Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thank you for all the replies. We are driving 2 hours and renting a house, planning to eat maybe 1-2 meals out and the rest at home over 3 days. Great tip on the portable high chair, will do that!!

Any recs for car toys?

try to get him good and tired before you leave. let him sleep it off in car

Yeah no car toys. Drive at nap time.

disinfectant wipes for the high touch items your baby will put in her mouth.

Anonymous wrote:Thank you for all the replies. We are driving 2 hours and renting a house, planning to eat maybe 1-2 meals out and the rest at home over 3 days. Great tip on the portable high chair, will do that!!

Any recs for car toys?

try to get him good and tired before you leave. let him sleep it off in car

Thermometer and baby Tylenol

Pop-up chair PP here. I save toys that make sounds/light up for the car - they're really novel for him, so he stays pretty entertained.

This rattle from his younger days is a favorite https://www.amazon.com/VTech-Baby-Rattle-Sing-Puppy/dp/B019ICFYNI

as is this Leap Frog book https://www.amazon.com/LeapFrog-80-609540-100-Animals-Book/dp/B085KTQKNC/ref=sr_1_3?crid=DDPO4CA97BFA&keywords=leap+frog+book&qid=1649897709&s=toys-and-games&sprefix=leap+frog+book%2Ctoys-and-games%2C81&sr=1-3

He also has something like this that keeps him pretty well entertained https://www.amazon.com/Zalmoxe-Montessori-Activities-Preschool-Educational/dp/B09KTF11LM/ref=sr_1_14_sspa?crid=141EJZ5I90SKU&keywords=busy+book+for+toddlers+1-3&qid=1649897739&s=toys-and-games&sprefix=busy+book%2Ctoys-and-games%2C77&sr=1-14-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExNU84MVU0V1UyRFBJJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwMDg5MzAxRlBJWUJWRFhaR08yJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTA5ODYzMTlCR1VUWFJCN1ZHUjkmd2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9tdGYmYWN0aW9uPWNsaWNrUmVkaXJlY3QmZG9Ob3RMb2dDbGljaz10cnVl

And he likes all kinds of books, especially the mini sized ones that fit well in his hands. Having his favorite songs in a Spotify playlist ready to pull up also makes a difference!

When possible, we try to leave around his nap time so he can sleep a decent part of the trip. I also try to leave the middle seat open so I can jump in the back with him if he gets really fussy.

Thank you for all the replies. We are driving 2 hours and renting a house, planning to eat maybe 1-2 meals out and the rest at home over 3 days. Great tip on the portable high chair, will do that!!

Any recs for car toys?

If you’re renting a house and not eating at restaurants you absolutely need a high chair!!!

We've travelled a lot with our 15-month-old over the last year, and I agree with the above posts except regarding no need for high chair. While you won't need one for most restaurants, unless you plan to eat out for all of your meals and/or your kiddo is content being held or will sit still for longer periods of times (mine is starting to resist this these days!), I recommend a pop-up high chair like this: https://www.amazon.com/Summer-Infant-Portable-Booster-Green/dp/B08N6C7M5Q?th=1 We LOVE ours.

Things we tend to forget:
- sleepsack
- sound machine
- enough/variety of car snacks (depending on the distance/time)
- shoes (a new necessity)

Also, our guy recently started sleeping poorly while in the Pack n Play. We purchased a PNP-sized mattress and have found it's made a big difference compared to the cardboard-like mat that comes with it. It's definitely another thing to buy/bring but has been a lifesaver for us.

Safe travels to you!!

If you've never packed for a trip with a kid before, I say this with all seriousness: start packing now. We've done it a bunch of times and I'm still not calibrated to how much longer it takes to pack up for us now with kids vs. when it was just me and my husband. Things you may not think of: a thermometer and infant tylenol (having had kids get sick on trips we always bring this now); overnight diapers, baby monitor. We like to bring a silicone placemat and plate to put down at restaurants when we use their highchairs. The tables are always pretty dirty and kids just eat right off of them. I second also bringing a ziplock bag with a sippy, utensils, wipeable bib, and kid plate for travel to restaurants. We have reusable zippered bags we use for this purpose, even when going to restaurants at home. I can't believe that restaurants serve small children with ceramic plates and adult utensils. Kids are people too!

If you're driving, lots of toys for the car.

Also, make an actual list of things to bring right now (like in a Google doc) and that way you won't have to remake this list every time you travel.

Being a portable white noise machine or download an app on your iPad/iPhone and leave it plugged in next to the crib.

I like disposable placemats (they adhere with sticky tape) for restaurant high chair trays that rarely seemed washed,
to keep airplane tray tables clean, etc.

I bring a gallon ziplock bag with a silicone bib, sippy cup, and toddler utensils plus a small pack of wipes that is easy to grab en route to a hotel breakfast or heading out for a restaurant meal. Also bring a small bottle of Dawn dish liquid so I can wash all of those items after each meal.

Not sure if you’re driving/flying so that depends how much “junk” you can bring, but we love the temporary window shades with sticky backing to darken the room for our baby. They have them at Home Depot, target etc. and they’re cheap.

Yes you'll be fine without a high chair.

Does your baby usually sleep in the dark? If so I would bring some extra towels or something to drape over the curtain rod in case there aren't good curtains in the room.

Also...bring low expectations

Most restaurants have highchairs unless you feel like you need something else?

Make sure to pack noise machines, loveys etc. Basically anything that will help with sleep.

Have fun & good luck!

Gong away for the first time this week for 3 days. What am I forgetting to pack? We also don’t have a portable high chair- DH says baby can just eat on our laps or on a picnic blanket for a couple of meals- does this sound ok?