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With summer coming up, you’re probably making plans to go on a vacation with the kids. Whether you’re planning to visit family or some fun destination that the kids will love, the secret behind a stress-free trip is traveling light. This is something I learned when my first son was born and I did a bit of researching to prepare. Aim at carrying the minimum amount of baggage and you’ll find that flights or car rides all progress smoothly. As the experts will probably reassure you, the older your kids are, the lesser will be the amount of stuff you have to carry along.
But, I have another secret to share with you that I’ve found very useful. When you visit a location intended for kids, you’ll likely find tons of stores that carry all the supplies you need. A great idea is to simply buy stuff that you need, use, and discard as you go along. Traveling light helps you let go of the stress of keeping track of the number of bags you have. Now, that’s an essential when you have a toddler squirming to get away to go exploring the airport and the brightly colored trash cans (and, well, everything else!).
I would only recommend that you carry some bare essentials to get you through the actual traveling from point A to point B. Here are the important items you’ll need.
Tip 1. Let’s Begin with the Very Basics for Traveling Light
You’ll be surprised but the absolute essentials when traveling light can actually fit into the small handbag you have, like I read in the Lonely Planet. They are your travel documents, tickets, prescription medications, and cash along with your credit card. As long as you have these and you’re not headed for some remote, unfamiliar location, you’re sorted.
Tip 2. Carry the Food Supplies You Need to Make it to the Next Store
With kids of all ages, you’ll need just adequate supplies to make it to your destination like for the car or bus ride or flight. But at the same time, it’s also advisable to be prepared for unexpected delays. Make sure you have enough formula and clean bottles, pacifiers, diapers, a change of clothes, and lots of wipes. If you expect that travel time will be 6 hours, plan for at least 8. For older kids, bring filling snacks like nuts, granola bars, fruit, and any other favorite items. We all know what happens when your little angel announces she doesn’t like the taste of the new brand you’re trying on her. With kids, even if you’re trying to travel light, you just cannot get by without enough food.
Tip 3. Choose Lightweight Entertainment Options
Once your child turns 5, you can let him choose his favorite toys and items he want to have along. Buy him a small carry-on that he can drag behind him. Make it very clear that he’s responsible for it so it better be light enough so he can manage it by himself. With a little imagination, you can find tons of entertainment options that don’t weigh down small bags. Think paper, crayons, and paperback picture books. If your kids are old enough, think activity books that can keep them working for a good long while. And, of course, we have the video game consoles that can keep kids busy through long layovers, (thanks, Wanderlust!) and are a great idea for traveling light. Any kind of e-readers are also a blessing. They don’t take much room or weight allowance. Here’s another brilliant idea. Encourage playing imagination games. Like naming animals, “I Spy,” “who can spot a…,” or count some object. Like, even the pillars in the airport.
Tip 4. Carry the Sleep Essentials
Even if this rule works against your intentions of traveling light, go with it. All kids have some specific blanket, toy, plug-in nightlight, or pajamas without which they just cannot fall asleep. Never step out of home without it.
Tip 5. Bring Clothes that You Can Mix and Match
This rule is a great traveling light tip for both kids and adults. When you have so many kids’ essentials to have along, try to cut back on the stuff you’ll absolutely need. Carry along a few tops and pants that you can wear in just about any combination. Darker colors are a good choice so you can continue to use them until they get dirty. Focus on comfort and pick out quick drying clothing that is very convenient for washing. Use this rule when packing your kids’ clothing also. As for shoes, consider bringing dark colored, multi-use, comfortable footwear that you can use for a formal restaurant also.
Tip 6. Think About Doing Laundry
Most parents I know hate the thought of doing laundry on vacations. But, I personally feel that washing some of your things saves on the weight you’ll have to carry. If you don’t want to do this in the hotel bathroom sink, locate a laundromat with a washer and dryer. Though, if you’re carrying quick-drying clothing, an overnight session on the bathroom clothesline should do the trick. The best advantage – you’ll end up with less stuff to lug around.
Tip 7. What About the Stroller?
I agree, if you’re serious about traveling light, having a stroller along doesn’t seem like a great idea. I’ll simply leave this decision to you and the individuality of your child. When my toddler decides to take off at full tilt, I usually find that grabbing and settling him in the stroller saves me from chasing after him. But, if your little one just won’t sit in one, you could consider leaving it home. Though, I’ve often seen parents carrying their bundle of joy and using the stroller to drag other stuff. So, this tip’s all about personal choice.
Tip 8. Personal Items
When you’re trying to travel light and making sure you have all the stuff your kids will need, adult personal supplies tend to take a backseat. And, if you’re planning a beach holiday, I’ve found that essentials like sunblock, sunscreen, microfiber towels, and other beach supplies always top (and sometimes, takeover) the list. That’s when I discovered laser hair removal benefits. A few sessions in the months ahead of our planned trip and I could stop worrying about the shaving sessions each day. If you have boisterous boys like mine, you know quite well how making the time for a quick shower is a project by itself.
Trying to travel light with kids is possible. And, using my ideas, you might save on a few baggage retrieval struggles while your two-year-old warns the whole airport that he’s bored of waiting at the carousel. But, you’ll also have fun. And, put away a lot of memories. My kids, now teenagers love to look at old pictures of when they were little and in Disneyland. So, don’t let the scare of traveling with kids deter you.
Have a wonderful holiday!
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