Traveling with kids can be quite challenging. But it needn’t be stressful and with the right planning and preparation it can be fun too. Air travel, in particular with kids requires a good plan of action and the ability to think on your feet.

Having just done a 27 hour flight to Europe with an unscheduled 7 hour bus ride on top for good measure, I think I am in a good position to shed some light on kids travel. We traveled with our two young ones; Isa (5 months) and Deva (2 years).

In fact it only took two things to make our trip successful; a kids suitcase and a magnetic sketch board.

Kids Suitcases

Before the trip I purchased a kids rolling suitcase for Deva called Trunki. It’s luggage for little people and has a superb design and great colors too. It is very strong so that your child can sit and ride on it. But it’s not big and goes on the plane as hand luggage.Deva had hours of fun packing this in preparation for the trip. And during the trip it was a life saver, as whenever she was tired she would just sit on it and I could pull her along.
 
She was very proud to have her own suitcase and her own things, and I’m sure your child will love this too. Check out the short video below.

Click here to get your own Kids Trunki Ride-On Luggage

Other Things To Do Before Your Trip

Other things we did before the trip was to talk lots about where we were going. We were lucky enough that in the months proceeding our trip we had lots of visitors, which meant trips to the airport. In this way Deva got accustomed to the idea of flying.

Not forgetting Isa, but a 5 month old is pretty easy. We did the same trip with Deva when she was 6 months old and she slept most of the time. Isa did the same on this trip.

We also tried to give Deva a tangible idea of where she was going. We regularly Skype with Grandma and Grandpa and we explained to her that that was where we were going. She understood this quite clearly. On the phone in the weeks before the trip she would say to grandma ‘Deva coming’.

Then the most important planning aspect, what games to take for the trip?

Travel Games For Kids

We got Deva to pack some of her favorite toys in Trunki but we also bought a few new ones that we knew she would like. We kept these aside in our bags without her knowing, for when they might be needed. It’s a good idea not to pack things that are small and can easily fall and be lost under a seat. This concerned me as Deva loves to draw with her coloring pencils. Fortunately I found the perfect solution to this in the shop; a magnetic sketcher board.

Magnetic Sketcher

A what? I hear you ask, well here’s a photo of one. It can also be called a Doodle pro. It reminds me of an Etcher Sketcher when I was young but they only had round knobs to draw with, these have a pencil. Anyway, we gave this to Deva at the first sign that she may be getting bored on the plane. And she loved it. And the real beauty is that nothing can fall and be lost, the pencil is attached by a thread and you don’t need any paper.

Other Toys

We also bought a ‘Thomas the Tank Engine’, as Deva likes toy trains. But this was still in my bag when we arrived in Europe.

The second most popular toy was the phone. She has this toy telephone that makes sounds and has flashing lights. She’s very good at imitating Mum and Dad on the phone! She used this throughout the trip to inform Grandma and Grandpa where we were.  It was very cute to see her pretend to call them and tell them we were late!

On The Plane

On the airplane I ensured that Deva had everything around her that she needed. I also allowed her to pack her own things into the little pockets around her seat. However, the most popular thing was the remote control for the television screen. She loved this, once I had eventually managed to show her how not to press the button for the stewardesses it was all good, and was able to leave her to play with it.

The other thing to remember was to ensure she constantly drank enough water and that we took regular walks around the plane.

Tips For The Parents Themselves

Undertaking such a long journey requires a lot of preparation for you too. I tried to get lots of sleep before traveling, but that didn’t really happen. I knew there was the possibility that I may not sleep much on this journey and just having that expectation made it somewhat easier during the trip.

But, I did sleep whenever the kids slept. Martine decided the choice of films was too good to waste on sleep. Something I think she probably regretted later!

I also made sure that we were prepared and there was no rushing or confusion. The most important thing I think was that it was an adventure for us too and we were both very relaxed. And I think as a result, both our children felt relaxed.

Travel With Kids

From my experience I can safely say that traveling with kids can be a pleasure. Knowing what your child likes and dislikes is all you need to know actually. Knowing how they react when they are tired or uncertain and seeing the signs early is the secret. Be aware that this is something they’ve never done before and although exciting, can be scary too. And most of all, always talk to them and explain what is happening. For instance; why trunki has to go in the x-ray machine!

Click here to get your own Kids Trunki Ride-On Luggage

Toys everywhere, in cupboards, on the floor and on shelves. While my 2 year old tries her luck in the next room, where all the big outdoor toys are, I find this fantastic wooden train track on the top shelf. This is a kid’s seventh heaven, where would we be without our toy library!

The toy library is a fantastic initiative in our local community. Children always get bored with toys after a while, so what better way to provide them with new toys, new stimulation and new learning – the Toy Library.

Buying new toys all the time is crazy. Not only do they clutter your house, they create so much waste in the world, adding more pressure to our already overloaded environment. Besides that they also empty your bank account, because toys are really expensive.

So why not recycle and share toys through a toy library.  They stock toys for babies, toddlers and older children. A yearly membership is not expensive at all and in our local library you can choose to volunteer a few mornings a year for a half price membership.

It’s just like a book library, you get to take out a preset number of toys for two weeks. You then return them and can take out some more. And just like a book library there are fines for late returns!

There is a wide range of toys available in the toy library. From Puzzles, DVD’s, electric toys, instruments and games to outdoor slides, bikes & cars and even bouncy castles!

So check out your nearest toy library in your town and spend less money while having access to many, many more toys. Keep happy kids and happy parents!

It is a worry for breastfeeding mothers not to have enough breast milk to feed their baby. A worry you don’t need in already demanding times.  A decrease in milk supply can be caused by many factors ; your baby having a growth spurt, mastitis  (breast infection), high levels of stress, pregnancy or returning to work . If your milk does drop don’t give up on fully breastfeeding straight away, because luckily there are quite a few things you can try to do to  improve your breast milk supply.

1. Breastfeed as much as you can and extract milk with a breast pump about 10 minutes after a feed or in between feeds.
2. Try “switch feeding”.  Take your baby off the breast after 5 minutes of feeding and then put her on the other breast for a further 5 minutes. Then switch back to the other breast. Repeat this until the feed is finished.
3. Make sure you and your baby are breastfeeding properly so that the breasts are drained as much as possible. Contact La Leche League for more information on breastfeeding – www.llli.org   
4. Make sure you drink plenty of water (minimum 2 litres a day) and eat plenty of healthy and protein-rich foods.
5. Rest as much as you can. Reduce any stress in your life to a minimum (I know this one is not easy!!). In my own experience stress is one of the biggest reasons for not having enough milk!
6. Do not diet or detox whilst breastfeeding and avoid strenuous exercise.
7. Try these natural remedies:   

• Fenegreek  - used to increase breast milk for many centuries and gives the breast milk a maple syrup taste/scent. 
• Brewers yeast and Blessed Thistle – used often, with great results.  For me personally, Blessed Thistle increased my breast milk supply dramatically.
• Weleda breastfeeding tea – available at most health stores.

Ask your naturopath or health store for advice on these products.

Good luck with trying out these options mums! It is really worth the effort you put into this quest.

Do you think that your baby only takes in what she sees and hears? Your newborn baby is like a sponge and is soaking up everything that is in range. Within the first two months your baby is not only able to recognize you but give you smiles too. She knows your smell and your voice, already from early on. She even knows the smell of your home and thus her own, safe environment . She can see shapes and colors by now too. But it’s not just her brain and senses that are working so hard, she is also picking up on much more, energies.

Picture yourself in these two circumstances a) when you are angry and b) when you are happy. You feel two very distinct emotions at these times and in both cases you emit different types of energy to the environment and people around you. Other people who come into contact with you will pick up on this energy, at a certain level. Not everyone will register it but all will be influenced by it. I’m sure you yourself have had occasion to know when someone is in a bad mood or unhappy. Not just by their body language but by what they emit in the form of energy, you feel their bad vibes. Take note next time you are in these moods and see how people around you react to you.

Keeping this in mind you should also be very careful what situations and environments you expose your child to. Babies are very sensitive and they are learning from day one, including ‘feeling’ what is happening around them. They especially focus on what is happening with you, their parents.

It is of course easy to be loving and smiley in front of your newborn. But the secret is to be aware of how you feel day to day generally, especially in your interaction with your partner and those around you. In fact this is something that we should all do on a daily basis anyway. Be especially aware if you are in a conflict situation and how you react. The baby maybe in another room but the two of you having an argument still impacts on her.

The birth of a baby can be a very unsettling time. The stresses of modern life are sometimes huge and it is easy for them to overcome you. Many factors combine to make this time especially hard, lack of sleep being one major factor.

Also, your focus is so intensely directed on this new life that it is easy to forget your partner. This is understandable but it is vital for yourselves and the child, that you do not. The child needs to see you care for each other. You are a team and you are both working extremely hard and deserve praise and support from each other.

Giving each other this will automatically improve your energy. Being defensive and critical makes your energy negative. Of course there may be other factors outside of the home that are causing stress. But when you come home really ‘look’ at the wonder you have created and try to connect to this little spirit.

Look with your heart and not with your eyes, do the same with the one you love and your energy will reach different heights. When you are feeling down, tired or negative place your hand on your heart so that you remind yourself where to focus.

Become a child again and be playful. Take a walk in the woods and let nature re-energize you. Laugh a lot, watch comedies and funny films. Make a list of things you are grateful for and stick it up somewhere so you’ll see it everyday. Treat yourself. Play relaxing music in the house. Use candles instead of bright lights. Find what makes you buzz higher and use that when you need it.

If you can achieve this your home will be a warm, encouraging and loving palace. There will be positive energy flowing all around your home.

Television is one medium that can bring negative energies into your home. Some people have it on constantly as background noise. But unfortunately most of what comes out is negative, especially shows with violence and murder. Limit the time the television is on and monitor what you watch. Your baby will pick up on the energies that are emitted, you will also be reacting to what you see and it changes your energy too.

Please realize that your baby IS being affected by the television. When they are older you will see the real effects in action, but when they are babies you don’t notice. With our first child we really noticed, once she was a bit older, the negative impact it had on her when the television was on. Even if she wasn’t actually watching but was playing at the other end of the room, she would become unsettled and edgy. Of course it depends on what is on but you’ll know what is right and what is wrong, you don’t have to be watching it to be affected by it.

In general, try to focus on the wider picture, not just yourselves but with what is happening in your immediate vicinity. With this is mind and with practice you will begin to spot the situations that can cause a negative energy to enter your space.

It is readily accepted that as a parent it is your job to feed and protect your child. But it is also your responsibility to ensure that your baby is exposed to a loving and positive energy and protected from harmful, negative ones.