I’m no expert when it comes to packing. I’ve had my share of mishaps: inadvertently packing my husband’s donation pile instead of his clothes, driving five hours into the middle of nowhere only to discover the kids have no shoes – twice.
I’ve forgotten underwear, brought winter coats to hot places and summer clothes to cold. I’ve weathered diaper blowouts, forgotten booster seats and needlessly hauled a stroller across an ocean and back. It’s taken some creativity, but inevitably it all turned out OK. No vacation was ruined by the wrong clothes, the pokey grass or resorting to wrapping the baby in a shirt.
But that doesn’t mean I don’t continually strive to make traveling a smoother experience. And – despite the aforementioned instances – I’ve largely succeeded thanks to a few simple guidelines.
Babies
When the kids were in diapers, I never unpacked their diaper bag. Instead, I used the “one in, one out” method and, as soon as I returned from an outing, anything soiled was removed and instantly exchanged. That way I never had to wonder what I did or didn’t have.
And I always kept an overabundance of toys, snacks and baby wipes with me, enough to last at least an entire day, if not several days – which brings me to my next stage…
Toddlers
The biggest difference between packing for a baby and a toddler is snacks. When it comes to packing for kids – of any age – the most important thing to remember is food, and plenty of it. And don’t forget to bring along a little something for yourself because, just as no one wants to be around a toddler having a low-blood sugar meltdown, they don’t want to be around a parent having one either.
Also handy for travel, especially if it involves eating out, a small container of novel toys. Dinosaurs, people, cars, interlocking carabiners – anything that will keep tiny hands occupied. The key is, these are travel toys only, once you get home, they disappear.
Lastly, let’s not forget toilet training. It goes without saying that, even if you require your youngster to use the bathroom before ever setting foot inside the car, you will need to make unexpected stops. And some of those stops are going to be in the middle of an empty parking lot. Which means you are going to need, at minimum, wipes and plastic bags, and ideally, a potty chair. Handy for car rides, it’s equally helpful when your toddler thinks grandma’s giant toilet just might swallow her.
Little Kids
Most of the time traveling equals walking. And so, it’s always a good idea to plan ahead by wearing comfortable shoes and, even if your child says she is going to walk the entire time, bringing along a stroller. Because, even if she does walk, a stroller makes an excellent luggage carrier, a great place to stow snacks, water bottles, jackets and souvenirs for the entire family. Many are the days when I wish we still had this option.
Everyone
It’s impossible to remember everything. But there are two tips that I’ve found make every trip infinitely better.
First, master the art of the list. I’m old fashioned, I keep mine in a notebook filled with past trips so I can always refer to what worked – or didn’t work – before.
Second, never leave home without cleaning the house. That’s not a packing tip I know, but no matter what happens after you leave, whether you remembered everything, or got there with a suitcase full of someone else’s old clothes, if your house is clean when you return, you’ll be glad you put it on the list.
