When CB was born, we debated what of the millions of baby gadgets we would want and would be the most useful. There are bouncy seats, swings, Bumbo seats, exersaucers, play gyms, mats, light up this and that, movies, etc... It's actually unbelievable when you go into Babies R Us (our nemesis store) to register and they give you the "New Parents Must-Have Checklist". It is a full ridiculous page of things that you NEED? I don't think so. We want to be more minimalistic. He can be just as happy looking at his own foot as some ridiculous toy, so why bother? Every study says it's so much better for them to interact with people and see real things moving and colors as opposed to light up and make-annoying-sounds toys. So really he only has a few simple toys, most of which are hand-me-downs, and a fabulous Baby Bjorn bouncy seat and a travel-size swing to sit in while Trav gets ready for work in the morning.
For traveling we debated buying a Pack 'n Play but thought they didn't seem very travel-friendly. They fold up, but are still pretty big, and the one time he slept in one in a hotel in Branson, Missouri, he didn't sleep well. But mostly it was the size that was the deterrant. So I did research to see what else is out there. There are little mats that fold up and are very compact, but I thought they seemed like a waste of money. If it's only a little mat, I can just make one myself out of blankets when we travel.
Eventually I saw this little Peapod. We like to call it the Pup Tent. It's like a tiny tent with an inflatable air mattress, UV-protection (in case CB needs a nap while at the beach in Arkansas :), and zip mesh so bugs can't get in, etc... It was on a special clearance at babycenter and it seemed like a great idea. It folds down into a tiny bag that can easily fit in a suitcase and is lightweight and very portable. So those are the advantages. A few disadvantages are the blanket/cover that covers the air mattress is slick like those stinky satin sleeping bags so the first night CB kept sliding half-way out. His upper body was still in the pup tent but his legs were out on the floor. Might have contributed to the 5+ times he woke up. The solution seemed to be to zip him in, but once he was soothed and I laid him in there for sleep, I didn't want to zip the things up because it's so loud. So the solutions I came up with are: 1) flip the air mattress cover over so he is lying on the non-slick side. 2) use a sleep positioner to prevent the moving 3) cover the mattress with an extra fleece blanket so he doesn't get cold (since air beds are always freezing). So overall, I'm a fan. It's very easy to store and easy to use. Just a few minor adjustments and last night was a much better night for all. :)
Now all you experienced jet-setting moms need to post your ideas of how to make traveling easier on babies and kids. The flying and traveling part went great, but now I'm just trying to figure out how to keep him well-rested and make sure he has good days and good nights. Tips?
7 comments:
My two cents on that is that there is no way to travel well with children. They are often tired, irritable, and don't sleep well.
That said, there are ways to deal with it once you're to your destination but every situation and every age determines how that happens. If you talk to Jayson Lloyd about traveling with kids he would say don't do it. But of course, they still do it. It's just difficult and stressful. Not great advice--mostly just the challenging truth.
Isn't it amazing our parents took us on so many trips? Now if I can just survive this upcoming redeye. This might be the biggest mistake of my life. You'll know tomorrow.
Amen on all the crazy baby stuff out there. I recently posted my own Rant about all the millions of things that marketers would like you to believe that your child MUST have if he is to have the "best start" and ever "get ahead in life".
I hope the plane ride wasn't too ardous of an adventure. Good luck, and if you have any great discoveries on how to keep a baby happy and content, be sure to let us in on it!
i totally LOL'd when i read that part about his body being inside and his legs hanging out. BRING HIM TO ME RIGHT NOW!!! pretty please?!
anyway, i don't have any advice for you. but i'll give you all the moral support you can handle!
All I know is that without sleep my little angels turn into little monsters, so I try REALLY hard to make sleep a priority even when things get crazy.
Also, don't feel embarassed when your kid isn't acting "normal" because traveling is rough and anyone who has been a parent understands. (If they don't it's THEIR problem!)
I'm with Bean. (and she's totally right about Jayson, who I keep having to talk down from panic attacks about our big CA trip) Traveling w/ kids is just hard, but if you know that ahead of time, then you expect it, plan around it, and it doesn't seem so bad. But it gets easier! Landon (almost 6) is a piece of cake now, and if it were just him, Jayson and I could actually be having real fun too! :) The only thing I do for babies is bring familiar bed-things that smell like their beds, and try not to let my agenda supersede their needs. I'm not flexible by nature, so that one's hard for me. But the best answer is to travel with lots of childless uncles/aunts/gparents and pass the chidlens around. Hooray for family trips! :)
excellent idea, T. i hope cam, bren, allie, tawna, lis, tay, and the parents are ready :)
Thanks so much for your tips! Now that we are starting into this parenting thing we are ready for all the tips we can get. We actually haven't bought a single thing yet which some people can't believe, but we will start soon I'm sure.
Thanks also for the congrats on our blog and for keeping up with us. It's great to have good digital friends even if you do live in Arkansas now!
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