Every now and then I receive emails or comments from readers with helpful travel tips, interesting questions, or some thoughts about how TravelMamas.com helped them travel better with kids. I thought I’d compile a few of them to share with you in hopes it will help your family travels a bit!

Pack Right!
“I was so happy to see packing lists on your website! My husband and I (along with my mother-in-law) are going to Disney World in two weeks with our five sons. I know I have to pack early. I know I have to pack thoroughly. I knew I was going to stress myself out writing up lists and lists in order to do it all! The fact that we have never had a family vacation before also made the task seem most daunting. With a wide range of ages, I was so pleased to see I was able to find lists that covered all them. So here’s a big THANK YOU for having these lists for moms to print up. You just saved me a whole bottle of ibuprofen I bet.”
~Heather Haas

Dear Heather,
I’m so glad I could help with your trip (and save you from a headache)!  The Packing Lists have been a hit since Travel Mamas launched almost a year ago. In fact, besides the home page, Packing Lists is the most popular page of my site!

Stay Healthy!
“I took your class last October and have been meaning to send this to you ever since! I think I mentioned it in class, it’s a pack ‘n’ play cover (by Cover Play) that you can bring with you if you are using a hotel or borrowed pack ‘n’ play.
~Erin Thomas

Dear Erin,
With airlines charging fees for checked baggage, it makes sense to use the portable crib provided by the hotel instead of bringing yours along. This slipcover seems like a wonderful way to keep a portable crib germ-free while traveling! I’ve already added the Coverplay Play Yard Slipcover (pictured above) to our Travel Gear to Buy page! Thanks for the handy tip!

Fly Safely!
“I have a travel question…My son will be ten and a half months old when we travel to Club Med Ixtapa next month. We bought an extra seat on the plane for him. We really don’t want to bring his car seat, but he may not be 22 pounds yet. Would you still suggest the CARES Harness, or do you have other ideas?”
~Cori Shiffrin

Dear Cori,
Thanks for your question, Cori! I love the CARES (Child Aviation Restraint System) and I purchased two CARES that I use for both of my children when we fly. However, I would not suggest using a CARES for a child who does not meet the age and weight restrictions for the restraint. CARES was safety-tested and approved specifically for for children aged one and older who weigh between 22 and 44 pounds.

So, to keep your son safe in the air, you will need to bring an infant or toddler car seat with you instead. Installing, uninstalling, and carrying an infant seat is much easier than using the toddler seat. If your infant car seat’s safety requirements allow for a child your son’s size, I would go with that.

Check out Go Go Babyz rolling carts that carry toddler and infant seats, making navigating the airport easier. Another option is the Sit ‘n’ Stroll, which is a stroller, booster seat, and car seat all rolled into one. It can be used on an airplane instead of a car seat and is suitable for children from newborns up to 40 pounds. If purchasing one of these is too expensive (especially if you plan to switch to a CARES soon), I suggest asking around to see if you could borrow one from a friend, or you could rent one from a baby gear rental gear company instead.

I hope that helps!

Thanks to all of the Travel Mamas mentioned in this post and the many others who read my blog, make comments, and send helpful travel tips my way! It means a lot to me to know that I am helping other parents enjoy their family journeys!
~Colleen Lanin
“The Travel Mama”

Do you have a tip, question, or suggestion you’d like to share? Please add a comment below!

For more information on this topic, see:

• 4 Packing Sanity Savers

• Get a Good Night’s Sleep on Vacation with Babies & Children

• How to Stay Healthy & Fit While Traveling

• The Bright Side of Flying with Kids

****