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Babies: 9 - 12 Months
Share your travel tips with baby...
DH and I love to travel and we are attempting our first trip as a family with DS. In about a month, we will be flying from New York to Lake Como (Varenna), Italy for just over a week. We're a bit nervous, as it will be our first flight with DS-he will be just over 11 months at the time of travel-but we are pretty relaxed as a couple, and the little man is a great sleeper and a laid-back, smiley little boy as well.
For those who have traveled with an infant/ toddler, especially internationally, what are your tips for making the vacation run smoothly? Thank in advance!
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Re: Share your travel tips with baby...
When I fly with DS, I put the essentials in a big zip bag that I keep at my feet. Like, I keep a couple of diapers and a few wipes, bottles and formula powder, a couple of small toys, pacifier, and snacks. If you put those essentials in a zip bag, it's so much easier to grab that than to try to dig through the diaper bag to try to grab what you need. If LO has a blowout, you don't want to be digging around for the diaper and wipes. If LO starts to get fussy, you don't want to be digging for snacks or the bottle. It also makes it so you can put your diaper bag in the overhead bin and leave your foot-space free.
I also splurge on a bottle of water after I get through security so I don't have to worry with cups of soda/juice/water on the plane.
- at takeoff and landing nurse, give LO a bottle, or pacifier. Something to help with the change in altitude.
- a baby carrier will come in handy when you need to bounce a bit to soothe and maybe help him fall asleep
- sounds like your DS might do well with having a flight time close to nap so you can just pop him in the carrier and have him sleep a couple hours into the flight. You could also attempt to fly out at night and maybe he'll sleep even longer. That never worked for us but it might for you.
- if you don't have any issues with TV than I suggest bringing some sort of DVD player/iPad/entertainment-type device to show his favorite shows
- bring lots and lots of snacks, books, and quiet toys. I would also go purchase a couple cheap toys that you can surprise him with on the plane.
In the end, you can bring the world and it may not be enough. Trust me, we learned that the hard and embarassing way on our way home from Hawaii when DD was 18 mos. Just develop a temporary thick skin to ignore the rude looks you might get, maybe offer some ear plugs, and say to yourself that you'll never see these folks again. We plan on taking the kids to the Philippines and Vietnam in Feb. (first flight for DS and first international flight for DD) so we're kind of in the same boat! GL and have fun!
I agree with all of this. Also, if your LO is walking, try to find a way to help him stretch his legs.
I would also highly recommend buying your LO a seat if you can. We have flown a number of times with DD since she was 5 weeks old. Flights have been anywhere from 4 hours to 8 hours. We have bought a seat for her everytime but once. We will never do the lap child thing again. It was hard!
Enjoy Italy! We just got DD her first passport as well. We're headed to Europe this Fall. So excited!