We’ve discussed already on this blog what to bring on holiday for your child, but how about what not to bring?
This is equally important.
If you pack all the wrong things you can end up having a much more stressful holiday experience with your child.
If you’re packing your baby travel bag right now, avoid these 6 things to have a better experience all round.
Too Much

First things first, just don’t pack too much.
The more you pack, the heavier your bag will be, the more you could possibly lose, and the more stressful it will be to re-pack everything when you are coming home again.
Try to pack spares and enough essentials, but leave out too many non-essentials such as toys, stuffed animals, clothes your child isn’t likely too wear, and too many shoes.
Keep it simple and keep it to the essentials.
Noisy Toys

Bringing a couple of toys with you in your child’s holiday bag is great for distraction and entertainment throughout your trip. It can help with any potential tantrums, boredom or frustration.
However, make sure you choose the right toys to bring with you.
The first thing you want to avoid is loud toys.
The ones that when you press certain buttons make noise, play music, or talk.
In the middle of a long car ride or a long plane journey, these noises will get old pretty quick.
Opt for quiet toys to save your ears and the ears of all the other passengers around you.
Toys with Too Many Parts
On a similar note, try and avoid toys that have too many removable parts.
Legos, Barbies with lots of accessories, and things like that.
These are a nightmare on holidays and trips because you are very likely to leave parts behind and your child will be upset.
They are also a nightmare to pack and bring with you because all the little parts will need to go into some sort of bag that won’t leak or spill out.
Save yourself a lot of hassle and bring toys that only have one or two main parts.
Sugary Snacks

Avoid packing sugary treats and snacks in your child’s travel bag.
Bringing some snacks from home is a good idea, because finding snacks your chlid will actuallly like and that aren’t really expensive in airports and travel spots isn’t easy.
But try and opt for things that aren’t full of sugar.
For the simple fact they will give your child lots of excess energy and even some sticky hands.
These are the last things you need when travelling.
Keep everything calm and go for less sugary or artificial snacks where you can .
Drinks with Straws

Again, bringing drinks from home for your child is a good idea when travelling. However, try not to bring drinks in cartons or pouches that have straws.
The very easy reason for this? They spill. The straws can pierce the drink and the liquid can spill out all over your bags and its contents.
Avoid at all costs.
Pens
For the same reason, avoid packing felt tip and ink pens in your child’s travel bag.
Bringing colouring books and colouring materials is always good but go for crayons or pencils instead.
Pens can burst and leak, especially when subjected to cabin pressure.
No leaks, no stress.