Tips for Traveling with a Toddler

Jax and I traveled to Michigan this passed week to visit family and friends and celebrate my Tio’s 60th Birthday! Fabian was not able to join us on this trip but Gramma came along to lend a helping hand if I needed it. This was Jax’s first time on an airplane and my first time traveling solo with him, while also being 6 months pregnant. It was also my first time being back in Michigan since being pregnant with Jax.

Watching him experience the lake for the first time has got to be one of my favorite moments from this trip. Our little city kid walked into the lake with his hands in the air saying, “pokey, slimy, mama.” The lake was for sure not a water park or a pool, there were rocks, dirt, fish, and slimy pieces of weeds. It took him a little while to adjust to the nature but he got the hang of it and walked out in the water on his own a couple times. Guess our kid needs more nature in his life!

Our trip was 5 days long and packed to the brim with visiting friends, driving in the car for long periods of time, meeting family members, and new places and experiences. Jax did so amazing on this trip y’all! I know I am his mama and all but for real, he did so well! I want to share a few helpful things that helped me navigate this trip solo with Jax to help anyone who may be thinking of traveling with their kids any time soon. Cause if I can do it, you can totally do it!

Let me first say how stubbornly independent I am. You could also say I am pridefully independent. It’s not my greatest quality but I just don’t like asking for help. This trip tested that big time because y’all, when you’re traveling with a toddler, you need help. Besides my pride working against me, I also wasn’t really dressing like a pregnant woman. My clothes were all loose leaving room for error in wondering if I was pregnant or not or just carrying a few extra taco pounds. Even some relatives got a little confused and forgot that I was actually growing a baby.

Tip #1: Ask for help if you need it! People will help you, you just need to ask! (And if you’re pregnant… dress like it… mention it… and don’t be afraid to use it to your advantage. I did not and I wish I had)!

Tip #2 Air Travel: Pack a backpack full of toys, snacks, ipad, bluetooth headphones, diapers and wipes, and don’t forget antibacterial wipes and sanitizer. And for when the plane is ascending and descending make sure you’re munching on gummy worms. Our favorite are the black forest organic worms (and get the worms instead of the bears because you chew them longer)! This helped a lot with Jax’s ears! He only mentioned his ears hurting once! On to flight to Michigan I took his carseat on the plane and strapped him into it. (Be sure to check your airline’s policy about this before booking) If you have a toddler that might realize he can run around I suggest you bring your carseat on the plane. It helped Jax understand that he needed to stay in it the whole time. One the way back to Texas I decided to check his carseat and wanted to see how he would do without it on the flight. This was a big risk but once again, he did great. He kept his seatbelt on the whole time and was occupied by a movie, his toys, and some stickers. I choose not to let him run up and down the aisle because once he found out he could get up and run around it was gonna be even harder to keep him in his seat.

Tip #3: Sleeping: If you know us in real life you know that Jax has been sleeping in his own room since he was 6 months old. We have never let him sleep with us in our bed and that was a very on purpose choice. This trip however, Jax slept with me. It was a whole new experience but between him being in a new place and not having daddy around, being close to mama was about the only way we both were going to get any sleep. I kept his night time routine as close to his routine at home as possible. I brought his favorite books, his blanket, and his sleep sack all sprayed with lavender to give hime a sense of home. I also talked with him about how special it was to be sleeping in mama’s bed and how when we got home he was going to sleep in Jax’s bed. Fabian and I had also talked about the sleep situation before we left and were on the same page with doing whatever it took to make sure that he was sleeping well. This went for his naps too. He took a lot of car naps and if he fell asleep in the car I wouldn’t bother moving him, we would just keep driving until he woke up. I may have even snuck in a solo ice cream date with myself while he was napping. So yes, his normal at home routine was thrown off a bit but it was worth it to make sure he was napping and sleeping as best as he could. When we got back home he asked for “mama’s bed” twice but we went right back into his normal sleeping routine in his own bed and he adjusted back to his normal routine in a day!

Tip #4: Restaurants/Eating: Once again if you know us, you know that we don’t allow Jax to have our phones, ever. Well.. just like with the sleeping, I made an exception on this trip once or twice. Since we were visiting with family we were at restaurants longer catching up with everyone. If I noticed Jax was getting impatient and crayons, his toys, and conversation weren’t helping him I would set up my phone and play an episode of Curious George. Sometimes ya just gotta do what you gotta do. He also got my phone when it was time for me to take a shower. When it came to food for him, he ate well at restaurants but he also plowed through a bag of goldfish and Once Upon A Farm pouches were a daily necessity. I also kept a water bottle with me at all times too that him and I both shared.

When it comes to traveling with kids, Fabian and I both think that it is totally worth it. You may need a little extra patience and your routine will most definitely look different but remaining flexible and humble will go a long ways in making your travel experience the best it can possibly be. Enjoy some more moments from our trip to Michigan!