For many people, traveling in any capacity can be stressful. And once surefire way to make it even more stressful is to add a new baby along for the ride. But even with your new little one, there are things that you can do to make it so that things go smoothly.
To help you in preparing for this type of travel, here are three tips to make it easier to travel with an infant.
Plan For Things To Take Longer Than Anticipated
Once you have kids, you realize that nothing’s quick and easy anymore. In most situations, you can expect travel to be the same way. While it might have taken you just a few minutes to get yourself packed and out the door before having kids, when you’ve got to pack for baby too, expect things to take much longer.
Knowing this, Sara Shulman, a contributor to Insider.com, suggests that you try to plan for everything to take about 10 to 15 minutes longer than you would expect it to. By planning your day in this way, you will have a cushion of time to ensure that you make it where you need to be on-time. You also will feel less stressed if you know you aren’t being pressed for time.
Make Sleeping Easier
For most little babies, it’s easy for them to fall asleep almost anywhere. This can be a real benefit during travel, as you might find that your infant sleeps more than he or she is awake. But to increase the chances of this happening, you’re going to want to make it as easy to fall asleep as possible.
To do this, Dr. Gail Goss, a contributor to the Huffington Post, recommends that you bring along with you anything that your baby associates with sleep. This means that if you put a monitor on while they sleep, bring that while you travel. And if you use white noise, have white noise available during travel, too. While these things might be slightly inconvenient, they will make falling asleep much easier for your little one.
Pick The Right Time Of Day To Fly Or Drive
Choosing the right time of day to travel can make a huge difference when you’re bringing along an infant.
Even when they are young, there are likely certain times during the day when they are sleeping or eating. Ideally, Dave Baldwin, a contributor to Fatherly.com, shares that you should try to be actively traveling during the times when your baby should be sleeping, as you’ll be able to get more peaceful traveling in this way. Try to avoid actively traveling when the baby should be eating, as this can make for one fussy baby and some stressed out parents.
If you’re going to be traveling with your infant soon, consider using the tips mentioned above to help make this whole process easier on everyone involved.
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