What is the hardest part about traveling with a toddler or infant?

Stepping out of your front door.

If you ever think that there is such a thing as “the hardest age to travel” you are sadly mistaken. I have a friend who lives in Romania with their 7-year daughter, whom they have traveled with and world-schooled all of her life. Honestly, the hardest part about travel is taking your first trip.

There is a massive amount of anxiety with the unknown.

What will my child eat?
How many diapers should we bring?
Will my child sleep?

There are countless numbers of unknowns that run through your mind before taking your first trip. However, after your first trip, regardless if it is an overnight road trip or a cross-country plane ride, things get easier each time you travel. So what are you waiting for? Bon voyage!

How to Keep a Toddler Entertained on a Flight?

Some people think that a plane trip longer than an hour is exhausting with a toddler. First of all, I have only been on one plane ride in my life that lasted an hour, and between security and parking, I could have taken a car. If you get your child used to traveling, first by car or train and next by airplane, the motion of the flight will likely put them to sleep, but even if it doesn’t you can survive a plane trip with a toddler without using an iPad. Try any of the 7 Tips for traveling with a toddler on a plane in the post and include a few other items such as:

• Plan your trip so that you are in the air during their nap time. Regardless of the time change, children have a natural rhythm and want to sleep around the same time each day. Do your best to schedule your travel to allow this for them.
• Bring other forms of entertainment. A few good books, a pad to draw, any form of non-marking coloring device is great for keeping your toddler engaged and maintaining your sanity.
• The longer the flight, the more understanding the aircrew is of your need to walk around with your child. Children love to see new faces and adults love to see happy children. It is a win-win for everyone on the plane for you to get up and walk your child up and down the aisles. Plus there a chance you can find another little one the same age that your child may find engaging.

Getting your toddler to sleep…

I have never been a fan of crying it out (CIO). I think it produces unnecessary stress on infants and doesn’t allow your child to establish the call for mom or dad for help when the child really needs it. However, if your child does want to be fussy when you are staying in your hotel remember this: when you booked your reservations, you stated that you had an infant or a toddler.

The hotel is smart enough to not put you next to the person who wants peace and quiet from 6 pm – 10 am. Chances are they will book you right next door to another infant or toddler and one night your child will cry and the next day the other kid will cry. It is what they do sometimes, and it is okay.

Traveling with a toddler opens up their horizons, it broadens yours too!

Have you traveled solo on a dad-child trip?  How did it go – where did you go? Let us know in the comments below!