If you were travelling with yourself, your partner and 2 yr old...what would you pack??

[rolypolybird]

So myself, and other half and our 2 year daughter and going to aus once his partner visa comes through (applied offshore in london in nov..still waiting)

 

so we think it will be august/september time...we are gonna take just a couple of bags of clothes, toys for lil one, cameras and surfboards to travel initially....most likely in a van.......now what the heck do i pack!??

 

We dont want to be weighed down with all our uk pocessions until we have spent a good amount of time travelling around, figuring out where we like etc etc and hopefully having fun too!

 

any tips of must pack items?

 

tips for packing for toddlers? or even travelling with toddlers?

 

help!! :err:

[dmjg]

A nanny?

 

i would take anything you can't do without and that's it. We always packed heaps of toys and bits for the kids and they rarely use any of it. Kids love to play with whatever is available wherever you are. Pack a little box with crayons, scissors and glue and make toys out of boxes and bottles on your travels, chuck them away when bored with them. It's amazing how much fun they can have with some sticks and stones.

 

I do carry a tiny sewing kit I swiped dozens from a trolley in a hotel once, theyve come in really handy over the last 10 years!

[LittleMissWildChild]

We have just done the trip, albeit with a 9 month old and are still waiting for our shipping to arrive. We left the UK in Feb, so we shipped most of our winter clothes and just wore old clothes which we ended up binning the night before the flight, between the date our boxes went and we flew out. We just took summer clothes, with jeans and a jacket each, hubby took a couple of jumpers and I took a cardi, we made sure we each had clothes to wear for a job interview (not forgetting shoes!). We took summer clothes with a couple of cardis for our baby, and some basic toys (stacking cups etc which were useful on the beach), plus our sons blanket as planes are always so cold. We also took some external drives which we had backed up all our family photos/music etc (the original are being shipped). We also took some snacks for the flights/Thailand (we did a 10 day stop over to break the flights up). We also took a cheap stroller that could take a beating on a flight/the beach. Cameras, camera charger, card reader. One thing we didn't pack which we wish we did was our marriage certificate (its in shipping). We have only just got married and I havent yet legally changed my name, but I have had flights and all sorts booked in my married name (by my parents etc), which has caused a bit of a palaver when I have been unable to prove I am married. Also hubby didn't pack his training certificates as he didn't think he'd need them, as they wernt relevant to his job in the UK but it turns out Oz want EVERYTHING so I wish we had packed those. I also always pack small speakers and my ipod so we have music if we want to have a picnic or sit on the beach. A tablet (ipad or similar) was also invaluable for us as we could Skype and email etc, plus it would keep your little one busy with games and movies etc.

 

Its amazing how little you really need - I keep forgetting we have 30 odd boxes coming, as we have rarely wanted for anything that we have shipped, other than the documents mentioned above. It will be nice when some more clothes arrive as we will need some more formal stuff for work, but to be honest part of me wonders why we bothered shipping anything at all (we only shipped personal items, no furniture), I have forgotten half the stuff we're bringing in.

[seraphim]

Just did this to validate ours!

 

Tips for toddlers!

 

Well, firstly, our little one loves sticker books, esp peppa pig etc. crayons and whatever yours sleeps with at home.

 

A pillow, so if tey won't settle they can sleep on your lap with that.

 

A sarong or other similar. They never put the lights out when you want them to, too busy selling you duty free. We made a little 'nest' and eventually ours got 4+ hours sleep, all you can expect as it's so different.

 

Rope, such as para cord. It may sound a little boy scout but I took 4 lengths and used them from everything from washing line to weaving a belt for the little one! came in useful making a shade on the plane so she could sleep.

 

you will both be knackered and ours took 3-4 days to readjust to the time difference, the first day or two in the same place recouperating will help.

Personally, I'd advise against doping the little one up as it's not great and doesn't allow the body to adjust well so will make the transition worse and also doping your child for that long a haul prob isn't the best idea. Stewardesses took ours of us for a few minutes occasionally.

 

Don't forget to order kids meals, they arrive before yours so you can help them eat and then eat yours when it arrives, if one of you has the veggie option this'll arrive same time so worth thinking about.

 

Snacks. different types. Ours mostly ate fruit which was available on the flight anyway!

 

Things they will like that they have never seen, buy them (they only need to be small), wrap them, and spread out giving them to intervals so they can play with them during the flight until novelty wears off, like lots of little presents!

 

We took a tablet with childrens headphones loaded with peppa pig dvd and night garden, and some games. She didn't use it much but was too short to see the in flight entertainent.

 

 

 

You can take pushchair if still used to the gate and get it at your transfer airport.

 

Nappies, on way out all was fine but on way back we got through lots for some reason!

 

Patience, pack lots of it, get your little one used to swallowing to change ear pressure (we used a cup with a straw as it helped) as this and tiredness/hungriness is usually why children cry on flights.

 

Our flight was as good as could be expected, a heck of a trip for a first flight for her but we made it there and back again in once piece.

 

Oh, and don't underestimate HOW much stuff. I went round the world with a small rucksack a couple of times. On this trip, we had to have a large size motor and we still had stuff on 2 seats as most of it was for the little one!

 

Enjoy the trip planning!

 

 

Oh, and they won't care where they are as long as your happy and give them attention so if you like us get trapped in rising floodwater and the child ends up sleeping in the bottom on a wardrobe in a tiny room they'll be just fine if you are!

[Guest]

A wrap or some form of infant carrier so you can carry your toddler on your back and be hands free and don't need to rely on a pushchair or anything. I prefer the non frame ones, so a wrap type thing or a mei tie carrier. Far less cumbersome and bulky than one of those frame things and much more comfy IMHO.

 

http://www.wrapyourbaby.com/meitaiback.htm

 

If you don't use one, consider trying one and getting your little one used to using one so its second nature when you are travelling round Aus.