Traveling with children - all about packing
/You would think that, since I had my children whilst living abroad and have been traveling with them since they were little, I would be a pro at packing suitcases and bags. WRONG. I still get it wrong all the time, and forget crucial items like ear drops when going on a diving holiday, or head phones with the right plug to use in the airplane. And the big one to forget when swimming a lot: vaseline or coconut oil! Against shaving thighs, dry skin, unruly curls (the oil, then). To be honest - my 6 year old is better at packing then I am, and I thought I’ll use her methods of preparation as an example and put it down in writing so I can be the ultimate packer next time.
It’s a cute story actually: last year my then 4 year old requested a princess suitcase for her birthday. As her birthday falls in summer, she urged me to ‘Amazon it’ before we left to go to the Netherlands, because OBVIOUSLY she had to use it on the trip. I was worried she wouldn’t grasp the concept that thát would then already be her gift, and there would be no other gifts on her actual birthday.. she said she understood. And she actually did. Of course, on the actual birthday, I re-packed the suitcase in a large furoshiki cloth, and added some small gifts inside it, pretending it was a completely different present. She thought it was hilarious. This suitcase is actually a really good brand, and I’m hoping it will last her all the way throughout her princess phase and after it will have good re-sell value!
Since then, so she was 5, she’s been making packing lists in an app on her ipad (I think she just uses the to-do list app) and she ticks them off accordingly. She knows how to count how many pieces of underwear she needs for the particular trip, she combines sets of clothing, and adds her toiletries and cuddly dog last. She never forgets the ipad charger, and charges her ebook before we leave. Really - she’s amazing for a (now) 6 year old.
Okay, so I may have exaggerated a bit in the beginning saying I am the worst. I do have a lot of good packing tips! So here are my top tips for baggage and traveling with kids, and a FREE to download Summer packing PDF with a tick off list
Always use the same bags and suitcases, preferably colorful ones that you can customize with stickers or tags, so you & the kids will always recognize them and they stand out. We use a mix of medium sized suitcases and bags with wheels. Usually the bags are inside the suitcases on trips back home and they come back full. If you’re an expat, you know the drill!
Now that my kids are older, I’m moving from packing for everyone, to everyone having their own bag that they are responsible for themselves. Packing & carrying. For weekends, we use their school backpacks (okay or the princess carry on). For longer trips, we use the bigger bags / suitcases. I have just invested in a North Face bag that we will gift my eldest daughter for her birthday. My husband has one and it has lasted him more than 20 years already, so we know it is worth the money. With the bag, I’ll give her a travel notebook, so she can document all her travels.
For hand luggage, I still always have an extra set of clothes (thin long sleeves / pants) for everyone and a few plastic bags / zip locks for dirty clothes. Cancelled flight, cold AC in a van, spilled juice, lost luggage - for all those times.
I have these small vacuum bags and boxy fabric things from Daiso that we can fold and stack clothes in so it takes less space.
Snacks snacks snacks… every mom knows this. The last holiday (which was kind of remote and had a kitchen that I didn’t know about) also reminded me to take some easy-to-make things like oats, flour for pancakes, granola, pasta. It’s usually easy to get some fruits & veg, but if you’re particular about dry goods, it’s good to bring some.
Green juice powder and vitamins! On holiday the food is usually not as routined as at home, so it’s good to boost that immunity.
For sunny holidays: UV swimsuits or rash guards save your skin and saves on sun block. For your exposed skin, use a sun block that is safe for the ocean and marine life.
We love bringing games, especially the travel version of SMART Games and a deck of cards. Great for rainy days or waiting. We also love UnStable Unicorns & Rummikub travel edition.
These days so many things are charged by USB, so I have a ‘USB hub’ with all the chargers connected that we can keep in one place.
Lastly, I always label everything with our last name only. I once read that children can be easily swayed by strangers (read: kidnappers) who know their name, so labeling everything with their first name is not recommended. Luckily, our last name is difficult to pronounce for non-Dutchies, so that’s a plus LOL!
I hope this has given you some ideas for your next holiday! Where to this time?
PS; download your free check list, summer edition here!
PS2; I understand that many of you NOT living in Thailand are going in to winter season - who is looking for a winter checklist?
