NOVEMBER 27 ― It’s that time of year again!

November and December are busy months for my family. With Thanksgiving and Christmas creeping up on us, these two remaining months of 2015 feel so much shorter compared to the rest. As we usually travel up north for these two occasions, I have become somewhat of a pro at preparing for these trips.

I know from experience that failure to pack certain things or do certain things can end up with disastrous effects, so these are my top tips for travelling with a toddler in tow.

When travelling as a family, sometimes I feel like we’ve packed everything, including the kitchen sink.

Wear your kid

My husband and I are babywearers. This means we like using baby carriers to carry our two-year-old son, Elias. While he can walk and run as fast as the pelesit, sometimes his little legs get tired and he wants to be carried.

When that happens, it is nice to have a carrier with us. Carrying a 13-kg child with just your bare hands can get very tiring. A carrier makes it less so.

Babywearing helps me keep my toddler contained and make schlepping through airports a breeze.

So for me, when we talk about travelling, babywearing is the best solution! It keeps your child contained, stops him from going nuts in an unfamiliar situation and you get to move fast when you need to, with your child in tow. Plus, we never miss nap time since he just sleeps in the carrier.

When flying, back is best

In the few cases where we fly, I like to choose a seat at the back of the plane, near the galley. This way we have more space in case my son wants to walk around during the flight.

This is extremely useful during long flights where they are going to be antsy from sitting for a long time. Being close to the galley also means the staff are more likely to hand you snacks and toys.

The downside to this is that if you have a short layover, getting out quickly may not be as easy. I always try to schedule for a layover that is more than an hour, so my son can run around and stretch his legs a bit.

Entertainment

Another thing I have to keep travelling less painful is a tablet. There is nothing wrong with using one in moderation. I make sure I load it up with educational apps and shows my son likes to watch, like Curious George, Little Bus Tayo and RoboCar Poli.

My son doesn’t get a lot of screen time, but for these special occasions, I kind of close one eye and let him enjoy himself. Travelling time is no time to be a Sanctimommy because when my child is content, he will throw less tantrums.

I usually will distract him with other stuff first, like a book or play games with him, and only use the tablet as a last resort. If we are flying, it only comes out once we have taken off. This way, you can conserve the battery. Speaking of which, don’t forget to charge them. No point in bringing one if it has no battery life left!

Leave when your child is most tired

Schedule your trip so it will coincide with your child’s sleep schedules. That way they are more likely to sleep during the trip. We like to leave early, because Elias sleeps mostly in the morning, or we’ll leave around his nap time.

Once we chose to leave late at night and it was horrible! My husband was tired from work and Elias was just not ready to go to sleep. So now we leave super early in the morning so my toddler always ends up sleeping in the car. When he wakes up, we’re almost there!

Bring a favourite toy/book

If your child has a favourite something, don’t forget to pack it! This is crucial as meltdowns can and will happen — your toddler does not understand what you mean by “we don’t have it.” All he knows is that his most favouritest thing in the world is not there and that will upset him.

I usually have a packing list to make sure I don’t leave any of them. My son has a couple of favourite toys — his Little People school bus and Heli from RoboCar Poli — and I also always bring a bunch of little Hot Wheels cars for the trip. They make trips less boring and keep your child entertained.

Fun toys help avoid meltdowns.

Snacks and treats keep the little people happy

Keeping our tiny travellers happy is very important. This is so they don’t end up in a puddle on the floor, screaming their heads off and get you all flustered and upset. For trips, I usually pack a bunch of his favourite snacks. Annie’s Home-grown Organic crackers, a few YumEarth Organic lollipops as treats as well as plenty of water (or “air” as Elias calls it by its Malay name).

If you’re flying, bring an empty water bottle so you can fill it up with water once you’ve gone through airport security. We love our Liberty water bottle — they’re made from recycled aluminium right here in the USA, carries enough water for a short trip, plus it has a flip top that you chug out of so no spilling for my little man.

It is also important to remember that food at the airport or rest areas are usually pretty pricey so if you can bring your own, it’ll help keep your money in your wallet, which means more money to spend at your destination!

Use a CARES harness in-flight

If you have no need for a car seat on the other side, then do away with lugging it through the airport. On our flight to Malaysia, as we had a car seat waiting on the other side, I didn’t want to deal with bulky car seats as we schlepped through the airports.

My two-year-old using the CARES harness during our flight to Hong Kong.

I got a CARES harness that is FAA approved and can be used safely for a child in-flight. As it is designed to be used with a child one year and older weighing 10 to 20 kilograms and up to 100-centimetres tall, Elias was able to use it comfortably.

I like that it comes with its own storing sack so it can be stored neatly. It is not intrusive at all — putting it together is very quick and painless and it makes for a much easier trip compared to if we travel with a car seat in tow.

Most important tip of all: Relax

Last summer, even though I felt worried about travelling halfway around the world, alone with my toddler, I took that leap of faith and just did it. Being able to hug my parents and for my family to meet my son for the first time were big enough rewards that made all the travelling pains seem so minuscule in comparison.

While it’s nice to have everything go as planned, sometimes it doesn’t. Your flights get delayed, the airline loses your bag or you get a flat tyre. Whatever it is, just take a deep breath. Be thankful that you are with the people you love, or going to see the people you love.

Enjoy your time with loved ones, and travel safely!

*The writer looks forward to ending up in a food coma on Thanksgiving day and going Black Friday shopping on Saturday.

**This is the personal opinion of the columnist.