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If you're a new parent, we suggest you think of your baby travel companion as someone who'll add a whole new dimension to your travel experiences. Be sure you calm down your expectations, set realistic goals, and take it nice 'n' easy. Here are some parent-tested suggestions for travelling with a baby.
Be flexible:
Travelling with children can be a wonderful experience — if you go with the flow. Too many new sights and sounds at once can overstimulate your baby, and toddlers get bored having to sit still or sightsee for long periods of time instead of being able to run around and explore at their own energetic pace. Keep your itinerary simple. Limit it to one baby travel activity a day and you'll find it much easier to make last-minute adjustments if your child gets tired or just wants to spend time splashing in the hotel's wading pool.
Choose a relaxing destination that's used to young visitors, so you don't have to sweat the details. We recommend a lazy beach retreat, family camp, nature resort, or similar kid-friendly place. Skip the crowded, over-stimulating tourist destinations, places without shade, and other spots that will pose an added challenge when you have a young one in tow. Look for family-friendly hotels and resorts that let kids stay for free in their parents' rooms and provide free meals to children or buffet-style breakfasts included in the price of the room.
Bring drinks and snacks:
Make sure to take along a supply of water, breast milk, or formula — and a bag of snacks, if your baby travel is eating solids — on any trip. Children can get dehydrated during a flight, and toddlers can't always wait for food service (or they refuse the airline meal when it arrives). Whether you're in the air or on the road, best bets for older babies include easy-to-pack snacks like jars of baby food, bags of whole grain cereal, small cartons of fruit juice, teething crackers or animal crackers, and other age-appropriate nibblers.
Plan frequent rest stops:
If you're driving, break up your trip so your baby travel can stretch his limbs and move around to blow off some pent-up energy. Pack a rubber or foam ball for your baby to crawl after and some simple board books for quiet time. Pick out parks and picnic areas on your route so all of you have time to unwind after a long day on the road.
Think safety:
When you pack for your baby travel, be sure to include a basic childproofing kit to use at your destination. If you're taking a road trip, use removable window shades to keep the sun off your baby.
Pack a goody bag:
A good way to keep kids content on a trip is to take along a goody bag filled with more toys and bits than you think you'll need. Your baby travel might like an array of shiny new objects, baby-proof mirrors, rattles, musical toys, soft animals, pop-up toys, plastic keys, teething rings, board books, and favourite toys. Wrap some of them before you leave and present your child with a surprise every once in a while. Start building your toy stash a few weeks before the trip.
Take practice trips:
To get a feel for what works and what doesn't when you're on the road and away from home, you might try leading up to a big trip with some short day trips or weekend getaways. The trial runs could provide key insights — about things like what supplies you should pack, how long your child can last in a car seat, and which toys keep your baby travel happy (or drive you nuts).
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