Over the Christmas period many of us travel with children. In Australia that often means a long car journey to the country or coast, with the car loaded up. In our busy schedules we give little thought to the journey itself, but travelling with children, especially newborns and toddlers can create problems if you haven’t made some simple preparations. In this pre-Christmas blog we thought it would be timely to provide some tips and reminders so that the journey goes smoothly – even if the unexpected happens.

Car and safety

It goes without saying that you need to have the basics checked on the car! Tyres, brakes and steering are obvious, but make sure the air con is properly gassed up, too. Don’t forget to check the spare tyre has air and you have the car jack and a brace in the boot! Remember that there can be traffic jams or accidents in front of you, and delays may stretch to hours if you’re unlucky. That can spell trouble if you’re travelling with children, particularly on a hot day. You need to be prepared for the unexpected.

Child Booster Seats

The most important thing is safety. New national child restraint laws were introduced in NSW 2010. Here is a summary of what’s required:

• Children younger than six months must be secured in a rearward facing restraint.
• Children aged six months to under four years must be secured in either a rear or forward facing restraint.
• Children aged four years to under seven years must be secured in forward facing child restraint or booster seat.
• Children younger than four years cannot travel in the front seat of a vehicle with two or more rows.
• Children aged four years to under seven years cannot travel in the front seat of a vehicle with two or more rows, unless all other back seats are occupied by children younger than seven years in a child restraint or booster seat.

Make sure the restraints and booster seats are correctly secured and are the right size for older children. Don’t let children wriggle out!

Travelling with a Baby

Most babies travel really well and will probably sleep most of the way. The motion of the car often sends them to sleep. But if they wake, or they get car sick, then you need to have some basics on hand.
• Make sure you have enough milk or baby food not just for the journey, but for any unexpected delays. If your car breaks down, you could be hours waiting for roadside assistance during holiday periods;
• Make sure you have water and plenty of wet wipes. This is useful for cleaning up any mess, but you can also use both to help keep them cool. Strip them down to their nappy and wipe them with a wet cloth. As the moisture evaporates from the skin it takes heat from the skin to do so. Simple and very effective. If they are cool they are less likely to be so irritable;
• Make sure they have something to play with to keep them occupied;
• It sometimes helps to have a shade on the side window to keep the sun off them, too.

Travelling with Toddlers

The main issues with toddlers are restlessness and carsickness. For restlessness, distractions like “I spy” can work for a surprisingly long time! Books are often not a good idea because focusing on something static inside the car while it’s moving means the motion sensors in their ears get confused. That’s the basics of motion sickness. If they are sick, get them to look outside the car, keep them cool.

Some children will benefit from taking a motion sickness preparation prior to travelling. Seek some advice from your pharmacist on what’s best for their age.

Remember to take clean up materials and water in case the worst happens. Don’t have the children travel in their best clothes! It is much better to stop somewhere safe for 20 minutes and let them run around than to press on and spend 30 minutes cleaning up a nasty mess in the car! Let them kick a ball around, or look at cows in a field. But do take a change of clothes and a couple of good sized bags to put the soiled clothes in! Just in case.

To keep toddlers entertained, a little bag of surprises can help a lot. If your child doesn’t get sick, a small pack of crayons and a pad can be useful. You can pull out a few favourite toys they didn’t know you had.

Healthy Snacks

Take along plenty of healthy snacks for the journey. These will keep them going without filling them up with junk and fizzy drinks that really don’t help. Check out Bellamy’s Certified Organic dried fruit snacks for real convenience, or take fresh fruit. Apples are simple and easy on the stomach. Take drink bottles that are sealable rather than large bottles that are not. Stick to water if you can.

Finally, remember to factor in that the trip will take you much longer than it would for four adults! Make sure your (male..!) driver knows this so he doesn’t get frustrated and there isn’t an argument about stopping along the way! Travelling with children doesn’t have to be a nightmare. Manage the expectations! The journey is part of the holiday, so keep cool and stay safe.

And from everyone here at Bellamy’s, thank you for all your support and have a wonderful Christmas break.

Mindful Eating

If you’d like to know more about Bellamy’s Organic click this link.

To learn more about the certified organic baby food and nutritious snack products we make click this link.

If you’d like to see more resources for parents click this link.