Traveling with a toddler is stressful, but here’s another helpful tip… let them pack their own bags.
I know what you’re thinking…. “Let them pack their own bag?? Are you crazy??” Yes, I know how it sounds. However allowing a toddler the opportunity to feel like they have control over their suitcase and their upcoming travel is essential.
We like to take a few favorites, you know the ones that they ALWAYS choose, and lay them out on the couch. We purposely choose HJ’s smaller lovies, “Cute Pup” and “French Pup,” because of their small size, as well as some other small toys. HJ then is allowed to pick out what he wants to pack in his suitcase. Once he’s done, we shut the suitcase and move on to another activity.
HJ has a Melissa and Doug Trunki, which is a rideable suitcase for toddlers. It is small but actually accommodates quite a bit of toys.
Once your toddler is out of sight, you can re-open the suitcase and pack it more appropriately, weeding out anything that you know your toddler won’t play with or essentially need. I then throw in the surprise items, like a plastic slinky and Crayola Color Magic laptop.
Hope this helps some parents with toddlers who have traveling in their future! Bon voyage!
[...] post in a series aimed at helping parents who travel with toddlers. You can read more tips here, here, and [...]