Here at Holiday Hamster, we wanted to share some tips for travelling with toddlers. Our very own Hayley would like to share some of what she thinks would be helpful for those parents with toddlers who are thinking of jetting off on that all-important first family holiday abroad.
We first took our son away when he was two and a half to Mallorca on our first family holiday abroad. Had we known then what we know now, we may have done things slightly differently, but it was six years ago, and we have learnt a lot since then. So here are some tips that I think other parents of toddlers may find useful:
Talk About Flying First
This is something that we did, and that really helped. We told our son we were going on a summer holiday and we’d have to go on an aeroplane. So we showed him plenty of pictures beforehand. It might be a good idea to find a children’s story about flying (we all know they love stories). We decided to stay at the airport the night before as we had a very early flight, so before we checked into the hotel, we went to the viewing area at the airport. This went down really well, especially when we saw an airbus taking off. He loved it! We even took him into the shop where he bought his own aeroplane (noisy, may I add) as a souvenir from the start of his first holiday.
Invest in a Trunki
I wish these were as popular back then as they are now. Our son would have loved one of these. You see all the young kids whizzing around the airports on these, and when you’re standing around in long queues, it’s perfect for them to rest their little legs without you having to carry them all the time (after all, you’ve probably got enough to carry). Trunki also has a strap for you to be able to pull your child along if their legs become too tired. I know when we took our son, we ended up carrying him whilst the other one was lumbered with all the bags. It gets easier once you’ve checked in and are left with only your hand luggage.
Fruit Shoots
To help adults with their ears popping, we tell them to suck hard sweets. Trying to get a toddler to suck a sweet can be challenging, or so we found! Our son preferred to chomp sweets than suck. So a bit of advice that was given to us for taking off and landing was to give him a Fruit Shoot or a drink that has a sports-type cap or similar. That was great for our son. We bought a couple of mini ones airside and gave him one for take-off and one for landing. He never complained once about his ears (Unlike me).
Take a Tablet
Back then, we didn’t have tablets like iPads and GalaxyTabs. Yes, it was only six years ago, but they weren’t all that popular back then. We were, however, very fortunate that the plane we were on had a touch screen system in the chairs infant, and they had a couple of games for younger children on there, but it wasn’t enough to keep our son entertained. Unlike tablets nowadays, there are so many apps you can download to suit all ages and keep them entertained that bit longer – Especially if you can download their favourite programs.
Presents
A friend of ours travelled to Texas last year with their toddler, and when they told us what they had planned for the flight (much longer than flying to Mallorca), I wish we’d done the same with our son. She had read somewhere about getting some small treats and wrapping them up to give to their child every so often, whether for good behaviour or something else. I thought it was a great way to keep them excited rather than them getting bored and frustrated, especially on such a long flight. This would have been ideal for us when we were travelling home as we were all drained and grumpy after a long day before our late flight home.
Stickers
Our son loves stickers. Even now he’s 8, he’s probably got hundreds in his bedroom that he still hasn’t used and tends to get the most on a rainy day. It’s a great way to keep them entertained whether you stick them to plastic bottles, scrap paper or even let them stick some on you. There will be plenty of times your child will make you look funny and silly, so you may as well start on the aeroplane. Stickers don’t take up any room at all in your hand luggage, so it is unlikely to weigh you down.
Medicine
Most importantly, don’t forget to pack medicine. There’s nothing worse than your child falling ill on holiday and you not having that good old Calpol to relieve their symptoms. They do them in sachets, so you don’t have to carry a glass bottle everywhere. It’s always better to have some handy than not at all. Otherwise, you’ll have to take a trip to the local pharmacy, and I know that I would rather stay away from them whilst you’re enjoying your family holiday.
Article Updated: 11th October 2023
