"Baby On Board: Ten Tips for Traveling with Baby" by Beth Rodgers

With holiday travel upon us, the challenge of travelling with our babies and toddlers impacts not only where we go, but how we get there and how long we stay. Whether you have are driving or flying, Bella Baby has some great advice to reduce your stress with these timely tips.

1. MAKE A PLAN

Know where you are going and how long it's going to take to get there.

Plan your travel breaks: Car travel is a simpler, since travel time can be flexed around naps and meals.

With air travel, it's important to consider nap and meal time when booking your flight. An adult flying alone can make a 45-minute connection, but plan one hour or more between flights when travelling with little ones. Check in ahead of time at the airport and feed your little traveler a light snack while waiting at the gate making it more likely baby will nap during the flight.

Offering a toddler a sippy cup or bottle gives them something to swallow during take-off and landing, which can help "alleviate ear pain caused by the cabin pressure adjusting to the altitude" according to United Airlines (www.united.com).

2. COMFY CLOTHES

If you are setting out first thing in the morning, bathe your toddler or baby the night before travel. Put them to bed in a comfortable travel outfit to avoid a rush the next morning. Kids can ride in the car wearing what they slept in the night before, as long as it's clean and comfortable. A soft running suit and slip-on shoes are recommended for you and for your little one for airline travel. Check with www.tsa.gov for guidelines on traveling with children.

Dress for easy diaper changes and avoid outfits with zippers or complicated buttons. Go for simple layers, and bring a light jacket along to keep baby warm since planes can be cold, and a spare shirt for you in case of spit-ups. For diaper changes, some airline bathrooms are outfitted with changing tables — ask your flight attendant which one — and be sure to bring zipper bags for used diapers.

3. CONSOLIDATE

Instead of flying with a purse, a carry-on bag, and a diaper bag consolidate your purse into your diaper bag for the day.

AAA recommends, "Check all your bags other than the essentials." Also, the bag allowance for each person is generally waived for diaper bags, strollers, and car seats. Check with your airline.

For air or car travel, pack an extra outfit, extra diapers, baby Tylenol, and other ''worst-case scenario'' items, but keep these readily accessible — don't pack your must haves at the bottom of the trunk. For air travel, imagine arriving without your luggage (it happens, right?) and plan accordingly. An extra outfit, socks, shoes and diapers won't take up that much space in your carry-on and could be a lifesaver while waiting for your bags to arrive.

4. WHEEL IT

In this day of high-tech strollers, consider purchasing a thrifty, lightweight umbrella stroller just for your trip. They pop in and out of the car quickly and navigate airports in a single bound. Carrying a toddler or an infant on a long walk between gates can be a problem.

If you have an unwilling participant on your hands (crying), you can wheel along at lightning speed, and the joy-ride may calm your child down. The added bonus? The stroller handles can hold your diaper bag as you sprint along. Just remember to balance the weight of your bag with the weight of your child — lightweight strollers can tip more easily than baby's glam-ride you left at home. Alternately, the JL Childress company offers the Wheelie, a wheeled car-seat tote and cover, all in one for under $42. Pretty slick.

5. BUSY CHILD, HAPPY CHILD

Stuff a new kid-sized backpack for your toddler with snacks, toys, age-appropriate coloring books, toddler crayons, small stuffed animals, or quiet games (dollar items are great for this purpose). Surprise your little traveler the morning of your journey.

To pass the time, put small toy farm animals into plain white envelopes and mark the hours of the clock on the outside in colorful markers so they can open one per hour. By the time you are "almost there" they can have a whole barnyard of critters to play with. A shoebox decorated as the "barn" can be a fun place for small animals to hide out for hours of quiet play in the car or on a tray table of a plane. Or check out the pre-packed toddler travel packs with crayons, toys, and books from Lauri Travel Tote, available for under $15.

6. RUN, FORREST, RUN

Remember that toddlers need room to run. Plan breaks in your car trip so your little ones have some time and space to safely stretch their legs.

Emily Faust Rodgers says of her 19-month-old daughter, "I try to let her feel independent before a flight — run around and blow off energy — or she gets frustrated with too much handling."

Long flights and long car rides can be wearing on big and little people. A little exercise goes a long way toward making travel tolerable. Infants nap better if they have their own safe space rather than being held, so United Airlines has travel bassinets available on international flights.

For domestic travel, consider purchasing a "pea pod" cover for your carrier. This gives baby a quiet nap spot, and provides a germ-barrier for airport travel. Kidco offers a posh cranberry Pea Pod for $70. The Itzy Ritzy Peek-a-Boo pod is $30. And for the most economical option, take a look at the CarSeat Canopy Cover in faux Mink for under $25.

7. SHIP AHEAD, SHIP IT HOME

Remember, grandparents aren't used to feeding little tummies. Purchase your child's favorite meal items (applesauce snack containers, for instance) and put together a food box, then mail it to your destination so it's waiting for you when you get there. If you child has food allergies or is gluten sensitive, this saves a trip to the store after your arrival.

Finally, if your family showers you with gifts, consider packing up a box to mail home the day before you leave Grandma's. The fewer items you have to squeeze into your suitcase, the less you have to worry about in transit.

8. GOODNIGHT MOON

Where will your toddler sleep once you arrive at your destination?

If you are travelling by car, taking a "pack'n'play" is not a problem, but if you are flying, Grandma may need to invest in a toddler-sized inflatable bed (Intex Kids Travel Bed is available for under $40.) The ingenious design has an inflated donut surrounding your child's sleep spot to keep him from rolling out of bed. For smaller babies, check out the BRICA Fold 'n Go Travel Bassinet, available for about $35.

9. WHOOPS, WE FORGOT THE KITCHEN SINK

When you travel with an infant or a toddler, packing up all your baby-stuff is time consuming, and the stress of trying to remember everything can be overwhelming. Make a packing list of must haves and post it on the fridge. After each trip, add to or delete items you did or didn't need.

If your budget allows, pack a second "travel" diaper bag with just what you need and travel sizes of everything (in plastic zip-bags for TSA). Be sure to take plenty of baby wipes, hand sanitizer, and diapers.

For the car, an extra roll of paper towels is helpful, and plastic bags for used diapers are a terrific idea. A binky-strap to keep the binky off the airport floor is a great investment.

Be sure you have your pediatrician's number stored in your phone in the event of an emergency along with your health insurance information.

10. PLUG IT IN

Electronics provide entertainment, even for toddlers. Be sure your phone is charged, and bring along your Kindle, iPad, or iPod and headphones for toddlers to watch their own shows during your travels. If your toddler is like most of our "plugged in" generation, they have their favorites already, and allowing them some screen time can give you a welcome break during a long car ride or flight.

To Grandmother's house we go! Finally, when you arrive at your destination, enjoy. Take time to visit with your family and friends. Hand off your beloved little armful and let Grandma take over for a while.

Take lots of photos, make wonderful memories, and treasure the day.

Above all, remember this: the days are long, but the years are short. Happy Trails.

TEXT of the article can also be found on the pdf listed on the Articles tab of this portfolio

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