Tuesday, December 2, 2014

Holiday Travel Tips from Safety 1st + GIveaway!


Do you travel during the holidays? We actually normally do travel a ton. Thanksgiving we start by visiting my in-laws. We drive there, about 5 hours, with both kids. The drive actually isn't too bad, and we only stop twice...USUALLY. At Christmas time, I have flown with the kids to my parents house. They live about 12 hours away, and it would be insanity if I tried to drive that alone with both kids. Hubby works normally, otherwise we would probably make an adventure and drive the 12 hours also!

The hardest part of traveling with kids, is well, the kids. They are so used to their home, their routine,  their "stuff". Its tough to get them acquainted with the new space or home that will serve as your home while you're away. Safety 1st has some tips they'd like to share with you below. I also have some tips to share and hopefully they will help make your holiday traveling, or any traveling you do with your children much easier.

Samantha's Tips
  • Pack extras in the diaper bag. There may have been a time where I ran out of wipes on a travel adventure. (oops!)
  • Busy toys, NON messy snacks, and an iPad will save your sanity!
  • Sanitizing wipes....PUT THEM IN YOUR BAG NOW! These come in handy for SO many things...stuff dropping on the floor, wiping hands, tables, etc.
  • If flying...before going through TSA checkpoint, ask a TSA Agent if they have a FAMILY line. They usually do, and this could ultimately save you from pulling your hair out while waiting 37 minutes to get through the line with all your stuff and your kids. 
Safety 1st Travel Tips


1.      Avoid peak travel days –Try not to fly or drive the days immediately before and after the actual holiday.  Those are the busiest travel days. However, if you fly or take a train you might save money by traveling on the actual holiday, the roads are less congested too.

2.      Prepare your child for the trip – Holiday parties can be overwhelming with sensory overload.  Especially for young children it’s good to talk about the upcoming trip days even weeks in advance.  This will help him or her get excited about the journey.  Show photos of family members or friends your child has not met yet, this way the new face might be a little familiar on arrival. 

3.       “Are we there yet?” - To help avoid that dreaded phrase an hour into your six hour trip reserve a bag just for the kids, include books, toys, diapers a change of clothes and snacks.  Pre-load a tablet or smartphone with kid friendly apps or games. If you are driving keep all necessary items such as wipes, hand sanitizer or tissues easy to reach in a second – there are times you may not want to be digging through the bottom of a bag for such items. The Safety 1st Car Door Sanitation Station is a great solution.

4.      Car Seats – If you are flying check to make sure your car seat is FAA certified. If it’s not clearly labeled contact the manufacture. For parents with older children the Safety 1st BoostAPack can double as a kid survival kit, it’s FAA certified, and will fit in the plane overhead bin.

If you are driving make sure your car seat is installed correctly. If it’s been awhile since you visited a car seat check, it’s recommended to check your seat with a Certified Child Safety Technician in advance of your trip. Safercar.gov is a great resource.

5.      Prepare the guest room – If your child will be sleeping in a Play Yard during the trip, use that for bed or nap time the entire week before. This will help him or her get used to a new sleep environment.  Also if your infant or child sleeps better in a dark room or tends to wake up early with the morning light, bring garbage bags or dark fabric to tape over windows.



Safety 1st has been so generous with their tips, and for thinking of all of the traveling parents of the world...trying to make our lives easier. They are stepping it up a notch and giving away a FREE CARSEAT to one of my lucky readers!! How amazing?!

To enter...use the rafflecopter below, and please check out our Facebook, and share this with a friend who may need some of this info! 




****I was not compensated to write this post. All opinions are my own, unless otherwise stated (like the tips from Safety 1st). Giveaway is sponsored by Safety 1st. ****

7 comments:

  1. We travel more during the summer. These tips were very helpful!

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  2. We go to the next town over to my parents' house for Thanksgiving. I'd love to go to my in-laws but they are 16 hours away :( We always do Christmas morning at our house but we usually go to my parents or my brother's house for dinner.

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  3. There are some great traveling tips on here! I used to travel alot by myself with my kids, I wish "back then" I would have had some of these tips. Very useful

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  4. we travel to various destinations during holidays and its so much fun to be with family during that time.

    Era Light (Melissa George)

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  5. We definitely travel a lot during the holidays because our family is over two hours away.

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  6. I Also Travel A Lot & Lots Fun..
    @LavishCoupon.com

    ReplyDelete