Motherhood, Mother, New Mother

11 must haves on the plane for babies

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Her Musings
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“Don’t just tell your children about the world. Show them.”
Over the years, traveling has become a pleasure for most people. There are folks who take immense pleasure in traveling to new cities, new places, in meeting new people and enjoying new food. It emphasizes our shortcomings and sturdiness that come with going out of our comfort zone and develop ways to live a more fulfilling and diverse life.
While solo travel can give us the freedom to move about freely and experiment with the world, traveling with family, in my opinion, is one of the most satisfying ways of traveling.
It comes with innumerable benefits. For adults and children alike.
By traveling alongside our children, we witness them grow on levels beyond explanation. There is a huge amount of developmental gain. They become versatile in their ways of thinking, responsible for their well-being. And for their luggage.
Traveling alongside parents gives kids the exposure that explains life out of their diameter. It shows them the different cultures around the world and ways of life across the globe. It gives them the freedom to choose a lifestyle that can be different from what their parents live. Children learn the scope of their own capabilities and travel aids in broadening the horizons of their being.
It is important for us to raise kids that wholeheartedly embrace and accept norms around the world.
The exposure that travel brings about the different cultures and ways of life makes them more accepting and appreciative towards the human race.

While solo traveling is fun, family travel comes with bucket loads of challenges for parents.

Coming from a parent of two, it takes an entire household to pack up the carnival that we call “travel essentials for kids”.
I have always been the person who maintained a checklist for everything. So, the first time I traveled with my elder daughter, I forgot to carry an ample amount of “essentials” for her. Needless to say, the trip was nothing short of a horror story.
Lesson learnt!  Since then, I have maintained a basic listing of things that need to be carried while traveling with infants and toddlers.
And as it is the holiday month, we were traveling to my mother’s house. My younger sister, who happens to be a new mom, was at a loss as to what to carry for her one-year-old baby. This is where my 5-year-old checklist came in handy!
So, I thought of sharing the same with all the new mothers around too.
Here it goes!

Diapers: If you are traveling with an infant, then this is a must-have item on your list. D’oh!
I usually carry at least  5 diapers for all the poopy mishaps that can happen.
My favorite brand is Pampers Care Pant style diapers. They are super comfortable and absorbent. Leak-proof and the weave across the waist is very soft and smooth for the child. It doesn’t leave those elastic lines across the waist that these pant style diapers are notorious for.

Pampers Diapers Pant StyleWipes: Second, super important item that cannot be missed is baby wipes. You can use these to wipe off the poop, clean off the groin area to moisturize it in between diaper changes or wipe the baby’s entire body and face. Or wipe off mama’s sweaty brow.

I totally bank on Pampers Fresh Clean Baby Wipes or Cloversoft Organic Bamboo Baby Wipes.
Pampers has a soft grip texture, in the sense that it is soft and strong to offer gentle cleaning for your baby’s delicate skin. It comes with a refreshing scent and is dermatologically tested.
Whereas, Cloversoft Organic Bamboo Baby wipes are made from 100% organic bamboo pulp and provide the natural touch for your child’s delicate skin. They are 100% unbleached and organic, and hence, are unscented without any chemical fragrances.
It is Singapore’s leading organic products brand.
Pampers Baby Wipes Cloversoft Baby Wipes

Rash Cream- Another most important part of the cleaning process is a diaper rash cream. It keeps the nether areas clean and soft, and well, rash free. My only favorite is Palmer’s  Cocoa Butter Formula Diaper Rash Cream. It has a really thick texture that creates a layer on baby’s bottom keeping it protected.

Palmer's Diaper Rash Cream

Garbage Bags- Without a doubt, to dispose of the soiled diapers and wipes. They also come in handy to keep clothes that have been soiled in the diaper changing process or if the child has vomited. Babies can easily get sick from all the travel motions.
The only brand that I go for is Crown Garbage Bag 100% OXO Bio-Degradable. I usually carry a medium size as it is sufficient enough to keep my clothes as well.
Crown Trash Bags with strings
Sanitizer: Because it is not possible to have soap and water handy everywhere. This is where hand sanitizer comes in. I prefer buying a sanitizer that has a moisturizer in it to avoid the need to carry a hand and nail cream.
So, I go in for Dot & Key Sanitizer + Moisturizer. It’s very light on the skin and doesn’t leave your hands dry. At the same time, it gives a velvety feel to your hands. And it’s unisex so your partner cannot refuse to do the dirty work. I especially love the mandarin & lemon fragrance!

Dot & Key Hand Sanitizer

 

Baby Hairbrush: If your baby has long hair then carrying a hairbrush is of utmost importance to avoid tangles in those pretty locks. Because detangling those precious locks can prove to be painful for the parent as well as the child. For my younger daughter, who is barely a year old, I prefer using Chicco Natural Silk Brush and Comb. And for my 4 years old, I prefer using Fedora Natural Shisham Wood Hair Comb. The wooden hair comb can be used by the loving and tired mommy as well.

 

Chicco Hairbrush and Comb set

Fedora Shisham Wooden Comb

Baby Lotion: As we all know that baby skin is very delicate and needs the best of care, I do not compromise on baby lotion. There are just two brands that I trust when it comes to my babies’ skin and they are Sebamed Baby Body Milk Lotion and Azafran Nourishing Baby Lotion. Both products give a healthy glow while providing adequate moisturization and have a very faint, sweet fragrance which you and your baby would love.

Sebamed Baby Moisturizing Cream

Baby Moisturizer

Clothes: It is very easy to overlook the spare clothes while packing. I once forgot to keep a change of clothes for my kid and, boy did I regret that! My daughter barfed all over me and herself, and I had no option but to clean us with water. It left us reeking of puke for the entire duration of the flight with plenty of questioning eyebrows being raised in our direction. Now, everywhere I go, I carry one weather friendly pair of clothes and one full sleeved pajama set which includes a spare pair of socks for the baby, and a change of comfortable shirt for myself. I also either wear a stole or carry one because layering is smart. Especially if you are a feeding mother. Bibs are a big YES if your baby drools.
I absolutely adore TuddyBuddy Bandana Bibs for Babies. They come in very handy and look very chic otherwise too. You can buy these in various cute prints from Amazon.
TuddyBuddy Bandana Bibs for babies
Snacks: Because food makes everything alright!
Be it air travel, road travel or just traveling within the city, you ought to keep some snacks that can be filling and at the same time easy to carry. While I prefer cutting seasonal fruits into cubes and packing, sometimes it’s not possible to do that or the kids aren’t always ready for a healthy snack. So. I pack small tetra packs of juices and various healthy snacks disguised as junk. For instance, my elder daughter loves munching on Early Foods Organic Whole Wheat Ajwain and Jaggery Teething sticks. They are healthy and filling.
Early Foods Organic
Or Timios Kids Snacks. These have a wide variety of flavors and come in different shapes which keeps the child happy and busy.
Timios Kids Snack
Last but not least, to satisfy the sweet tooth of everyone I prefer keeping dried or dehydrated fruits, or granola bars. Packed with energy from jaggery and dried fruits, they give you a guilt-free pass while your kids enjoy the sweet bars. My kids are in love with PurpleHippie Millet and Coconut Granola. They have various other flavors for Granola and come in bars and truffles form. You can buy them from Amazon with the following link.
PurpleHippie Granola
Water is a must to stay hydrated and calm. Carry your child’s favorite sippy cup to avoid any sort of turbulence. The best ones available on Amazon are Philips Avent Straw Cup. This is easy to carry and spill proof. It can be bought in various colors with cute handles for the baby to hold on to.

Philips Avent Straw Cup

The Munchkin Miracle 360 Degree Sippy Cup is a good training sipper which introduces toddlers to drinking like adults. It’s available in various cute colors too and is a massive hit amongst mums these days! And if you are one finicky and environment conscious mummy who doesn’t want to use plastic for their kids, there is a stainless steel variant which comes in at a little more price.

Munchkin 360 Stainless steel Cup

Books and/or toys: While traveling by air or train or car, the kids’ mobility gets hindered and hence we need to keep toys and/or books to keep them entertained. Kids under 1.5 years of age love books that have touch and learn factor into it. My younger one is in love with The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle.
The Very Hungry Caterpillar baby book by Eric Carle
And for the older kids (age range 3-8 years) there is Little Miss book range by Adam Hargreaves. They are available in complete collection box set as well as individual copies in Amazon.
Mothers essentials: Mama, don’t forget yourself while packing up for your little ones! Keep your absolute essentials in a pouch in the baby’s bag too for a quick last minute touch up before leaving the airport gates!
In the end, we can prepare ourselves to any extent, but if the kid decides to throw a curve ball there is no ducking it!  So please let the suggestions flow in case I missed anything.

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14 Comments

  5. As a traveler myself, it is quite challenging to bring little kids with you during the trip but the fun is so worth it. So this is really a helpful list to make sure they’re comfortable!

    Reply

    1. Absolutely agree with you on it being more fun with kids! Once the stress of travel settles, it can be so much more fun with the little wanderers 🙂

      Reply

  6. That’s a really great list! I love the note where you said don’t forget to take care of yourself too haha! I’m usually just lucky to be dragging my legs with me, by the time we get the whole family packed. I’ve heard of people putting on face masks while in a place… I kind of want to try that haha!

    Reply

    1. Thank you for your kind words! Aren’t we all too tired to even breath at the end of the day? But they are our cute little soul sucking bundle of joys.

      Reply

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