| Bill Hamilton You're trying to check things off your to-do list before that big trip you're taking in the morning and you seem to be doing okay until it comes time to think about what to put into your carry-on travel bag when you're traveling with children.
Whether you're a mom, dad, grandma, grandpa, guardian, friend, relative, or a nanny who'll be traveling with one or more children, you know in a heartbeat that you'd better have what the child needs already packed into your bag, just in case they need it. It can certainly be frustrating when that child asks you for something and you don't have it available. I'm not talking about the child being spoiled and not getting what he wants. I'm talking about thinking in advance what you'll need to pack before the trip to make your travel time go smoother and easier.
When you're traveling by car, it's not quite as demanding as traveling by bus, rail, or by plane. Sure, anyone can find a spare hanky or napkin to hand you in case there's an accidental spill, but what about all those other unforeseen things that require even your most basic necessities?
While the following list most certainly isn't an exhaustible list of everything you could possibly need for a child while you're traveling, perhaps this list will serve as your own starting point for creating a "What to Pack" list for your situation.
1. Pack diapers for infants and those toddlers who are prone to have emotional accidents due to new or scary situations. For infants, it's best to pack one diaper for every hour that you'll be in the air or traveling to and from the airport.
2. Pre-moistened, individually wrapped antiseptic paper wipes. These are useful when changing a child's diaper as well as cleaning up messy hands, faces, and minor spills.
3. Bring Dramamine, baby aspirin and other medications that the child may require, even if the child isn't sick. The Dramamine will help with motion sickness, and it comes in handy to calm an impatient and nervous child.
4. Be sure to pack a small activity, cuddly soft sleepy toy, a book, or other item to distract or occupy the child. It will save your nerves and those around you when the child can be briefly entertained.
5. Always pack a thin blanket. It comes in useful for many things such as rolling it up like a pillow, covering a sleeping child, and it comes in handy for keeping you and the child warm. This is especially an essential during air travel since the cabin can become quite cool, and not every airlines these days offers blankets to their passengers-especially if your destination is in a arm location like Mexico or Hawaii.
6. Snacks, snacks, and more snacks. You can never have too many snacks, especially when traveling. If you're traveling by air, the pressure in a child's ears is eased while swallowing liquids or eating solids like crackers, dried fruit, cereal, or finger sandwiches. You can easily put snacks into small zipped-up snack bags. Carrying small amounts of foods in separate packages is preferable to bringing a large bag of pretzels or cheese fishes.
7. Bring bottled water, straws, covered sippy cups and other liquids. These are good to give during take-off and landing, but if you're traveling on land or by rail, it can be the difference between a cranky child and a happy child.
8. Pack a change of clothes for both you and the child. You might think you won't have an accident that would drench your clothes, but for sure if you bring the extra clothes you won't have to stress about any situation that can arise.
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