Baby On Board: 8 Tips for Getting Back on the Road

By Carolyn Graham

In the span of 15 minutes, my 1-year-old son, Jack, managed to topple three garbage cans, rip through a new roll of toilet paper, unpack all of our suitcases, grind a bag of goldfish crackers into the carpet and very nearly pull a 100-pound mirror on top of himself. The sight of our beautiful $200-per-night hotel room on the San Francisco wharf would have made the Tasmanian Devil feel like an underachiever.

Ahhhh … vacation! When you’re traveling with babies and toddlers, the term “vacation” seems to take on an entirely different meaning. Long car trips, endless forays through airports, days of shuffling schedules and exhaustion-induced flameouts are enough to make you feel as though you need a vacation after your vacation.

When my husband and I decided to take our 1-year-old and 5-year-old on a vacation that started with an eight-hour drive, we must’ve been in denial of the trials and tribulations that come with travel with young ones in tow. Kate, our 5-year-old, was always an easy-going traveler. But those natural hormones that make you forget childbirth also kick in when someone gets the urge to take a road trip with an infant. You simply forget how hard it can be to leave home for more than a day with a baby on board.

I might not be the ultimate source of knowledge on exactly how to pack the perfect diaper bag – and I certainly don’t remember to bring every gadget – but here are eight tips that will be useful reminders to parents preparing to travel with their babies.