Top 10 Tips for Traveling with the Kiddos
If you follow us on our blog The Om Couple, you know we are a family who loves to travel. In fact, we have toured the globe with toddlers, flown with multiple kids in tow, and -- brace yourself -- taken four rambunctious little kids to Disneyland. So, it’s safe to say we’ve learned our fair share of do’s and don'ts for peaceful plane rides and harmonious holidaying with kids.Here are our top 10:
1 | Put your hotel to work --
Healthy travel is a priority for us. Call your hotel ahead of time and have your mini bar switched out with green juice, water, and healthy snacks. We also ask hotels to grab wipes and diapers for us so we don’t have to bring an extra piece of luggage just for those. Some hotels can even install mini fridges for you if there isn’t an empty one in your room.
2 | Shop ahead --
Make a pre-hotel pitstop at Whole Foods or a healthy grocery store to load up on healthy options so you won’t be tempted by the overpriced hotel restaurants.
3 | Utilize an airport pick up service --
We don’t travel with car seats, but rather ask the hotel to arrange an airport pick up with a service that has baby and booster seats. It is unlikely that you’ll find a cab or van at the airport to accommodate kids, so plan ahead for this one and you’ll avoid having to bring heaps of seats with you on the plane.
4 | Travel with a blender --
We were given a baby bullet by a dear friend and it ended up being our favorite accessory when traveling across Australia and New Zealand. We would order avocado, chicken, fruit, and veggies from room service and make him an instant smoothie in the room when arriving late into cities. I also carry a bag of Baby Brain Organics with me to add a little superfood to all his smoothies.
5 | Get a good stroller --
Traveling with four little ones, we invested in an amazing stroller that carries three kids and gear. (Note that you’ll have to unload the entire bottom of your stroller at airports so keep this area as empty as possible.) If you’re traveling with just one child, invest in a lightweight stroller that is very portable and easy to take on planes.
6 | Rearrange your room --
With practice, we have become great at making a hotel room into a sleep haven. We bring a little sleep sheep that creates white noise as well as a portable blackout blind. We often move furniture around in the hotel room to make a cozy nook for the crib (against a wall) and make the baby corner as cozy and dark as possible. We fight jet lag by putting the kids to bed at their regular time in the new time zone.
7 | Be prepared to stay healthy --
We travel with kids probiotics, supplements, and natural hand sanitizer to help their immune systems stay strong on flights. You never know when you’ll hit a creepy bathroom without hand soap! Natural sunscreen is also a must.
8 | Pack entertainment --
When your kids are old enough to travel with their own little luggage (our youngest is two and carries one), empower them to pack a few things on their own as well as a few toys and books they would like to bring. Dollar stores are great places to grab a few plane entertainment items and coloring kits.
9 | Plan ahead --
Although we prefer spontaneous travel ourselves, we have learned the hard way that last minute travel with four kids can hike up the price beyond imagination. We are slow learners on this one but have been disciplining ourselves to plan ahead.
10 | Bring the first aid kit --
We always travel with a first aid kit. We tend to be as holistic as possible, so we prefer to bring our own stuff in case of emergency.Experience all of Leanne Jacobs and her husband Ric’s adventures at The Om Couple.
