toddler travel necessities image
Q. I am dreading the 4 hour plane ride with her, because I have no idea how I am going to entertain her if she does not fall asleep. What can I do to make the pressure less on her ears? What are some necessities for this trip? How can I make other passengers not hate us... :)
Answer
We've traveled to the Philippines, Europe, Las Vegas, and LA, and each time we've kept our 2 kids (both 5) busy with things others have mentioned above - DVDs, coloring books, reading to them, in-flight entertainment, having a nice chat with them too etc.
The trick for keeping our kids engaged and occupied is variety. Yeah, they like all of the things I've mentioned, but going with her to walk the aisles and treating trips to the bathroom to wash their hands does wonders too :)
Some necessities are :
It's a lot easier flying now that we're past the toddler days.
- DVD player. Our kids like Pink Panther, which works really well because it's not dependent on the audio and our youngest does not do too well with headphones yet.
- Paperback books and magazines, especially for our older kid. Nick Jr. magazine is fun for our younger.
- Coloring/puzzle books. Highly recommended: Crayola "flip-top" markers, which have the caps attached. (They slide down the length of the pen and snap onto the back when in use.) Runaway caps are a pain on an airplane.
- Small toys. Finger puppets worked really well during the toddler years, as did the kids' small plastic teaset.
- Don't forget snacks! Fruity strips pack well; a chewy treat like jelly beans or gummies work well, & things to drink - water, milk...no fizzys to make her hyper !!
I would recommend also, buying all the food snack in the departures. It's alot less hassel then having carry them around and have it all inspected by the gaurds at the airport !!
We've traveled to the Philippines, Europe, Las Vegas, and LA, and each time we've kept our 2 kids (both 5) busy with things others have mentioned above - DVDs, coloring books, reading to them, in-flight entertainment, having a nice chat with them too etc.
The trick for keeping our kids engaged and occupied is variety. Yeah, they like all of the things I've mentioned, but going with her to walk the aisles and treating trips to the bathroom to wash their hands does wonders too :)
Some necessities are :
It's a lot easier flying now that we're past the toddler days.
- DVD player. Our kids like Pink Panther, which works really well because it's not dependent on the audio and our youngest does not do too well with headphones yet.
- Paperback books and magazines, especially for our older kid. Nick Jr. magazine is fun for our younger.
- Coloring/puzzle books. Highly recommended: Crayola "flip-top" markers, which have the caps attached. (They slide down the length of the pen and snap onto the back when in use.) Runaway caps are a pain on an airplane.
- Small toys. Finger puppets worked really well during the toddler years, as did the kids' small plastic teaset.
- Don't forget snacks! Fruity strips pack well; a chewy treat like jelly beans or gummies work well, & things to drink - water, milk...no fizzys to make her hyper !!
I would recommend also, buying all the food snack in the departures. It's alot less hassel then having carry them around and have it all inspected by the gaurds at the airport !!
what are the must haves for newborns?
pretty in
this is my friends email and she said i could use it. i just need to know some things that my baby cant live without when shes born. i have a tight budget so just the must haves please. and if possible could you put the price and how many of each item i need to buy a month. thank you!
Answer
The necessities for a newborn are these:
Diapers (don't buy a ton of newborn diapers because they grow out of them pretty quick. Start with one pack and if you need more, buy them after.) Pampers are about $20 for a box. I'd say we bought diapers every 1 1/2 - 2 weeks at the newborn age) There are cheaper diapers out there too, but we preferred Pampers.
Wipes (Buy in bulk if you can. Trust me you'll use them for everything.) Big box of wipes cost $7-12 depending on how big the box is and the brand name. They will last you a good while and the cheap ones are just as good as Pampers or Huggies.
Onsies and Sleepers. All the cute clothes can wait until later on. Trust me, the baby will spend more time in onsies than anything else.
If you will be nursing, get a Boppy/Nursing Pillow and at least a manual pump. They are a life saver. If you go back to work you'll need bottles and an electric pump. Make sure the pump is for woman who pump regularly. Some are only for occasional pumping and are not as good at keeping up a supply. Medela is great, but also expensive ($250 approx. for a double electric pump, but is worth the price). You can find them used for much cheaper, but you will want to buy all new bottles and pump parts. Replacement parts are not very expensive.
If you are formula feeding and when feeding pumped breastmilk, bottles are a must have. Make sure they are slow flow nipples for a newborn. I suggest buying some decent ones and don't go too cheap. You want some that reduce the amount of air your baby gets, so he/she wont be too uncomfortable after each feeding. It will also reduce spitting up.
You'll want a crib and mattress for sure, unless you will be co-sleeping. A changing table is nice, but definately not a necessity. We will just be using a changing table pad on one of our lower dressers. Crib Sheets, Mattress Pad. No need to buy an expensive bedding set. You aren't even supposed to use the comforter when they are a newborn either. It can cause SIDS, so you really don't get too much use out of it before they want a character bedding set. We bought a toddler bedding set at Walmart for $35 once our son was a bit older. Until then we just used some thin blankets we got from our baby shower.
You'll want a car seat. The hospital will not let you leave without one. The travel systems are a bit pricey, but well worth it. Once that baby is asleep, you will not want to wake him by lifting him out of a car seat.
That's all I can think of right now. Buying things used can save you a ton of money. Try Craigslist.org, but make sure things are not recalled and are not more than 3-4 years old. Many items have more safety standards and what not these days. Also, be careful when buying a car seat used. Make sure it has not been in any accidents. I really do suggest buying a new one. Sign up on websites for coupons and offers. Huggies sends out tons of coupons. Pampers kinds sucks with the coupons. If you'll be using formula you'll want to sign up and many will send you checks you can use at the store.
The necessities for a newborn are these:
Diapers (don't buy a ton of newborn diapers because they grow out of them pretty quick. Start with one pack and if you need more, buy them after.) Pampers are about $20 for a box. I'd say we bought diapers every 1 1/2 - 2 weeks at the newborn age) There are cheaper diapers out there too, but we preferred Pampers.
Wipes (Buy in bulk if you can. Trust me you'll use them for everything.) Big box of wipes cost $7-12 depending on how big the box is and the brand name. They will last you a good while and the cheap ones are just as good as Pampers or Huggies.
Onsies and Sleepers. All the cute clothes can wait until later on. Trust me, the baby will spend more time in onsies than anything else.
If you will be nursing, get a Boppy/Nursing Pillow and at least a manual pump. They are a life saver. If you go back to work you'll need bottles and an electric pump. Make sure the pump is for woman who pump regularly. Some are only for occasional pumping and are not as good at keeping up a supply. Medela is great, but also expensive ($250 approx. for a double electric pump, but is worth the price). You can find them used for much cheaper, but you will want to buy all new bottles and pump parts. Replacement parts are not very expensive.
If you are formula feeding and when feeding pumped breastmilk, bottles are a must have. Make sure they are slow flow nipples for a newborn. I suggest buying some decent ones and don't go too cheap. You want some that reduce the amount of air your baby gets, so he/she wont be too uncomfortable after each feeding. It will also reduce spitting up.
You'll want a crib and mattress for sure, unless you will be co-sleeping. A changing table is nice, but definately not a necessity. We will just be using a changing table pad on one of our lower dressers. Crib Sheets, Mattress Pad. No need to buy an expensive bedding set. You aren't even supposed to use the comforter when they are a newborn either. It can cause SIDS, so you really don't get too much use out of it before they want a character bedding set. We bought a toddler bedding set at Walmart for $35 once our son was a bit older. Until then we just used some thin blankets we got from our baby shower.
You'll want a car seat. The hospital will not let you leave without one. The travel systems are a bit pricey, but well worth it. Once that baby is asleep, you will not want to wake him by lifting him out of a car seat.
That's all I can think of right now. Buying things used can save you a ton of money. Try Craigslist.org, but make sure things are not recalled and are not more than 3-4 years old. Many items have more safety standards and what not these days. Also, be careful when buying a car seat used. Make sure it has not been in any accidents. I really do suggest buying a new one. Sign up on websites for coupons and offers. Huggies sends out tons of coupons. Pampers kinds sucks with the coupons. If you'll be using formula you'll want to sign up and many will send you checks you can use at the store.
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