5 Packing Tips for Traveling with Kids
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Welp, our first official spring break has come and gone! Lilly is in preschool this year and her school follows the local school’s calendar, so she was out of school all last week. My husband was also traveling for work last week and so we decided that it would be a good time for Lilly to go on a vacation for the week to the grandparent’s house and I got to stay home with just Amos!
Lilly actually gets to go stay with her grandparents every now and again and she absolutely loves it. It’s good for her to get some focused time and it’s good for John and me because we can go on a date or get things done around the house, etc. We are planning on taking our first trip as a family of four (six if you count the dogs) in May… but I haven’t even begun to think that far ahead yet!
In any event, since we’ve traveled quite a bit with Lilly, we’ve got a few trips under our belt as far as traveling with a kid. I thought it might be helpful to share a few kiddo-packing-tips that we’ve learned over the last two and a half years!
1. Make a list in advance and keep it “on file.”
It is pretty much inevitable that you are going to forget SOMETHING when you are traveling with kiddos. After a few trips forgetting little tiny things, I finally made a note in my phone that is permanent and easily updated with a list of things we need when we travel with kids. This is where you can add little things like the sound machine, pacis, a favorite stuffed animal, bottles, vitamins, etc. – you know, the things that we don’t THINK about when we are packing. And of course you have the basics like clothes, diapers, wipes, jammies, etc. It’s just so helpful to be able to reference when you’re frantic and packing at the last minute.
2. Keep it simple.
Lilly sleeps with like 49010138 stuffed animals and she knows every single one of them by name and knows if one is missing. However, when we travel, she knows she only gets to pick TWO to travel with her. At first we would bring all this stuff and it was just so unnecessary. Cut the list down and keep it to the basics and must-haves. It will help your sanity in the end, I promise!
3. Always pack at least one extra “day” of stuff.
With kids and with travel hiccups and unexpected interruptions, it is ALWAYS important to have at least one extra day of stuff to keep you covered. Extra change of clothes, extra jammies, extra diapers… anything that you would be in big trouble if you were missing!
4. Ziploc vacuum bags, for the win!
I always love to pack at least one vacuum seal bag (if you don’t know what I’m talking about… these are what I’m talking about). I throw all the dirty stuff, old stuff, worn stuff, etc. in these bags and they help save SO MUCH SPACE!! Seriously. They are a lifesaver when it comes to packing!
5. Be flexible and relax.
This isn’t necessarily a “packing tip,” but more of a “traveling with kids” tip. Traveling with kids can be stressful. Always give yourself extra time, allow for flexibility and a change of plans and just take a deep breath and relax. Know that you will probably be late, know that there will be spills, probably a few tears, but a whole lot of memories will be made. Enjoy it and treasure it!
Are you on the hunt for some A-DORABLE kids fashion spring and summer looks to pack for trips? Be sure to check out the OshKosh B’Gosh store locator to find an OshKosh store near you! They have seriously some of the cutest kids clothes (Lilly and Amos BOTH are rocking OshKosh looks in these pictures!) and there’s an awesome coupon code (use the code SPRING16 for 25% off online!) just for you guys so you can score some outfits at RIDICULOUSLY low prices.