BYOM: Traveling with Baby

“Over the river and through the woods to Grandmother’s house we go….” We all know the drill this time of year, when visiting relatives or vacationing in remote destinations is on the holiday agenda. So whether you’re on your way across the ocean to visit the mother land, or just going across town to visit Uncle Dave and Aunt Trichy, there are things you need to know when making the trek with a baby or toddler. Consider yourself armed (and warned)… By Beth Ann Bayus.

If you have a baby or just a picky eater, bring your own milk (and food, for that matter). As much of a pain as the added weight can be in your luggage, it definitely saves time and money to not have to constantly buy something for your child to eat or to sit down in a restaurant with her three times a day. Sure, sampling the local food is fun for adults and part of the whole travel experience, but for a young child, it can also potentially mean adverse food reactions and public melt downs. It’s best to avoid the situation as much as possible by just packing your own food to begin with. (And remember, you won’t have to lug it all home with you, leaving more room in your luggage for souvenirs!)

Quick change
Change wherever, whenever. Do what you have to do to get those diapers changed, but just be quick about it. Having everything at hand and ready to go before actually plunking your child down on a bench helps, and do it in pairs if possible – - one to change and one to distract. Public bathrooms overseas (if you can even find them) don’t have changing stations anyway, so who cares? If we can watch their teenagers make out in the park, they can see our kids’ bare bottoms for 30 seconds.

The one and only
Bring a plastic bib, as in one big one. Be strong and fight the urge to bring more than one. Since it’s plastic-coated, you can wipe it clean and re-use it on the go. Saves tons of room in the diaper bag, and if it gets really nasty, you can always pitch it once you’re home.

Handbills, anyone?
Use all the free magazines, newspapers and brochures lying around the airport or train station to distract your child. They’re equally as entertaining as a book, and far less heavy to lug around. Even if they’re in a foreign language, take advantage of the free publications floating around and use them to entertain your child whenever possible. You’ll be amazed how your child can be occupied for hours with a SkyMall magazine and a plane’s safety procedure card. Who knew?

Where the parks are
When vacationing overseas, know the locations of the parks on your route for the day. And, perhaps just as importantly, know which ones allow you to walk on the grass. It might not be an issue everywhere like it is in some European cities, but you never know what will offend the locals and what won’t. So do your research to be safe. Let your child run off some steam every hour or so. It tires them out nicely and shows off that cute outfit you used valuable luggage space to haul half way around the world.

Say “Frommage!
Speaking of cute outfits, have someone take at least one picture of all of you at least once a day (can we say next year’s holiday card?). When you’re out and about each day, remember to keep a holiday card photo opportunity in mind and plan for it. Have your camera focused and everyone lined up before asking a passerby to shoot your picture. Targeting young couples who are obviously tourists themselves is a good idea to avoid the potential for blurry shots (younger people tend to more tech savvy) or a stolen camera (fellow tourists don’t know their way around any more than you do, making them less of a “flight risk”). There’s no substitute for wonderful memories in a wonderful place, and your pictures are the means to that end. It’s why you came. Take the time to capture the moment.

Cuteness 101
Take advantage of your child’s cuteness factor. You’ll be amazed how much better you’re treated with a child in tow. You’ll score swag the likes of free snacks and toys that you never would have gotten if you didn’t have that cute tot with you.

Strollers = shopping carts and high chairs
Make that stroller you carted with you through the airport a multi-tasker. Use it as your personal shopping cart and high chair. You’ll never have such an easy time carrying around the souvenirs you bought throughout the day as you will with a stroller at your disposal. And in most cases, European restaurants don’t have high chairs, but your stroller makes a great substitute. An old hand towel from home also can double as a “drop cloth.” You can just toss it when you leave to return home, and it also will save you when you run out of wipes – - and trust me, you will.

Foreign language section, please!
If traveling to a foreign destination or different part of the country, stock up on regional toys and foreign language books to bring home. Use this as an opportunity to expose your child (no matter what their age) to a different culture or a foreign language. No way around it, they just don’t make toys here like they do in Europe, and the same goes for clothes. Instead of screaming color combinations or tacky appliqués, you’ll find well-made, simple classics. Your kids will wear the clothes until they outgrow them and you pass them along to a lucky relative or an equally lucky customer at your local kiddie consignment store.

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Tagged as: Europe, Tourism, travel, travel with kids