Travelling with the children

Tag : Kids' Stocking


After ten years of travelling with children, I have learnt this:Less is more.

All that you hear about packing toys for children to unwrap on theaeroplane or stocking up on travel games to play in the car is, inmy experience, useless.

They only distract kids for ten seconds and leave parents with moreto clean up.

Snacks, though, are important, especially on aeroplanes where foodis increasingly limited.

This isn’t to say I’m anti-stuff. I live and die by theportable DVD player.

Books are good, although remember it’s always fun to buybooks on your travels, so you don’t have to take a library.Ditto for crayons and colouring books.

If your child is soothed by a stuffed animal or two, take them. Mykids tend to develop sudden attachments to toys they then ignore orlose during the trip, so our stuffies stay home.

Here, based on this mum’s experience, is a brief guide togood travel stuff:
Carrier

For infants, I swear by the Baby Bjorn Infant Carrier ($79 to $99or Dh290 to Dh364 at www.babiesrus.com ), which keeps your hands free, the baby warm and takes up no room.

When we went to Paris with our 2-month-old, we didn’t botherwith a stroller. Because it was winter, we also got a Baby Bjorncarrier cover which kept little Darby warm and dry.

(You know you have made a good purchase when a Parisian mother asksyou where you got something.)

For older kids, if you are going hiking, a Kelty Child Carrierbackpack ($119 to $240 or Dh437 to Dh882 at Sport Chalet, www.sportchalet.com ) is a must.

You dads can go miles with a kid on your shoulders but when thatkid falls asleep, you are balancing a sack of cement on yourshoulders.

Stroller
When your baby is too heavy or squirmy for a Baby Bjorn, you need astroller.
And if you’re going to travel a lot or go to places withcobblestones or off-road walking, you should invest in a reallygood umbrella stroller.

I have a Chicco C6 ($59.99 or Dh220 at www.amazon.com ).
Car seat

A car seat ensures you have somewhere safe to put an infant whenyou’re in your hotel room or apartment.

For older kids, a cool thing is a Gogo Kidz Travelmate ($89 orDh327 at Gogobabyz.com) — a car seat that turns into astroller by pulling out a handle and wheels.
Grobag

These zippered blankets will keep a child warm. Get a size up fromyour child’s regular size and it will work in a stroller. At$55 (Dh202) ( www.amazon.com or www.gro-group.co.uk ).
Portable crib

Leave it at home. Most hotels and rentals provide a crib, and eventhe portables are heavy.

You can take a Travel Bed (Gentle Air Dr Watters Portable OvernightBed, from $60.75 or Dh223 at www.amazon.com ).

In the end, it’s best to remember two things about travelstuff: You should only take things you know are going to make yourlife easier, and if there is something you need but do not have,you can probably buy it wherever you are.