Want to travel with a small child? If you take care of these 7 things then the travel of both parents and baby will be stress-free.

Traveling with small children is a very pleasant feeling, but for new parents it is no less than a big challenge. As soon as you step outside the door of the house, many kinds of worries start troubling you – will the child cry on the way? Will his health not deteriorate? How will his food and cleanliness be managed? In fact, traveling with children can be enjoyed only when your preparation is very strong. With proper planning and a little wisdom, you can make this journey completely fun. Let us know some practical things and checklist, which will make your travel with the child safe and comfortable. 1. First of all, take care of the child’s essential documents. Before leaving for the journey, the first task should be to check the child’s papers. Domestic Travel: If you are traveling within the country by train or flight, always keep the birth certificate of the child with you, because in many places it is required for age verification. International Travel: It is mandatory for the child to have a valid passport and visa to travel abroad. Smart Tip: Along with all the original papers, keep a photocopy of each and a digital copy in your mobile (like on DigiLocker or Google Drive), so that it can be used in emergency. 2. Packing of diaper bag should be super smart (Smart Diaper Bag Packing) Diaper bag proves to be your biggest helper during travel, so never pack it in a big suitcase but always keep it in your ‘carry-on’ (hand bag). Keep at least 3-4 pairs of loose and comfortable cotton clothes in the bag, because children often get their clothes dirty while travelling. Keep a few extra diapers and plenty of baby wipes. Never forget to carry sanitizer for cleaning hands and skin and some small plastic bags to seal dirty diapers or clothes and throw them in the dustbin. 3. Keep baby food and feeding items nearby (Baby Food Essentials): During travelling, the eating routine of children first gets disturbed, due to which they become irritable. Prepare ahead of time: If your baby is formula-fed, measure the powder in small containers and keep a good vacuum thermos with lukewarm water handy for making milk on the fly. For babies above 6 months, options like ready-to-eat purees, homemade cerelac, oats or dry makhana are best. To protect yourself from infection while travelling, keep at least 2-3 well-cleaned and sterilized bottles with you. 4. Give priority to health: Keep a first-aid kit ready. Due to the changing weather and water during travel, children can become ill quickly. Make a small medical kit as per the doctor’s advice: Keep in it the necessary syrups for fever, stomach ache, gas, vomiting, cough and allergy prescribed by the doctor. To prevent dehydration, include ORS packets, a small thermometer, Band-Aid and rash cream in the bag. Along with the child’s regular medicines, keep the original doctor’s prescription with you so that if needed, medicines can be taken from the local medical store. 5. Prevent Ear Pain in Flights: During air travel, the air pressure inside the cabin changes very rapidly during take-off and landing. Because of this, small children suffer severe pain in their ears and start crying loudly. The easiest trick is to breastfeed or bottle feed the baby right at the time of take-off and landing. Through this process of sucking, the pressure inside the children’s ears gets balanced and they do not feel pain. 6. Comfortable Transport and Choosing the Right Seat (Comfortable Journey) To make the journey comfortable, give preference to direct flights or comfortable trains instead of very hectic transport. Sleep schedule: Try to keep the travel time around your child’s sleep schedule, such as night flights or afternoon nap times. This will keep the baby sleeping on the way and you will not have to worry. Seat selection: While booking tickets, ask for a seat with more legroom or a bassinet seat in the flight so that the baby can lie down comfortably. Use of a stroller: Instead of constantly carrying the baby in your lap at the airport or railway station, use a lightweight, easy-to-fold stroller or baby carrier. This will keep your hands free. 7. Take care of the child’s mood and entertainment (Keep the Baby Happy) Children may become uncomfortable seeing a suddenly changed environment and strange faces. To keep their mood up: Keep their favorite soft toy, rattle, or colorful book handy to keep them distracted. Always keep a light velvet blanket, socks and a hat handy to protect yourself from the direct and cold air of the AC in public transport or flights. Do not hurry at all during the journey. Take short breaks in between so that the child gets some open environment and full time for feeding. The biggest and last rule of traveling with children is to be patient. Not everything in the journey will go according to your perfect planning, so keep yourself calm. If you remain cool and happy, your child will also enjoy the journey by sensing your mood. Make your next family trip very beautiful and memorable with these small preparations.