Hi Mamas! A really good friend of mine is totally stressing about an upcoming trip and I am trying to get a little help for her. Here's the situation: She has a 4 y.o. and a 3 month old. She is going to be traveling to NE for a wedding that her husband and son are both in (so it's costing quite a bit of cash). She has to stay in a crummy Super 8 motel for 2 of the nights with her daughter who is not a great sleeper and her busy boy. Her mom is NOT helpful about assisting her in watching the kids, and her husband is going to be super busy with wedding stuff for the time they are in the crummy room. She is flying, so her options are limited with being able to pack swings and other stuff to help her baby sleep, and she is just at her wits' end! Also, unfortunately, saying no is not an option as it's her husband's best friend. Any ideas of travel tips, easy entertainment or what else to do to keep her sanity would be super helpful!!!
She could call the hotel and see if they have anything for babies (cribs, swings, toys). Or she could ask if there was a service there in town that rented baby stuff.
call the hotel and find out how close the nearest park is; if walking distance, she can do that w/the kids while hubby is doing wedding stuff. Sticker books w/removable stickers so 4-year old can do it over and over. Target has some great travel activity books for little ones. Dollar store stuff in a bag and let 4-year old open one every time he's bored or without something to do.
I have only one and can't have any more but that's a different story. My son gets bored at a blink of an eye. Tell her to get one of those small portable DVD players and bring lots of DVDs. That's what we do. Our son is 3-1/2. I know-too much tele but when in a pinch trust me it works. Another thing- Walmart is your best friend. THose little travel scetchy pads are great. Color books and crayons. For the peaceful sleep- there are musical things That she can train her daughter to listen to. We still have the Winnie-the-Pooh music and projector from when he was a baby and we turn that on-lights out! Also bring familiar things like stuffed animals- small- but re-assuring. Something with the smell of home. I wish her luck, that is my two cents. I don't have two so I don't have double the trouble but if she can at least a couple of ideas from my post, great!
Hello!
Parents Magazine just had a little clip on this rental business http://www.babysaway.com/ where they give locations where stuff could be rented from.
Alternately, can they ask if the family and friends in the area have stuff they could loan out while they are there?
I would check with the hotel first though.
Could they possibly mail some entertainement ahead to someone in the area so it is there without having to deal with in on the plane?
Or, make the first or second stop after arrival a store with toys etc and mail it back to herself at the end of the trip.
On the other hand, our then almost 4 year old was fine for our vacation with a memory game (game pieces in zip lock bag), a collection of new plastic zoo animals, some small books ($1 @ Target), some crayons and plain paper, and well, of course a DVD player.
Puzzles, and flash cards also make for good entertainment, and fit great in zip lock bgs.
How about a white board type thing or DoodlePro? Requires only one pen and can do so much. Ours wants to keep practicing her letters and numbers, so maybe this also applies to your firend's daughter. We also use it to draw each other riddles etc....
Some snacks and 1-2 small new toys for the plane should do it for the 4 yr old.
Good luck!
D.
Has she looked into a portable DVD player to play movies for the 4 year old? I haven't had experiences flying with toddlers, but I did have to take a long road trip with my 2 toddlers and I packed little surprise bags that we opened every 30 minutes. They were as simple as a sheet of stickers or a new little toy that I put in a plane brown paper bag. The most important part was the wrapping, because unwrapping the gifts kept them occupied as well.
There's a company called babys away that rents swings and other baby gear to people on vacation. I'm not sure if they are in NE but it couldn't hurt to check their website!
Has she ever tried one of those baby slings? I used those religiously with all of mine and loved them. I could rock them to sleep on me in the sling while having both my hands free to handle my other kiddos. Then, once they fell asleep, I would simply slip off the sling and let them sleep with it as a blanket. They are great for nursing, helping babies sleep and keeping babies calm while you keep your hands free to do other things. Word to the wise, I've tried several and the "Over the Shoulder Baby Holder" (http://www.babyholder.com/)I have found to be the absolute best on the market as far as easy to use, comfortable for both baby and mom and most easy to fit. It was recommended to me by a lactation specialist.
As for the 4 yr. old, Walmart has some great magnet travel games that are on sale right now for $5. They have traditional games like tick tac toe, shoots and ladders, hangman, etc. as well as some solo play activities like "dress the monster" and things of that nature. Keeping a few of these on hand, along with some coloring books, legos, etc. might be easy travel companions and useful for entertainment in the room.
I also always travel with a bag of snacks and drinks that I can keep in the room. You can even stop at a grocery store when you get there and purchase a few of your toddlers favorite items for "in-room treats".
Another suggestion that I've used a lot for plane rides and general travel is if she happens to have an ipod or iphone, there is a free application you can download called Handbrake (http://handbrake.fr/) that will convert any dvd you have at home into a playable movie for your iphone or ipod through your computer! It's awesome! I've loaded a whole bunch of kids video's on my ipod that I use for just these types of long trips. Plug in the earphones and your little one can be entertained for a little while. I found this little gem indispensible when I was pregnant with my last baby and had to sit long hours in the waiting rooms for doctor appointments with my then 3, 5, and 7 yr olds...I just hooked up an earphone splitter and they were all three happily distracted and entertained for the duration of the visit! The best part is it takes up less room than my wallet in my purse!
a DVD player saved me so many times. I let my baby sleep in his car seat or if i have the space, i take this small portable swing I have. I try to get a few surprises for my 3 yr old and that entertains her for a while.
