grow ready, set vacation 411

story by | sheri kleinsasser stockmoe

Imagine

it…you’ve planned, packed and repacked for the magical family vacation that everyone will enjoy and this fabulous family experience is captured in a photo of the whole family smiling while standing on the beach, with Mickey, around the campfire or at Yankee stadium. Sure it’s possible, but it’s inevitable that you’re going to forget something, the kiddos will fight, someone will roll their eyes and odds are the defined navigator at one point will have no idea where they are going [while still acting like they know exactly the route]. Ahhh the joys of vacationing. Here’s the 411 so you [and the rest of the family] get there and back in one piece!

You know wee ones are hard work, but leave the comfort of home and it’s a whole new ball of wax. Not only do you have to worry about your travel necessities, but who knew this tiny little person’s bag would be bigger than yours!

pack it up

As soon as you bring your wee one home [or even before] they have lots of ‘stuff’. Swings and bouncers and pack n plays…oh my! Of course you need diapers, bottles, clothes, formula and what not, but here are a few things you need to remember to bring with as you vacation with your wee one:

• put a lid on it Have a cap with you regardless of the time of year. That little melon needs to stay warm or be shaded from the sun’s rays.

• the favs Your wee one is a creature of habit, so don’t forget the things he finds comfort in. Also, as hard as it might be, try to keep your wee one’s schedule as close to normal as possible especially when it comes to eating and sleeping.

• dr. mom to the rescue Bring a first aid kit with some of the essentials like a thermometer, calamine lotion or hydrocortisone cream, tweezers, scissors, nail clipper, nasal aspirator bulb, Q-tips, band-aids and Tylenol.

• bag it Oh the versatility of a Ziplock bag. Store anything from food to stinky diapers with ease.

• patience Like every stage in your wee one’s life to this point, prepare for everything including the unexpected. It’s a guarantee there will be challenging times, so bring an extra portion of patience.

i’m leave-ing on a jet plane

You’re used to taking your wee one around town in the family truckster, but what about a plane? Here are just a few things to remember when traveling by air:

• passport? If you are traveling outside the country your wee one will need a passport.

• milk? You are able to carry on formula, breast milk or juice in quantities larger than 3oz. You need to declare you have the items at the security checkpoint and then present them at the x-ray for further inspection.

• seat? You aren’t required to buy a ticket for your wee one, but you might want to consider it. I mean can you imagine driving to the grocery store with your wee one on your lap? Never! But not every car seat is approved for air travel, so look for a sticker on it stating it is or isn’t. For those wee ones that are over a year old and between 22–44 pounds, consider a CARES [child aviation restraint system]. It is basically a harness that works with the planes existing seatbelt.