For Luke, our vacation was a fun adventure. At the same time, my 2-1/2-year-old daughter, Emma was fast asleep on Greg's lap in the row behind me. This past weekend, I learned a lot about travelling with preschoolers.
Getting to our destination wasn't much of a problem. We had a very early flight, so we carried our children straight from their beds to their car seats, still wearing their pajamas. In each backpack: a change of clothes, pack of wipes, snacks, coloring books, crayons and a new little toy they haven't seen yet (nice surprise to occupy their time on the plane.) We had my mother and a babysitter, so we took two rows (key since both kids wanted a window seat.) We talked about the flight a lot before the trip, so they loved the plane ride.
Dr. Andrea McCoy, chief of pediatric care at Temple University Children's Hospital, says the key to an enjoyable flight is making sure your children are comfortable. "Make sure you bring what your child will need on board - food, drinks, medications." She also suggests you pay for a plane ticket for your child so they have their own seat, even if they are young enough to sit on your lap. "Many families don't want to pay for a seat for their toddler, and I understand the economics," she says. "But having enough space is important - not only for you, but for the people around you. Also, a baby is much better protected strapped into a car seat and a plane seat, rather than in the parent's lap."
Instead of staying at a hotel, I find renting a small house is much easier when you are travelling with small children. Not only is it cheaper, it makes our stay much more comfortable. We can eat many of our meals at home, when we want and what we want. This eliminates the stress of finding a child-friendly restaurant. We had a fenced-in backyard with lots of toys and a small pool for our little swimmers. A washer and dryer meant we could pack extra light. Besides, with Luke, I really don't need to bring many changes of clothes since he wanted to wear the same dinosaur tee-shirt and Adidas shorts all every day.
Most importantly, I learned that, no matter how much fun our destination, we are all very happy to return home.
Happy parenting!
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