Being The Olson Family: Tips For Traveling With Kids

I remember before having kids I could easily toss some clothes, deodorant and a few pairs of underwear into a bag and be set to go for a weekend away. Oh those were the days!

Now a days, 2 kids later packing for a weekend trip is not so easy. It requires a whole lot of stuff.

-diapers -wipes -formula -bottles -pacis -filtered water -blankets -medicine -baby food -snacks

That is definitely not even close to half of the list. Oy is right.

I am sure your wondering if we are crazy for traveling with young kids, and that answer is ABSOLUTELY.

However it is most definitely doable with these 10 tips. Trust me- these are game changing tips.

1. Snacks. Snacks Snacks and MORE SNACKS! I highly recommend bringing along a large suitcase (okay- that's a little dramatic) full of your kids favorite snacks. Anything from breakfast snacks to pre-made PB & J's in case you need a quick lunch or dinner. For young babies, bring their bottles and make sure they are eating right at take off and landing. Puffs, and teething biscuits are a must too!

-One my little tricks is to have a little Bentgo lunch box filled with things like cheese cubes, crackers, m&m's, strawberries, peanut butter and grahams in our carry on bag or diaper bag that I can easily pull out and hand to my little! He loves having his little snack box and loves the variety! Remember: Kids Love Novelty!

2. Entertainment. Bring little travel games, coloring pages (I recommend the mess free from crayola), download their favorite shows from Netflix, and blocks. You can get a small pack of blocks from the dollar store that will easily fit in a carry on bag or diaper bag.

3. Comfort Items. This one is a big tip. Kids thrive when they are comfortable. Lets face it big flying metal tubes are scary and definitely not comfortable. Bring along your child's favorite stuffed animal, a soft blanket and maybe a small pillow. Dress your child in PJs. Be as comfortable as possible!

4. Make it a game. Leaving home can be a strange concept for kids to grasp, driving for s long time can be tiresome, and flying in that big metal tube is definitely a big deal for a little toddler. Its our job as parents to make it super fun! I always use toy airplanes to show Camden what we are going on, we play airplane a few days before the trip and practiced getting one and off the plane. We talk about playing I-spy out of the big windows on the plane too. The biggest thing is to make sure that traveling is shown to your child like a fun game and not a big deal!

5. Involve them. Let your kids help pack the carry on, let them choose their snacks, what toy they want to bring, etc. Toddler love tasks. They like feeling important and useful.

6. Take Breaks. For driving trips make sure you account for taking lots of pit stops. Try and do some research before your trip to find where would be fun stops. See where some parks are that are close to the off exits, stop at their favorite fast food stops, and go to the state rest stops! Rest stops have lots of roaming room and picnic tables- have one of those many snacks you packed outside! Play a game there too- see what kind of animals you can see. For airplane travel, run the entire airport before getting on that plane. Get that wild animal like energy out!

7. Be Friendly. If your child is like mine, he loves to make new friends and talk to anybody and everybody. Have your toddler meet the airplane attendants so he can be comfortable seeing them throughout the flight. When you check your bags and go through security let your toddler give the boarding passes, ID's, etc to the staff. Its a fun way to make this trip a little easier.

8. Be Patient. Traveling is not easy for anyone. Its stressful, trying to make sure you have everything you need, making sure the house/pet arrangements are good, and just the thought of a major civil war happening between your toddler and you on that tiny metal tube flying through the air at top speed. Just try and remember to BREATHE. Relax, don't be stressed around toddlers. Toddler can sense it and somehow turn into howler monkeys when stressed. It will be over before you know it and all will be forgotten. Just have patience and grace with yourself and your littles!

9. Pull the Mom Card. I am so serious. You have an advantage. Use it girl. Use it!!! Get on the airplane first, get that free luggage cart from the employee feeling sorry for you. Get all the free snacks from the flight attendants and when Stacy offers you a free vodka... DON'T SAY NO.

10. You made it. Tip #10 is easy. DON'T DO IT. DO NOT DO IT.

LOL. I'M TOTALLY KIDDING! #10 for reals: Bring extra clothing for every member of your family. I am so serious. Spills and blowouts will happen. Be prepared. Or hope that Mary in row 17 has an extra diaper/wipe and washing machine in her carry on.

Friends, Traveling can be totally fun if you make it fun. Remember you set the tone for the whole trip. Relax and make it fun and I promise you it will be a Breeze.