Traveling with Your Baby: A Checklist to Make Your Trip Simple

People travel the most around the Thanksgiving holiday. Many of us will be going away with our families and traveling to another state. Traveling with our family members may also include a little baby. Let's face it: It is already busy and hectic caring for our little one on a daily basis. Therefore, the thought of taking them on a long journey far away from home and the items that are convenient for us in caring for them can seem scary and challenging.

However, with proper planning and good organization traveling with your baby will not be easy but can be made easier.

Checklist

Having a well thought-out checklist of everything your baby will need while away from home is essential in getting started. Think of your everyday routine with baby. Make a list of all the items you use throughout the day. Once the list is complete it can be organized by activities and the further broken down into items needed for that activity. For instance, an activity listed as feeding would contain a checklist that would include items such as spoons, sippee cups, bibs, bowls, food, etc. As you pack away the items, they can be checked off the list as completed. The following are some suggested activities:

Feeding

Bath & Poddy

Clothing

Toys

Gear

Health & Safety

Travel Day

The day has finally arrived to go on your trip away from home. Several items are considered "must-haves" in order to assist with the actual travel. These "must-haves" include a car seat, stroller, baby carrier (backpack), diaper bag, feeding set and toys. They are broken down as follows:

Car Seat - This is necessary to transport the baby in the car to and from the airport and is important for safety.

Stroller - The stroller can be used to transport the baby outside the airport and while walking long distances.

Baby Carrier or Backpack - This is an excellent method in securely transporting the baby throughout the airport. It also allows "free hands" to carry luggage.