Toilet Training can be challenging. It doesn’t happen overnight and takes a lot of time and patience! Travelling and getting out and about whilst toilet training can be stressful, but we believe if you are well prepared and well equipped it is possible.
Here are our Top 10 Toilet Training Tips for when you are travelling and out and about
Do you often travel with the whole family and like to drive around in a rental car? Do you have plans of taking a holiday abroad soon?
If you are traveling in the coming month or in the near future, it would be worth doing a little research about the traffic conditions, regulations and driving requirements in your destination. This will help you enjoy a safe tour of the interesting spots there with your loved ones.
You should know by now that millions of people get killed and injured in road accidents every year. But you may be aware of the statistics only in your home country the reason why you need to do your homework if you’re visiting a new place in another state or abroad.
Family travels are always fun and where parents are concerned, they often like to show their kids around new and interesting places that offer enriching experiences and fun entertainment. There are families that love to explore a new destination every year while the others prefer to return to the same place year after year.
Driving in your own rental car is often the best choice for visiting tourist attractions in a leisurely manner. However, countries vary in their traffic rules and requirements hence, parents need to be responsible enough to learn about the driving statistics and safety tips and what they need to accomplish if they plan to rent a car and drive around at their holiday destination.
Safety first should be every family’s mantra when traveling. This is whether they have small or big kids to bring along during their trip.
Many families travel on the road all year round and if you’re one of them, make it a point to check everything including seatbelts before you leave and during your trip. This way, you avoid accidents and injuries among your loved ones.
The seatbelt is a very important safety tool in the car. The standard one found in the vehicle is meant for adults hence, parents must ensure they use the proper child restraint appropriate for their kids’ age.
Babies must be put in a baby capsule and they must be fastened first. Toddlers up to three years old should be in a car seat and if you’re placing them in the front seat, they need to be positioned facing backwards. This is the safest position recommended by the experts. More »
Booking for your travels today is a breeze. It can be done online and in the comfort of one’s home. Within a few minutes, you can already print out your tickets. No need to call a travel agent and visit their office.
But this convenience provided by travel operators should not make you dilly-dally on your bookings. It’s important to remember that if you’re planning to go on a holiday, booking for your travel and accommodation needs to be made in advance. This is particularly vital if you’re traveling with your family. Early planning and booking will help you avail of the best deals and find the perfect schedule for you and your family.
Another benefit of advanced planning is that you have the opportunity to search for family activities at your destination and book for tours early as well. You have more time then to pack your things and that of your kids and buy other items you may need to bring along.
More »
The holidays, for some families, require traveling. Sometimes, it even means traveling together with the kids.
When you’re with kids, however, there are a lot of things to bring along. More so if you have a baby or toddler in tow. Apart from your own luggage, you also need backpacks, a stroller and a car seat among others.
So how do you ensure a safe and easy travel for all of you? Here we share some tips that will come in handy.
Your patience is very necessary. Tell yourself to keep calm and refrain from reacting too much when your kids throw a tantrum, complains or whines during your trip. Before you react, take a deep breath and think about what you have to say and be sure to talk in a soft voice.
More »
Mexico is a popular tourist destination that attracts millions of visitors each year, notably during the summer season. This country boasts of beautiful cities one of which is Cancun.
Cancun is situated on the southeastern part of Mexico off the Caribbean sea. It is home to some of the world’s most amazing white sand beaches.
One of the major factors why this place is frequented by tourists is its tropical climate. But although it may be warm there, the sea breeze makes the temperature more moderate and thereby bearable. As the city enjoys much sunshine throughout the year, people from the different parts of the world often choose to vacation here.
While in Cancun, visitors can check out various interesting places not found anywhere else. One is the underwater art museum known as MUSA in the National Marine Park. This tourist spot created by English sculptor by Jason deCaires Taylor features life-size sculptures. They’re not there merely as art works but they serve as a reef structure where marine creatures can live.
More »
Traveling with children or even just one of them can be a real challenge to any parent. Yes, it can be fun as it provides an opportunity for you to spend quality time with your child but at the same time, the experience can test a parent’s patience and skill in handling their kid’s issues while away from home.
A top priority when you’re planning to take a short vacation with your kid such as in the beautiful islands of the Carribean is to find a child friendly hotel. You can turn to allinclusiveresorts.net as one of your reliable sources of travel information. Michelle Powell from AllInclusiveResorts.net said most resorts in the Carribean are child-friendly with some of them even offering activities for children in the afternoon.
Ok, I know it’s only August, but in my book it isn’t too late to start planning our Christmas holidays. Actually, it makes a lot of sense because it can get really booked practically everywhere in the world that time of year, and booking early can mean saving $$$. We just bought a new house- well, a new “old” (80′s built) house, and after going through all our renovation plans, we were told by our contractor that there was pretty much no chance that we would be in there by Christmas. So we thought we’d get creative this year and take the kids somewhere different, somewhere interesting for Christmas. The only pre-requisite – SNOW!!
The first contender on our list is Sapporo, Japan. It’s a lovely city in Japan’s northernmost island, Hokkaido, and known to be a very child-friendly place (like the rest of Japan is), with family skiing and LOTS of fun activities. My husband and I love Japan, the Japanese culture and especially the food, so Japan was a good choice. Plus, it won’t be as crowded like a lot of Western places over the holidays because of the Shinto/Buddhist religious aspects.
One more good thing is that the hotels and resorts in Sapporo are pretty affordable and often have great deals. Christmas is apparently a good time to go, because aside from the snow, there is fab shopping (for Mom) and interesting things to check out, like the Sapporo White Illumination and the German Christmas Market – cool! Check out the photo above, which was taken during the Sapporo Snow Festival, which happens in February.
Continuing from my last post, here’s the second installment, packing for preschoolers and grade schoolers. Traveling with this age group is actually a lot easier than with the younger ones. For one thing, they can carry their own bags (yay!) and they don’t need the cumbersome items like the bottles, formula, diapers, jars and so on. Phew!
If your kids are above age 3, then all you need are a few things for your carry-on. The rest, your kids can carry themselves. If you do have a baby or toddler, then see the previous post.
Your Carry-on
Aside from my stuff (toiletries, cosmetics, extra shirt, book) here’s what I usually take for the kids:
- 1 change of clothes for each child, including underwear (plus one extra top for preschoolers)
- 1 diaper for the preschooler (only for evening or longhaul flights)
- Ziplock bag of snacks
- Small plastic cutlery for each child (no knives in the plane)
- Baby wipes, tissues, small hair brush
- Small pack of crayons, markers and 2 pens – extras in case the kids lose/fight/need extra.
- small pad of paper
- 1 book
- Bottle of water (if flying, get this after the security check)
Kids Carry-on
- 2 small toys (boys tend to go for cars/trains, girls a “Polly Pocket” type of small doll)
- 1 “lovie” like a favorite doll, stuffed toy, mini-pillow or blanket
- 2 snacks – like a small box of raisins, biscuits
- 1 book
- 1 jacket or cardigan
- Small notebook/pad/ coloring book
- crayons / pen, pencil and eraser (neatly in a case)
- Video game (like a Gameboy or DS) – Useful for long airport waits, but keep it handy for airport security.
The Kids Suitcases
- 2 outfits for each day
- 1 “smart” outfit for a party or dinner out
- 1 pair of underwear for each day
- 1 pair or shoes, smart or closed
- Sandals or slippers depending on season
- Swimsuit, goggles, water wings (if needed)
- Winter essentials if needed, like gloves, thermal undies, boots etc.
- Hat or cap
- Cardigan or sweater (depending on season) – 1 every 3 days of trip
- 2 books
- 2 extra toys per child – puzzles, small action figure or car sets, barbie etc.
- Toiletries – 2-in 1 shampoo, 1 bar dove soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste, hair brush
And Don’t Forget In Your Luggage!
- Small bars or pack of laundry detergent and rubber gloves
- Medical Kit – digital thermometer, first-aid supplies, medicine for both kids and adults, moisturizer, rash cream, mosquito repellent (if needed).
-More snacks, food if necessary (I take a few boxes of organic macaroni cheese if we’re going to a place with cooking facilities. Easy to just add veg for a healthy and quick meal)
Photo via catd_mitchell
Since I have three kids below 8, and given that my husband and actually enjoy taking them traveling (yes, we’re crazy), packing is something I take very seriously. Of course, unless you are Bree or Martha, you are bound to forget some things, so the best advice I can give you is START EARLY, keep the list handy in a place at home where you can tick through it as you go along.
Packing For Babies and Toddlers
Hand Carry - I suggest you purchase a bag that is the right size for you to carry, and not too bulky that it won’t be allowed in an airplane or will give you a backache for the rest of your trip. Pockets and compartments are all good, and even better if there’s is an insulated bit. Backpacks are a good choice!
The Top 14 Essentials For The Carry-On Bag
1. Snacks – “o” shaped cereal, biscuits/cracker (I like organic/low sugar kinds), cheese, fruit pieces, small cartons of juice (not for airplanes).
2. Change of clothes and a cardigan or jacket – 2 outfits
3. Disposable diapers – 3
4. Baby wipes
5. Burp cloth – handy for mopping up any mess on baby
6. Sun hat for hot weather or bonnet/cap for cold
7. Blanket – handy for naps or to lay on a floor to crawl/sit on or as a cover-up for breastfeeding.
9. Formula in container and pre-boiled water in a bottle.
10. Water in a sippy cup or bottle
11. 2 small toys/books/ teether.
12. Band-aids and antiseptic wipes/cream
13. 2 Pacifiers
14. 2 Bibs
15. Baby fork and spoon
16. 2/3 Plastic bags – to dispose diapers, for dirty clothes.
* Don’t forget any medications if your child is taking them and always keep it in the carry-on bag! Ditto with anything else your child can’t do without, like a favourite stuffed toy or “lovie”. Heaven forbid your luggage gets lost and poor teddy is never seen again!
* If going on a long haul flight/train journey, pack enough diapers and an extra outfit for an overnight stay, just in case. Most airports have drugstore/pharmacies now, but it’s still better to have your own stash of necessities.
In The Suitcase
*Some of these things depend on the age of your baby.
1. 2 outfits for every day of the trip
2. 2 pairs of shoes, 4 pairs of socks
3. Bibs
4. Summer essentials: sun hat, sunblock, swim suit or trunks, swim diapers, mosquito repellent
Or Winter essentials: warm clothes, mittens, boots, etc.
5. Toys and books (only bring favorites, new ones can be bought at destination)
6. Toiletries: Dove soap (I use it on both baby’s hair and body), baby powder, baby toothbrush, hairbrush or comb
7. Medicine Kit: antibacterial cream for wounds, small rubbing alcohol, band-aids, thermometer, nasal drops, water replacement powder, antihistamine, paracetamol, Lacticare , Cetaphil cream
8. Diapers – 3 diapers per day, plus 3
9. Formula (I buy enough for the trip, just in case I can’t get the brand we use)
10. Baby food/ snacks – I always bring a small supply of food I know he likes, just in case. Baby jars, instant oatmeal, organic macaroni cheese etc.
11. Baby monitor and universal adaptor – it can be cumbersome to pack, but I’m always glad I did.
12. DVDs – Just a few of your baby’s faves as most places have DVD machines now, even computers. Alternatively, an iPod loaded with the vids works too.
13. Ziplock/ plastic bags
*Stroller – An absolute essential! If travelling by air, don’t check it in, take it all the way to the gate. It’s also handy for hanging duty free shopping and the hand-carry bag!
*Website tip: This site does customized packing lists. Good for grownups.
Photo via _Fidelio_
