Packing Tips

I love to pack as minimally as possible and don't mind underpacking or stress about accidentally leaving some things behind if I know that I can purchase them at my destination. However, there is no good way to pack minimally with a wee one.

They have so much bulky equipment--cribs, bouncers, high chairs, strollers, car seats. They go through stacks of diapers and wipes. They can't wear their clothes more than once between washings. How one pares down to the essentials for a vacation really depends on your tolerance for lugging things around versus your desire for convenience and familiarity when you are at your destination. It also depends on how long you plan to stay, how you will get there, and how you will get around.

The key thing is balancing familiar with new, comforting with stimulating. With each baby this will be different.

We manage to get his things in one very small suitcase and in one diaper bag. If we're traveling by car, we will throw in the high chair since it breaks down so easily. This is what we find helpful:

• Familiar snacks that aren't messy (e.g. dry cereal, crackers, fruit pouches)
• One set of utensils and a bib that can be wiped
• Whatever is needed for drinking
• Three small, open-ended toys (e.g. something from the bath, a little lovie, and a little car). Too many toys take up space and are easy to lose. The new environment and you are the entertainment on vacation.
• A favorite book
• A whole pack of diapers and wipes so that you don't have to buy them right away. When you travel back, there will be that empty space in the case for souvenirs.
• A couple muslin blankets, good for sleeping, nursing in public, peekaboo, putting non-mobile babies down on the floor or grass, and wiping up drool when nothing else is in reach
• Clothes for every day, PJs, plus a couple emergency outfits that could work as PJs or day clothes
• Bath soap, pain relief for teething, nail clippers, and cream

Travels with Tots

My husband is from France, and I am from a city that is 400 miles away from where we live. Family is important to both of us, so we’ve already logged some major travel time. I love the packing and planning that precedes vacation and I look forward to the increased activity that comes with being in a new environment. I even used to look forward to the actual travel time, the calm between the flurry of packing and the hurry of arrival.

With a child, travel still has its joys, but oh how things have changed. On a twelve-hour flight to France when our son was six months old, I didn’t watch a single movie or read a book. What used to be a six-hour drive to see my family is now an eight-hour one. I once read every sign at museums and contemplated every work of art; I now study the museum's offerings beforehand and pick out a few things that I want to see. No longer do we leave in the morning with our packs and return at the end of the day exhausted; instead, we aim to get back to home base in the middle of each day for either a nap or quiet time. This is necessary for all of us because vacation no longer means sleeping in.

We are still learning about what works, but we have found that travel with our little guy works best when we are able to strike a balance between familiar and new. We also are mindful of selecting a few meaningful activities rather than committing to a bunch of "must-do" activities. And whether traveling or at home, it is good to know everyone's limits. A happy two hours in a museum is better than experiencing a tantrum in the fourth hour and needing to rush back to home base with a cranky, hungry, bored, or exhausted family member.