How do you travel with small children and babies?

I have a question for everyone. We will be traveling on a five hour each way road trip and later on a five hour each way plane trip. How do I occupy a 3 year old and two 16 month olds in a car and on an airplane for hours? We will also be going to tourist sites and places like Sea World. How do I handle naps, snacks, rides, tantrums, etc. when "home" is a hotel and we're in public all the time? I've never done this and I'm a little nervous. Any advice would be helpful.

Thanks!



Jennifer

Jennifer,



That is a tough one. We have done a great deal of traveling with small children. My oldest had been to the US, France and the UK before he was 6 months old!!! We actually like traveling as a family. When Thomas interviewed for fellowships we drove from PA to Indiana, Wisconsin, etc..and we chose to drive from PA to Fl when we moved here with a 4,3 and 4 mo. old.



Here is my advice:



1. Have low expectations...you are probably going to need more than 5 hours to drive..plan 7. This way, you can stop with the kids and a rest area and take some walks, go to a McD's with a play area and let them play while you and hubby have coffee, or something...



2. Your 3 yr old..and maybe even the 16 mo olds might enjoy magna doodle!!! It is a great mess-free way for them to color and they can't lose their pen along the way because it is attached to the board.



3. Take snacks along with you..juice boxes (100% juice, of course) and crackers/cheerios...whatever they like.



4. I always let them each pack a little bag with some particular toys/books that they want to have with them in the car and the hotel.



5. Be prepared to have a great deal of difficulty with their sleep schedule in the hotel...it is only one room and unless you and your husband are going to go to bed at 8 pm...well, they probably won't either...if you know this in adance, perhaps you won't be as frustrated.



Our kids love to travel. We make a calendar before we go and they get to check off the days before we go. We try and plan stops along the way that they will find interesting and stay in hotels with pools when possible so they can swim. Kids enjoy having something new and exciting. Be sure and take lots of pictures and make a picture book just for them when you get back.





Oh...and plane rides...pure torture..The airports can be interesting for kids though...i.e. the shops, etc.

.My husband and I are usually fit to be tied when we get off. Bring the kid's bags of toys so that they have something to play with and when the seatbelt sign is off, take turns walking up/down the aisles and telling them about things...pray they fall asleep, plead with them to fall asleep...watch them stay awake and be cranky...feel cranky yourself...and before you know it, you will be there convinced you will never fly again. Repeat this on the way back and then within a week you will have forgotten and will be planning your next trip!



Even my 17 month old was blown away by Disney! We let him get out of the buggy for many of the kids attractions and he had the opportunity to hug many disney characters. He had a huge smile on his face all day and just loved it.



If you are planning on going into a park like this, I suggest a cooler with drinks, gogurt, etc...because the food/drink is EXPENSIVE ($2.50 for a can of coke!!!!)



Hope this wasnt' too long and that it helped!



Sincerely,



Kristen

Jennifer, are you going to San Diego by any chance? If you are I might be able to give you some ideas of what the place is like, b/c I lived there for 5 years! Just wondering...

As for travel advice, I hardly feel qualified to offer much since we only have one 3-year-old. Our strategy for traveling with him was novel snacks (lots of little bags that we would bring out one at a time, saving the big guns like cookies for the desperate times - normally I don't give him much sweet stuff but on a crowded plane it can buy you a few more minutes of peace) and toys. Bubbles and tape and stickers were the best! Plain masking tape is surprisingly interesting to a 1-2 year old. Hey, if you get a few minutes of interest out of it, it's worth it.

Good luck!

Kaaren

I just got back from a 7 hour trip that I take with my boys. It takes me that long to get to my parents house in Texas and the boys and I drive it at least 5 times a year by ourselves. We have a full size conversion van. The boys each have a chair so there is no touching it also has a tv and vcr. That is the key for us. Our boys also like to listen to music at least 1/2 the way. Just fun cd's or cassettes would work for that. Colors is always good, just be sure they are in plastic baggies so if they melt. I like the magna doodle idea! We travel on I-40 which is packed with trucks. The boys always try to get them to honk and we keep track of how many honked and how many snubbed their nose at us! There are several food items that I stay away from while traveling. Either too messy or just not worth the hassel. All in all my boys would load up this afternoon for another road trip. Of course the boys would Mom however is still a little tired!

One more thing ~ they sell tv's and vcr's that plug into your lighter. That is what we had before our van. When it is not in the vehicle it can be hooked up in the house. Definitely a must if you travel as much as I do!

Thank you for the ideas. We made our first of four long trips well. We drove to San Antonio with few problems (except I packed everything very well and was so proud of myself until in the middle of nowhere we realized I had forgotten DIAPERS!) The magna doodle is a magnificent idea. I got one for my son and my girls have been fighting over it ever since we got here. I think I'll be buying two more.



So, one down, three to go! (And between trips we have a wedding reception to take the kids to). My poor children get dragged all over creation, but I guess it's good for them. I think of it like those seeing eye dogs in training. They have to be taken everywhere - the theatre, restaraunts, etc. to get them accustomed to every situation. I guess if I survive getting them accustomed maybe I'll reap the rewards!



Jennifer



(If there are anymore good ideas - please tell them to me because this is only the beginning!)

I forgot to tell Kaaren that we will not be going to San Diego (although we are currently at the same latitude). After a month in San Antonio (which I am finding to be the most beautiful, friendly place on the planet) we will go back to Dallas for a week and then fly to Travis AFB. Travis is between San Francisco and Sacramento. It's south of the Napa Valley (too bad we don't imbibe) and a short trip to Lake Tahoe. No wonder real estate prices are sky high!



Jennifer