It’s March 1 already? How time really flies when you’re oh so busy and enjoying life’s ups and downs! I can’t believe that summer is here (despite the cool weather we’ve been having, which I’m grateful for, less use of air conditioning at home, lol) and it’s again time to head to the beach and travel some more! Actually,  we’ve been heading to the beach since the start of the year (you can read a bit of background here): but of course, it’s a lot more fun when done during summer. Weather’s about to get hot (hopefully!) and perfect for the beach;  Vacation from school is coming up for many students; and the Holy Week (April 14-21) seems to be just around the corner which means more holiday break for Filipino working parents. Whether you spend it at home, or visit churches, or explore places you’ve always dreamed of, summer is really the peak of travel activities in the Philippines and for some, it starts today. As I look back at the places we’ve traveled to in 2018, you might also get some ideas on where to go next.

Writing about how to travel with a baby / how to travel with a toddler has now become my tradition since I started this Momtraneur blog. It makes me look back with fondness at the previous year’s travel adventures we’ve had as a family and it makes me all the more excited to explore some more places we’ve never been to before or go back to our favorite destinations because they’ve simply become our second and third homes. It’s also a reminder for me to blog about those places we visited so expect more travel posts from me soon. I’m serious this time. This is also the 3rd gratitude post I was talking about in my Jan. 6 blog post – A LOOK BACK AT 2018… GRATEFUL FOR THE YEAR THAT WAS.

Moreover, it’s been different every year since our son, Tuz, was born. Traveling with a 0-1-year-old baby has been a little different from traveling with a 1-2-year-old baby, more so now that he’s three years old! Tuz has always been a hyperactive child and he just gets more and more hyperactive every single year! God help us! (Lol)

So without further ado, here’s how you can travel peacefully and happily with a three year-old-kid in tow:

1. It’s always good to know the epidemics going around. Between 2 to 3 years old, your child is now more equipped to fight diseases going around provided that your child is complete with immunization. And in cases where you might have missed a vaccine or two for your baby, then this is the best time to get that much-needed immunization for your toddler to make sure he/she is further protected from the diseases you might come across with during your travels. As parents, you can also get vaccinated against flu for additional protection.
2. It’s always a must to bring your child’s medical book. Maybe I am just OC but because of the frequency of our travels, we can never really be too sure about what’s going to happen. It’s best to always have our baby’s medical book with us just in case something happens and we can’t reach his pediatrician, his case can then easily be referred to another medical professional because we always have his medical history with us.
3. Bring all the medicines and vitamins your 3-year-old toddler needs. Or if you’re not bringing them to avoid heavy baggage, make sure you buy the necessary ones when you get to your destinations.  Our 3-year-old’s medical essentials are as follow:
   1. Ceelin Plus with Ascorbic Acid and Zinc
   2. United American Tiki-Tiki Star Syrup
   3. Cetirizine Dihydrochloride (Antihistamine) in case he contracts allergies
   4. Glycerin suppository – He never got as severely constipated as before but we always bring with us a bottle of Glycerin suppository just to be sure.
   5. Calmoseptin – Tuz is prone to insect bites and rashes so we always have this with us.
   6. Emergency medical kit with a pack of band-aid, a small bottle of Povidone and cotton balls.
4. For the Non-medical essentials your 3-year-old might need, I made a list below:
   1. Diapers – We haven’t been successful yet in toilet training Tuz (he only uses the toilet once in a blue moon and always prefers to wear a diaper which has been brought about by the fact that half the time we live at the farm where there is no proper toilet yet.. it’s hard to get carpenters in the mountains to build a toilet for us but it’s slowly being started as I write this).
   2. Milk bottles and formula – Though he now eats solid food, bottled milk has now become his security blanket. He brings it with him everywhere. But he doesn’t drink as much as he used to before. Kudos to those who breastfeed (I was only lucky for 4 months after giving birth to Tuz).
   3. Wet tissue – A 2-to-3-year-old-child is still messy so it’s always best to have an extra pack of wet tissue with you.
   4. An extra liter or two of bottled water – This is not just for his formula milk but for your child and you as well. In our experience, when Tuz gets tired, he will really throw a tantrum if his father doesn’t carry him. It’s very tiring to carry a heavy toddler! You will surely get thirsty every now and then! Lol.
   5. Jackets and hats – This is for additional protection from the cold weather. Unfortunately for us, Tuz hates wearing jackets and hats. It seems like he never gets cold, even when we’re up in the mountains (he would even bathe naked in the middle of the foggy forest, lol!) But we still bring a jacket and a hat just in case.
   6. Towelette to wipe your toddler’s sweat and dirt with.
   7. Socks
   8. Shoes
   9. Extra clothes – because kids this age still get very messy especially if they’re as hyperactive as Tuz.
   10. Alcohol – I put this on a wet tissue to wipe his toys, his hands and feet when they get terribly dirty, and on any surface he might touch.
   11. Beach toys – We no longer bring with us his other regular toys or books because these have been replaced by my old simless Samsung Note which he now uses to watch his educational shows and downloaded games appropriate for a 2-to-3-year-old. But when we go to the beach, he gets to spend his beach time well when we let him play with his beach toys, the sand, and his shell collection.
   12. Toiletries (Off Lotion for kids or Citronella oil, baby oil, toothpaste, toothbrush, baby shampoo, baby soap, SPF lotion for kids for beach activities or when you know you’ll be out in the sun all day)
   13. Your toddler’s favorite snacks. For Tuz, he now eats anything as long as he likes it. When we’re out, he would usually look for Kinder Joy and ice cream at 7-11, and spaghetti from Jollibee which he calls pasta, and rice and chicken when we’re at other restaurants.
   14. Toddler safety leash – we bought this after an incident when Tuz almost got lost. He never wore it to our dismay. He throws tantrums every time we try to put it on his wrist. But if your toddler is not as hard-headed as our son, this safety leash will be very useful. It’s still best to always hold the hand of your toddler when you’re exploring places or going around somewhere. Or if your child doesn’t want to be held, at least always be beside him or her, or just be a few steps away. Check out the area for security if there is any because you can never really tell what will happen especially when you’re in a crowded place.  Someone might just kidnap your kid and he/she might simply get lost. We don’t ever want to experience that kind of fear again!

So basically, traveling with a 3-year-old toddler can be easy. It’s just a matter of bringing all the essentials and necessities, being mindful of your chilld’s comfort, security and safety and you’re good to go.

I hope these tips help you the next time you travel with your toddler. It’s not an exhaustive list, it’s just what worked for us last year when Tuz was still two and continue to work for us now that Tuz is three. (He turned 3 late last year).

And now, my favorite part… sharing with you a recap of our 2018 travels. Wishing for more exciting travels to come!

JANUARY 2018

 

FEBRUARY 2018

 

MARCH 2018

 

APRIL 2018

 

MAY 2018

 

JUNE 2018

 

JULY 2018

 

AUGUST 2018

 

SEPTEMBER 2018

 

OCTOBER 2018

NOVEMBER 2018

 

DECEMBER 2018

 

Whew! What a year 2018 has been! No wonder I wrote 3 gratitude posts for this year because it was just simply a tremendous year full of so many blessings! To wit: 1) Attitude of Gratitude: A Decade of VA Life, 2) A Look Back at 2018… Grateful for the Year that Was 3) and this one you’re currently reading.

We’re not much into luxurious stuff but we do value traveling and having adventures as a family. For us, these things, aside from having each other and being together most of the time, are our wealth.

I know our 2019 started off well with the New Year’s festivities, then became bumpy until recently, but I’m positive that things will just keep getting better. For one, I am healthy now according to my most recent blood tests, all the high readings from last month already went down; I am maintaining a diet full of fresh vegetables, less carbs, no red meat and no sugar so I really feel good lately; we’ve been more consistent in our run at the Pelaez Sports Center and we have so many plans for this year. So expect to read more about my life as a mother, traveler and entrepreneur. Til my next post. Thanks for reading!