Hello everyone:

One of the most difficult or most fun things is to travel as a single parent with a small child. I have a friend who travels with her little kids on a regular basis and they seem to do just fine. Other parents do not face the same pleasant journey, so I wanted to share some tips that I have used through the years. I would love to hear your ideas as well, so please do write back.

When one of my sons had to spend a lot of time in the stroller for whatever reason, I gave him toys that he only got while being well-behaved in that stroller. Kids today have their own iPads to look at, but this was in the olden days where kids looked at books, played with toys,  or viewed the scenery while they were in their strollers.

If the young fellow started acting up, the toy  (or whatever) was taken away. Now it is important to understand that little kids need to stretch their legs periodically, but this toy-take-away happened when they were only in the stroller for a few minutes. Sometimes Mommy had to get from Point A to Point B quickly and the stroller was the only way to accomplish this.

When we traveled on a plane, I made a point of bringing along never-seen-before toys and sitting towards the back of the plane. The toys would entertain for a little while, as I was waiting for the sound of the engine and movement of the plane to gently lull my son to sleep. He got a nap and so did I. We awoke refreshed and ready for action when we landed. [Also, sitting in the back of the plane meant we had twice the number of bathrooms nearby and could get to them easily.]

When we went somewhere by car, I brought a goodie bag of toys that hadn’t been seen recently and doled them out as needed. If the kids were misbehaving, they did not get rewarded with a toy, however. We also took periodic stops for bathrooms, snacks, and to get the wiggles out.

I hope this makes your traveling more pleasant. What ideas have you come up with as you hit the roads or the skies on a trip with a toddler?

Best,

Dr. Sheri