February 21, 2010

Travel Tip: Multiples?!

Traveling with kids is always an adventure, but traveling with multiples- well that's a whole 'nother ballgame!

My friends over at Multiples...and More! are having their Question of the Week!!

What are your best tips for traveling with multiples?
Did you find it helpful to travel at night?
I tried this approach once on a 30 hour road trip from Illinois to California. Honestly, I didn't notice a difference one way or the other. You are still going to be stopping for gas every couple of hours so the kids are going to get woken up anyway. For us, I don't think it mattered one way or the other what time we were traveling. I would also like to note that we were traveling with 2 year old twins and a 2 week old infant...it was NEARLY as bad as someone would think.
■Did you bring a pack'n'play for each child? What were the sleeping arrangements?
We have only stayed in a hotel with our girls once. Believe it or not, that 30 hour trip was straight through...no sleeping (well, none for my husband anyway)! Anyway, we traveled to LA for the twins 1st birthday and took them to Disneyland. We decided to use the hotel cribs for twins...BAD IDEA! I highly recommend taking one or two pack'n'plays with you. It took our girls a little while to fall asleep because the cribs were cold metal and the hotel did not provide any fitted sheets for the cribs (it was a nice hotel also).
■Did you try to preserve your kids' schedules as much as possible?
YES! Of course that was our top priority. It's tricky at times depending on how you are traveling and the ages of your multiples, but I would try to work your daily plans around the schedules of your little ones. It will be worth it in the end.
If the kids are happy, EVERYONE is happy!
■Any tricks for getting your kids to sleep in a new environment?
Not really. Obviously just bring their favorite blanket or stuffed animal. I found getting them to fall asleep to be the hardest part of staying in a hotel. We never co-slept with them so putting them in bed with us was not an option. As for driving during sleeping hours, they had no problem!

■Do you have any "special" toys that you brought with you to avoid a meltdown?
Absolutely! My mom bought us dual DVD players and that was (hands down) the best item we had. We stuck in a 'My Little Pony' movie and it was golden! We also packed a 'goody bag' for each of the girls. They included a doll, small coloring book, 4 crayons, book, hand-held fan. I also brought along some small glow sticks. They were handy after the sun went down and the girls had a blast. We also packed individual bags of chips, fruit snacks and other food items that weren't too messy and wouldn't melt.
■Are you more lenient with your kids on trips than you are at home?
Yeah, of course they are going to get away with more when they are out of their element, but I would NEVER let them know that. I am still pretty strict and let on that all the same rules apply!
■What items do you find indispensable for travelling?
Dual DVD players.
Invest in a pair!!

*Disclaimer: I did NOT proofread...enjoy!
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1 comment:

Mrs. B said...

my favorite line: if the kids are happy, EVERYONE is happy!

SO TRUE! :)

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