the middle seat for herself, and allows her son to sit by the window seat. "He's good if he can look out the window, and just stand for a while in front of the seat!"