Taking the kids: The right stuff

Tag : Kids' Stocking

After almost 10 years of traveling around the country and to Europewith children, I have learned this: Less is more.
All that stuff you hear about packing little toys for kids tounwrap on the airplane or stocking up on travel games to play inthe car is, in my experience, pretty much useless. Such things willdistract the kids for about 10 seconds and leave parents with moreto clean up.
Snacks are important, especially on airplanes where food isincreasingly limited, but jamming a thousand toys into a backpackor buying every new travel gadget is only going to ensure that youhave more stuff to keep track of.
Which isn't to say I'm anti-stuff. I live and die by the portableDVD player, two if your kids are at an age, as mine are, when theywill fight about the air molecules they breathe. Books are good,although remember it's always fun to buy books on your travels, soyou don't have to take a library. Ditto for crayons and a coloringbook.
If your child is consistently soothed by a stuffed animal or two,by all means take them. My kids tend while packing to developsudden attachments to toys they then ignore or lose during thetrip, so our stuffies stay home.
Still, the questions parents ask of those who have traveled more orfarther most often begin with ''Should I bring . . .'' thestroller, the car seat, the portable crib. Here, based on thismom's experience, is a brief guide to good travel stuff.
CARRIER: For infants, I swear by the Baby Bjorn Infant Carrier ($79.99 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 bother with astroller (which is a pain in any city with a subway or metro -- allthose steps). Because it was winter, we also got a Baby Bjorncarrier cover ($39.99 at www.babierus.com ), which kept little Darby warm and dry.
For older kids, if you are going to do a lot of hiking, a KeltyChild Carrier backpack ($99.97 at www.sportchalet.com ) is a must.
STROLLER : When your baby is too heavy or squirmy for a Baby Bjorn, you needa stroller, and if you're going to travel a lot or go to placeswith cobblestones or off-road walking, you should invest in areally good umbrella stroller. I have a Chicco C6 (from $49.36 at www.amazon.com ) that works well, and Maclaren has great lightweight portableurban strollers (from $99 at www.amazon.com ).
CAR SEAT: The great debate -- take or rent. I say take. You can check themwith your luggage or at the gate, and nothing's worse than rentingan infant seat you don't like or trust. Also, the car seatguarantees you have somewhere safe to put an infant when you're inyour hotel room or apartment, which is nice.
For older kids, a very cool thing is a Gogo Kidz Travelmate ($89 at www.gogobabyz.com ) -- a car seat that turns into a stroller by pulling out a handleand wheels. Although it's too low to the ground to act as a realstroller, it is great for airports.
GROBAG : These British zippered blankets are like big sleep sacks, andthey come in handy because they will keep a child as warm as anyblanket and not fall off during the night or get lost during theflight. Get a size up from your child's regular size, and it willalso work in a stroller. At about $55 ( www.grobag.com or www.amazon.com ), they aren't cheap, but they're worth it.
PORTABLE CRIB : Leave it at home. Most hotels and rentals will provide a crib,and even the good portables are heavy and bulky. You can take aTravel Bed (Gentle Air Dr. Watters Portable Overnight Bed, from$89.99 at www.gentleair.com or from $72 at www.amazon.com , is popular), but if it's a question of a bed being too high, youcan just pull the mattress onto the floor. Or with an older child,you can pack a collapsible bedrail.
In the end, it's best to remember two things about travel stuff:You should take only things you know are going to make your lifeeasier, and if there is something you need but do not have, you canprobably buy it wherever you are.
You might even find products that are better than the ones at home.I still believe every parent with a newborn should travel to Parisor Italy to choose a stroller because the strollers are so muchbetter there and -- even with the value of the dollar against theeuro -- less expensive. And it's fun to have a sippy cup fromGermany or a teething ring in the shape of a Maryland crab. Kids'products are everywhere, just like kids. That's why it's so greatto travel with them.