“Whatever You Do, Don’t Forget the…” The 5 Things You Want to Pack. All parents know that taking their child somewhere, no matter where it is, comes with an element of the unknown baked in. The younger your child is, the more likely that unknown will show its face at just the wrong time. It’s happened to us all, so don’t feel bad, but it doesn’t have to be that way anymore. Thanks to the miracles of technology and a good bit of planning on your part, you can head the unknown off at the pass and have everything go, for once, exactly the way you imagined it.
So, when I started thinking about this post, I thought back to my own first adventures with my daughter. I remembered all the times the day wrong, and I tried to identify the common thread in all of them. Once I found it, and I’m sure you all have guessed by now, it seemed so obvious – boredom. Kids hate being bored. They get frustrated with monotony and they take those frustrations out the only way they know how – through acting out. It gets the attention and that’s all that matters.
Luckily, smart people and companies long ago discovered what I so naively missed and designed all sorts of wonderful distractions for children. I’ve included the five items that, after long experience, I will never travel without again. So, without further ado, let’s take a look at the list.
The All-Knowing Tablet
When the doctor said, “Take two tablets and call me in the morning”, he could have been talking about digital tablets instead of medicine and it would still make sense – especially to single parents traveling with children. The tablet represents the single greatest parenting aid invented since the diaper. It does everything and can be strictly controlled. You can customize the tablet experience to be just what you want – nothing more, nothing less.
You can choose the tablet that best fits your budget, but there are a few things to keep in mind. In my experience, and I’m sure this will change as time goes by, there are just more kid-centric apps and games on iPad than there are on Android. That’s not to say that the Google Play store doesn’t have coloring books and other things that my daughter loves, but when it really comes down to quality content, iTunes still wins. There’s a wide price difference, however, so you’ll have to decide if it’s worth the money.
Pro Tip: Spring for the best case you can for whatever model of tablet you buy. After all, kiddos tend to drop things – a lot!
The Handy iPod Touch
Few of the gadgets developed during the last 20 years have had such an impact on my life as the iPod touch. You think I’m exaggerating? Well, you can rest assured I’m not. Take one with you on the next trip with your child and you’ll know exactly what I mean. Small enough for their hands and powerful enough to do almost anything they like, it’s one of the easiest and most-effective ways to keep your kids busy while travel takes its sweet time. You’ll be amazed at the silence that accompanies their little hands grabbing hold of the device, and you can feel 100% confident it’s okay for them since everything on the device was uploaded by you.
You use an iPod Touch just as you would any other Apple device – through iTunes. You can fill it with movies, games, music, and apps they can enjoy for hours on end and it’s far less expensive than a full-size iPad. It’s not the best screen size for any lengthy use, but your child will probably have to be pried away from it before they’re tired of using it. The battery has a good life and the settings can be adjusted to lengthen it even further. Do yourself a favor and buy one before you travel and thank me when you get back.
Pro Tip: Any time you purchase electronics that your child is going to use, save yourself the time, money, and stress an accident will cause by buying the best case you can. These are small devices and will be dropped – most likely often.
Easy Educational Electronics
No parent wants to distract their child while on vacation. That kind of ruins the entire point of getting out and seeing the world, but there will be times when you need your child’s attention elsewhere. In those times, there are few things better than an educational toy – preferably a handheld – that you can pass into their hands and let them get lost in learning for a bit. That gives you those crucial moments you need to collect your thoughts or get everything ready for your big day or night out.
These toys come in all shapes and sizes – not to mention price points. The best thing to do is to just go look around online for something you think your child would enjoy. I can recommend the Leap Frog Leap Pad and the Wonderswan Color. Both are great at teaching essential lessons, which is good preparation for your really young ones. You can find almost any lesson you want in a wide variety of formats and flavors. They include a good many of your child’s favorite characters and themes from TV, movies, and more.
Pro Tip: They make a great substitution for the iPod Touch if you don’t want to buy something like that for your little one until they’re old enough to appreciate its fragility.
Games, Games & More Games
You may be wondering about the inclusion of handheld video game systems to this list. It may seem like we’ve covered this before and now we’re just duplicating. Well, you’d be right. But, there’s a reason for everything I do, I promise. See, the fact is, I’ve found that trying to just take one item won’t work. The child bores of it just like they do everything that their little brains deem monotonous. It’s the kind of child psychology that’s actually useful to normal people. Accept the fact that your child needs, and I mean that – they need, to have choices.
Once you’ve come to the same conclusion I did, and you will, you’ll see that having a selection of options to throw their way will keep the peace and ensure that your child is smiling – no matter what the weather or other factors bring. It’s inevitable that you’ll have a day, maybe two, when you’re stuck in your room and all the TV is in another language. You’ll do your best to keep your child happy, but, without these trusted go-to items, you’ll more than likely end up spending a damp day; inside from the mood and outside from the rain.
Pro-Tip: You can find these game systems at very inexpensive prices by buying a refurbished model from Amazon or a store like GameStop. They offer a limited warranty and even prolonged insurance in case it fails later.
And Most Importantly – Headphones
The final item I’ve listed is probably the one you’ll notice least and appreciate most. It’s a good pair of headphones for your child to use, and even you yourself if occasion demands, whenever they want to play their games, watch their movies, or listen to their favorite songs. It’s also a neat experience for them when you go on tours and they’re offered the public headsets and they can say, “no, thank you” since they’ve got their own set.
My daughter loves her headphones and takes them with her almost everywhere. She looks like a miniature DJ out to play an event, just without the record bag, so I give her the freedom to do as she likes. If you can find a pair that fits your budget, I recommend the Beats by Dre. The sound is excellent and the durability is out of this world. She’s dropped them down stairs, stepped on them, and even managed to get ice cream in them – and they’re still like new.
Pro Tip: My daughter tried earbuds first, and while she liked them, they just won’t stay in a little child’s ears. Skip them and get real headphones to save some serious money.
There you have it, the 5 things I’ll never travel without. Each of them works, at least for me, to reinforce the others and allow me to feel confident that no matter what obstacle the airlines, the traffic, or the weather throws at us, we’ll be calm, cool, and entertained. In the end, that’s what vacationing is all about – along with seeing new things and meeting new people. So, since those are part of the package, you might as well bring along the things you know will have a positive impact on you and your child’s experience. It’s worth the room in your luggage, I guarantee.