Five “die-die must buy” items for your next family holiday
Let’s face it. Travelling with kids is a far cry from those last minute trips we took in our childfree days. Maintaining our sanity in order to enjoy the holiday requires some preparation now and we have invited mom-of-two, Prisca Hoo, to share what some of her must-haves are when travelling with young children.
Prisca and her family — Issac, Hannah and Awesome Husband Jon.
Hi, I’m Prisca and I used to travel really light. The sort of girl who once went on a backpacking trip for three months with just a dozen items and the flip flops on my feet. Spending extra and bringing along items for “just in case” isn’t something I do but all that has changed now that I am a mom. Planning waaay ahead for trips became a thing and so did packing more essential items. But deep down, I’m still the Queen of Paring Down so here are some of my “die-die must buy” (or spend on) items to help you enjoy your next trip.
- Favourite snacks. Kids generally throw a wobbly when they are hungry or tired (see next point about arriving well-rested), so load up on those treats you can whip out at a moment’s notice to calm a brewing storm.
Pack enough snacks for the journey there and back so you'll always have something familiar to offer. - Travel in comfort: Space is a premium when you fly. I highly recommend paying more for bulkhead seats, flying premium economy, splurging miles on business class tickets or just bringing along a Plane Pal so that your child can sleep comfortably without their legs dangling. Getting a good night’s sleep on a redeye flight ensures that everyone arrives well-rested and ready to explore your destination.
Upgrade your space with the Plane Pal to travel in greater comfort. - Keeping them entertained: A doodle pad provides endless entertainment for both the young and old. While today’s parents grew up with a Magna Doodle or Etch a Sketch, kids these days are more familiar with digital apps that allow them to draw, colour in, compete in a game of tic-tac-toe, erase and start all over again for endless hours of fun.
Little ones are easily entertained with pen and paper. Endless games of tic-tack-toe, anyone? -
Safety first: The taxis in some of our favourite destinations sometimes don’t have seatbelts in the back. To ensure that we go about safely, we try to book a car with a ride-hailing app where possible and bring along a mifold booster seat or a RideSafer vest. These items do not take up a lot of space in our bags and give us peace of mind that the kids are buckled up safely.
Get around safely with a portable mifoldONE booster seat — it's pretty flat only weighs 700g!
- Don’t leave home without this: I know that some of you are probably thinking money, credit cards, passports or travel insurance but here’s something else to consider - lounge access at the airport. It’s not just for business travellers. Parents with young children will appreciate having somewhere quiet with fewer people milling about for the whole family to rest, eat or chill out before the flight, especially if your flight is delayed.. Sign up for a credit card or rewards programme that gives you access to these secret travel havens.
Plan to chillout in the lounge before your flight so that everyone gets on board relaxed and in a good mood.
Have fun exploring new places and travel safe always!
