Traveling Home
If you need to travel more than a few hours away to bring your child home, here is a list of items you may want to bring with you.
No matter the age of your children, bring along wet wipes. It doesn’t matter if you bring baby wipes, damp paper towels kept a recloseable bag, or a wash cloths with a bottle of water. Just bring them because you’ll likely regret it if you don’t. If you are bringing home a child under the age of 6 years old, bring a lot.
Bring along a bag or backpack to hold a few new toys, crayons, paper or coloring books, reading books, and snack. Begin with two items in the bag and one snack. Keep everything else in your own bag out of sight. You can add one item or snack at a time as needed. If you don’t give your child all you brought with you, save them for other trips or future giving occasions.
Sippy cups or water bottles to hold drinks and (hopefully) prevent spills.
If you are flying, wear shoes that are easy take on and off at security. This goes for your child as well.
Bring along gallon size Ziploc bags to use as vomiting bags in case your child might suffer from motion sickness. After he uses them, you can zip them up and toss them.
No matter the age of the your child, bring along a change of clothes. If you have a child under 5 years old, bring two outfits. Under 3 years old, bring three or more changes of clothes.
For those children wearing diapers, bring along 8-10 diapers per day. If you are adopting a child who may have parasites, double that. Remember wipes, diaper cream, and plastic bags to store the used diapers.
If you have access to one, bring along some type of video player, particularly if you are going to be traveling on a long flight. Video games for older children. Remember to bring along fresh/charged batteries.
A music player of some sort that you won’t be upset if it is lost or broken.
Small change for snack machines in case it become necessary to do so.
When driving, remember that little ones needs frequent stops to stretch, burn off energy and use the bathroom. Don’t start your new life together trying to plow through a long car trip.
These are all ideas from my experience when traveling home with Lucas and when traveling with my four children. This summer I both traveled alone on a four-day trip with my children and a one-week camping trip as a family. I learned that wet wipes, changes of clothes, vomit bags, and items that are new to the kids are vital for everyone’s sanity.
Related articles in other 451Press blogs:
4 Kids on a Six Hour Trip by Jill @ Family Trip Deals
Traveling with Kids: Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV by Staff Writer @ Family Trip Deals
Copyright © 2007 Becky Wilson. All Rights Reserved.
Photo credit: Free Digital Photos
October 4th, 2007 at 1:31 am
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