This post has been sponsored by Pfizer Consumer Healthcare. All thoughts and reviews are my own
Travel season will officially be in full swing for NYC kids as their last day of school is approaching. I personally have a few little trips lined up this summer to make the most of our days together as a family. My husband is a teacher, so summertime is all about letting our hair down and relaxing with our toes in the sand. Now that we are a family of five, you can imagine the tips and tricks I’ve learned along the way, traveling with my crew. I’ve learned what the essentials for kids during travel are, and what we can live without. I’ve also learned that unless you are traveling to the middle of nowhere, you can always purchase items you forgot once you reach your destination. Let me tell you about a story about one vacation I forgot to pack some essentials. Have you ever heard of the Disney Virus? That’s what I coined the fever that lasted in my middle daughter from the minute our plane landed in Orlando right up until our plane touched back down in NY. My daughter was lethargic and felt feverish in the middle of Magic Kingdom. I started to panic because the one item I didn’t think to bring was a fever reducer. It just wasn’t the first thing on my mind. Kids don’t get sick on vacation, right? Especially not in Disney!
I scrambled for an idea. The park was already over 90 degrees and my poor baby seemed increasingly uncomfortable. A helpful Cast Member must have recognized the panicked look on my face and came over to see if everything was ok. That’s when I explained that I thought my daughter was sick and I didn’t know what to do. Did you know there is a medical center in all Disney Parks? I sure didn’t but was happy that the Cast Member was able to point me in the right direction, where they took her temperature and offered her a fever reducer. Since I hadn’t packed any meds with me I visited the medical center every 6 hours to keep her comfortable.
You can say I’ve learned my lesson since that time. This was 4 years ago and so ingrained in my mind, that I have a medical kit always packed and ready to go with 10 of my must haves when traveling with kids. Check them out-
10 Things to Pack when Traveling with Kids
1- Mosquito Repellant. My oldest and youngest are terribly allergic to mosquitos so we are always cautious during mosquito season. I like the wristbands because I can place one on their ankle and/or wrist, around the stroller handle, and around a belt loop on pants. You can say I take mosquito bites seriously.
2- A good thermometer. You don’t want to be on vacation and playing guessing games about whether or not your warm child has a fever or not.
3- Vitamin A & D lotion. This stuff is great for everything- from sunburns to diaper rash, this ointment is so versatile. It’s even great for blistered feet!
4- Medicine- When my kids get sick, it always seems to hit each child in a specific spot. For example, my oldest always gets sick in her throat, my middle child in her chest, while my little guy is known to have random fevers that resolve within a few days with no other symptoms. For this reason, I need to be prepared for everything. We keep Children’s Advil®, Children’s Robitussin Extended-Release 12 Hour Cough Relief® and Children’s Dimetapp Multi-Symptom Cold Relief® on hand. Did you know Dimetapp came out with a dye-free version? That makes me happy because I try to get dye-free meds whenever possible.
5- Sanitizing wipes and gel. I like the wipes as opposed to the gel because I feel we can better clean our hands with wipes, but they are also useful on shopping carts, restaurant high chairs and tables, and other public surfaces.
6- Toothpaste, toothbrushes, and floss for the whole family.
7- Personal care items like diapers, wipes, and tissues.
8- Sunscreen. I don’t believe there is a huge difference between sunscreen for kids and sunscreen for adults, so we all use the same one that is designed for kids. It does the job and there’s less items to pack!
9- A small travel camera. We’ll probably end up using our phone cameras anyway.
10- A small bag or tote to place all these items so they are handy when you need them!
To kick off summer vacation, we are giving away a prize pack which includes: a $25 virtual visa gift card and (1) Children’s Advil® Suspension, Grape, (1) Children’s Robitussin ® Extended-Release 12 Hour Cough Relief, and (1) Children’s Dimetapp® Multi-Symptom Cold Relief Dye-Free. Giveaway ends on July 14, 2017.