Now everyone who knows me, knows that I love to good getaway. But I also am the worst when it comes to leaving my kiddos behind. Therefore, I’ve had to get a bit creative on ways to pack up these kids and be on the GO. For those of you who do not know, I now have 2 kids (Crazy Right?! LOL). Emmy has just turned a year old and Payton is soon on her way to the age of 4! Now, when it was just Payton and I traveling, life was a bit easier. It was me against one. But adding Emmy to the mix has been quite the challenge. Although I am no PRO at being a mom, I have a few tips and tricks that have worked for me within the past year. Before I continue, I need to remind all of you moms, (and dads) that these are KIDS we are talking about. Therefore, things will never be perfect. But you will never get comfortable getting out the house with your littles ones if you do not constantly try! So let’s get to it…
1. Choose your travel timing wisely. I usually will try and catch an early morning or a late afternoon/evening flight when traveling with the girls. This increases the chances of them actually sleeping during the flight.
2. SNACKS. Applesauce pouches, apple slices, muffins, granola bars, goldfish, and pirates’ booty are a few of this family’s favs! Make sure you also have the sippy cups and water bottles ready with their favorite drinks or water.
3. Those kids need to be entertained. I am not the biggest fan of iPad and cellphones when it comes to entertainment. And quite frankly, those things do not actually keep Payton entertained for a long time. Payton LOVES art. Therefore, it is essential that I pack coloring activities, playdough, and activity books. Emmy is a tad more challenging to keep entertained. I recently bought one of those “busy boards” for toddlers off of amazon and it actually keeps Emerson pretty entertained for a bit. It has different laces, buttons, and puzzles that Emmy can pull apart and put back together over and over again. I also prepare myself to get up and walk around with Emmy at least once every hour to keep her from going stir crazy.
4. Pick a vacation spot with activities both kids and adults can enjoy. We always try to choose a location with things such a water slides, lazy rivers, kid friendly pool parties, and great food. The last resort we went to had a food hut where I could grab a hot dog, hamburger, or chicken nuggets at any time during the day to keep the children happy. But my husband and I were able to enjoy great drinks and amazing food throughout the day as well.
5. Get outdoors often. Children are creatures of habit. The more they are exposed to being on the move, the more they will adjust. When Emerson was a few months old, she would not make it more than 20 minutes without screaming in the car. In the beginning, this was truly discouraging for me. But I kept trying! I would challenge myself to go to the grocery store or the mall with both children by myself! Overtime, being on the go with the two of them got easier and easier.
Last little bit of advice I have for anyone reading this post…
Tell another mom she is doing a great job when you see her having a rough time with her kids. I remember one time when I told Payton she could not have an Elmo stuffed animal in a CVS, and she fell to the floor screaming. At that exact moment, another mother walked by and said to be “Oh don’t you worry, I remember those days…You’re doing great mom”, and it instantly made me feel better. I try to be that women in every situation I can, and encourage all of you to do the same!
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