Are We There Yet? How to Travel with Your Child without Loosing Your Mind

7 Creative Ways to Survive Traveling with Your Child

Moms, this one is for you. Close your eyes, imagine a long car ride through the wilderness, mountains in the distance, pine trees zipping pass, your favorite music is in the background, your jolly holiday feeling… and then…a loud screeching coming from the back seat. It’s your toddler, yelling. Screaming. Crying. She is hungry. She needs to go to the bathroom.  She is bored. The crying goes louder, tears and snot (ah, the tissue box?!), and you still have three (yes, three!) more hours until your destination. This is without calculating traffic time. Your so-called-vacation is already starting with a tears, and your brain is busy with one question- ‘Are we there yet?’ Welcome to traveling with your toddler!

Everyone feels a little anxious during traveling, more so for your toddler, who is feeling it is an endless a ride. After all, she cannot read time, GPS, or miles pedometers. Since he cannot jump, run, crawl or play with his favorite bouncy ball, he probably feels locked up in a tiny space for hours. I have to admit, I do feel like that sometimes; and it can become a challenging for all.

The best gifts we can give our children are memories, so let’s try to turn this experience a great memory, starting with the drive, or the flight.

There are no other way to face it. This long drive, or flight, will be not so comfortable, and just accepting that will make the ride smoother, I promise. Moaning, complaining and whining about the trip won’t make it better. Yes, I am talking about you mama… not your toddler. The more serene you will be, the more comfortable everyone will feel.

Plan. The first, and most important tool is Plan. Plan the ride, make sure you are not driving in rush hour. Plan everything in advance: tickets, gas in the car (don’t add unnecessary time to the drive and fill the car in gas the day before), maps, departure time and as much as you can.

Meals and Snacks: the meals, and pack lots of yummy favorite goodies (yours too!). Make sure it is already opened in zip bags and ready to eat, or cut out apples (soak with water and a drop of lemon so it won’t turn black). Forget the sugar. You don’t want a hyper sugar loaded toddler in the car or the airplane. If you are flying, call the airlines and check what food they are serving, and still pack more food, don’t rely on buying anything in the airport.

Emergency bag: Children react really well to something they feel belonging. Make sure you pack their favorite blankie, book, sippy cup, movie or whatever you know will bring an immediate smile. Keep this favorite to an emergency moment, when needed.

Playfulness:  Decide you will pack your happy, playful mood. Despite of the people around you who give you the not-so-happy-face during the flight (yes, you have to admit that was your face not so long ago), or the traffic, or the driver next to you because you are driving 20mph less then what it requires, you will have your playful mood. Take this as an adventure. You didn’t get any training in traveling with your toddler, so let it be it. Your toddler will be injected with your mood, and I promise you less tantrum. Play I Spy, tell them their favorite stories and put yourself in the happiest mama-mode.

Take are of YOU:.
I know it is challenging while having a toddler around you. but being able to imagine yourself in your happy place (think about what it feels like to be in your happy place, the smells, the sights, the feelings), and just being able to block out the noise and be in that space can be a relief.

Support. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Most people love to help out when needed. They just need to be asked. That simple.

Reward Yourself. Promise yourself something special after this long drive or flight, as a reward for making it through the trip. It doesn’t have to be anything expensive. It could be a t-shirt you wanted to get, a new magazine you have been wanting to read, or just 30 minutes’ walk around the neighborhood all by yourself. Whatever it is, you deserve something good for being an awesome mom and surviving the travel time!

Take the wheel of control in your hands, and make sure your toddler is the passenger, not the driver. By all means.