As many of you know! I just got back from an Amazing trip with my family! Traveling with a 2 year old isn’t the easiest! We found somethings that worked out great and other things that didn’t!
Tip #1. Bring their “Monkey Man”! My 2 year old has her Monkey Man that she sleeps with every night! It is her soother that she has had since she was 3 months old! A little pink monkey that she calls her Monkey Man. We also brought a very thing blanket so that she has the scent and reminder of home!
Tip #2. Activities: Surprise activities are always great! I wish I would have brought a pack of stickers with us on the airplane ride to Disney World! Being able to pull out surprise activities was great! My husband had his iPad with her favorite Mickey Mouse Club House episodes on it, along with kid friendly apps! We know that she can sit through one episode without a problem at home! The apps also help because they are educational and we can play together while learning our letters, colors, and shapes!
Tip #3. Keep the traveling and important papers away from your 2 year old! She had our drivers licenses in her hand, playing with them. I didn’t think she would go far with them. She went to hand it to me, and I didn’t take it, thinking she would just set it down. She some how climbed on the couch and dropped it behind the VERY heavy couch! We LOOKED EVERYWHERE for our licenses. Every time we asked her where she put it she pointed to the picture above the couch…What she was looking at when she dropped it behind the couch!
Tip #4. Don’t get too worked up when your two year old has tantrums. Not only are you taking them off of your schedule and trying to run from one place to another, but they are just showing their feelings on how grown ups feel inside! We want to yell, kick, and scream a lot….but we have learned how to maintain ourselves. Just stay stern, relax, and don’t let these ruin your trip. Be stern, keep your two year old active, and allow them to make decisions. We asked our 2 year old a lot, “Do you want to hold mommy and daddy’s hand OR do you want to sit in the stroller.”
Tip #5. TRY to keep them on schedule! The BEST days we had were when we planned in a nap time! We were more productive in the mornings, plus the park was less busy! We were going home for a nap after we ate around 12:30…the naps allowed for her to stay slightly grounded in her general routine, and allowed mom and dad to also nap and/or get organized for which snacks and items we needed for our next trip out!