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The Reality of Working from Home With a Toddler

woman carrying her baby and working on a laptop
Photo by Anastasia Shuraeva on Pexels.com

Hi all, it’s been a long stretch since my last post but I think this topic will touch a bit on exactly why that is. I truly have had a hard time finding the time to post because often finding the time comes at the expense of other responsibilities… let me explain.

Let’s talk about working from home with a toddler. Unlike many people that I have been discussing this topic with recently, I didn’t get thrown into working from home amidst Covid. I have been working a “real” remote job from home since my daughter was born almost 2.5 years ago.

I wouldn’t change anything about the amazing opportunity I have had to stay home with my daughter. I think it has done wonders for both of us and I consider these the best days of my life… but I am sure it will surprise some to hear, I have never worked harder in my life.

Let me just say this part again- before I was a mom, in my time, I have worked some horrible jobs, long hours, crazy commutes, the worst bosses, stressful deadlines- I have seen it all. I have NEVER worked harder than I am right now. I still wouldn’t trade what I am doing now for anything.

With many working remotely now, some moms are looking for the tricks to working from home with a toddler. Some are asking me how I manage both? I am about to let you in on a little secret that might surprise you‐ it’s hard to imagine how to do both because realistically, you can’t. I don’t do both, not at the same time anyway.  You see, if you want to successfully work from home AND be a decent parent too you can’t plan on consistently getting any real, productive work done while your toddler is awake.

Can you “sometimes” pull off some real work while your toddler is awake, yes, of course. You can answer a few emails, take a call in the pantry… Can you plan on doing it on a regular basis without big things blowing up in your face, no. You can probably park your toddler in front of a great  learning project or the TV long enough to get a couple small things done on occasion, but that is not a sustainable plan. It should be reserved for “emergencies” and should be the exception to the rule… if you want to do both well, that is.

Some will tell you that you CAN do both. I am here to tell you that in my own trial and error in choosing to do both, sometimes you can get a few things done, but without some help, one or both will always suffer. I crave a good challenge, but being a sub-par employee is not an option for me, and more importantly, being an inattentive mom is never going to be an option. What would be the point of being home with my daughter if I cant give her the time and attention she deserves from her mom? I am not trying to be negative here, just realistic.

So the “trick” is, only plan to work when your toddler is asleep or when you have someone to help you. This does not give you much time, I know, hence the “I have never worked harder in my life” comment but fortunately I am still able to say “I consider these the best days of my life” because I get to be home with my daughter.

The 3 Biggest Challenges of Working From Home

  • Time: How much time can you realistically carve out of your day to work? Before the baby gets up?… during nap?… after bed?… Do you need any of that time to get other things done like to shower? Housekeeping? Paying bills?  You will be amazed at how much you won’t get done when you load your plate with working from home and a little one.
  • Other People: You’ll want to devote at least an hour each week explaining to other people in your life that just because you work from home doesn’t mean that you are not busy. You don’t actually have a free moment or any downtime in your days, ever. They will assume the contrary- that you have all the time in the world, that you are not “really” working, etc. I am not talking about a significant other presenting these challenges really because over time they will SEE just how busy you are… but the extended family and friends.
  • Self-Care: If you load too much on your plate (which I am famous for) you may risk not prioritizing self-care beyond the basics of teeth brushing… because you just won’t allow yourself the time. Or worse, if you are like me you will find time to shower but be up til 2 AM fitting it all in… it can become impossible to carve out enough time to think about your own needs- which is crucial for your physical and mental well-being, for maintaining relationships in your life and for being a good parent and partner.
  • Asking for Help: It feels harder and less necessary to get help in (be it family, or someone you are hiring) when you work from home but if you truly need to get work done consistently during the days beyond your toddler’s sleeping hours- you need to be able to get some help!

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9 Toddler Items You Will Love

If you ask me, the key to survival with a toddler is being prepared. Here are some of my very favorite toddler items that have made my life with a toddler that much more doable and fun.

RuffleButts Rash Guard Swimsuits

We live near the beach and visit the beach often during the summer months so naturally, I am already preparing for summer. For a baby or toddler who will be spending any time in the sun on the beach or by the pool I definitely prefer a long-sleeve rash guard swimsuit, especially the ones from RuffleButts with UPF 50+ sun protection.

If you are thinking your little one will be too hot in the heat of summer with a long sleeve rash guard, remember that on days warm enough to swim your little one will likely end up getting wet. The wet rash guard will keep them nice and cool for longer as they dry and if they get warm again they can go for another dip. The only problem with rash guards is that they are not always super cute. With Rufflebutts this problem is solved, take a look for yourself at the selection, oh and make sure you go and check out the ruffling detail on all of the butts too since this image only shows you the front of the suits that we chose. Also when you refer a friend to View Rufflebutts UPF 50+ Swimwear

Pop-up Travel Bed

We travel around often with our daughter and people often ask us where she sleeps. Before we started travelling with her I did a lot of research on my options and decided was she would be best off with a space of her own that she was familiar with so I wanted to buy something lightweight. Honestly, nothing compared to the lightweight packability (yes it will fit in your suitcase or rolling carry on) and ease-of-use of this travel bed. When you arrive to your destination and need a bed for your little one, simply pull it out of the bag, remove the strap holding it in place and it pops open. That is all. AND putting it away is a breeze too (I swear).

At first you may feel bad zipping your little one in there (you could leave it open) and just walking away but in my case, my daughter was just fine in no time and slept all night long! We have used this more than 20 times and I will continue to use it until I cannot fit her in there anymore… but it is pretty spacious so we still have some time. It is recommended for ages 1-3. 2022 Update: My daughter slept in this pod on vacations until she turned 4, by choice!

Travel Place Mat

This place mat is a must have for a baby eating solids through the toddler years. It rolls right up so you can keep it in your diaper bag, and allows your baby a safe, clean, and stable surface to eat from. I have forgot it a couple of times when we went out to eat and the alternatives are simply not comparable at all- we are so lost without it. I personally have never seen another baby out and about with one like it but I do get stopped by parents all the time asking us where we got it, so that says something! Amazon folks!

Water Wipes

If you are like me and you need a wipe that does it all, this is the wipe that you need. It doesn’t have a scent to it, it is safe to use on any part of your baby, and it is even safe enough to use to wipe down a surface that your baby is going to have to eat off of (like the place mat I talked about above) when you are on the run. No need to carry boogie wipes, pacifier wipes, etc. and it is the BEST option you will find if your baby has sensitive skin! I SWEAR by these- 100%. You won’t find them in every store so I do recommend stocking up on Amazon. 2023 Update: Admittedly, I have another baby now, but we still have Waterwipes on us at all times!

Lucky Bum Training Skis

If you live in Maine too, or anywhere with some snow, you may want to pick up some of these training skis for toddlers. My daughter started using hers at about 20 months old. They are great for playing around in the yard, and they strap right on to their regular boots. You will be surprised how fast they catch on to skiing if you start them young.

Potty

I like this potty because it is affordable, works for boys and girls, and resembles a real toilet. It makes real flushing sounds which your toddler will love and holds wipes on the top, which in theory sounds great, but my toddler likes to just pull them all out as soon as they go in. It’s the cutest little potty that I have ever seen though.

TIP- If you buy the potty, you may want to buy these liner bags to keep things as sanitary as possible. It also helps if you think you might be the person who will throw the potty in the car for a road trip.

Potty Training Watch

I found that my daughter was always trying to wear my watch so to try to be cute I was looking into buying her a cheap watch of her own. We were also trying to potty train on and off. When I find out that there was such a thing as a potty training watch I thought “this is perfect… even if it doesn’t work for potty training”. This is the one that I chose and while cute enough, admittedly it wasn’t the one that I thought looked the coolest or high-tech as I did my research, but it had the best reviews and was cheap so I bought it.

It’s actually pretty adorable in person and does everything that we need it to and more. It fits my daughter’s tiny wrists just fine but with loads of room to grow so I am confident that it would fit any kid of potty training age and will be a great watch beyond potty training. You set the musical alarm to go off in your preferred increment of time (every 30, 60, 90, 120 minutes etc.) and it plays a tune when it’s potty time. Then we shout “potty time” (optional) and hustle to the potty. We are just a couple days into this routine and it has worked every single time! We take it off at night but in the off chance you forget the alarm will not sound during the nighttime hours of 9 PM – 7 AM.

Car Window Sun Shades

Once your baby is out of the infant car seat with the convenient canopy that blocks most of the sun in the car, you will likely find the sun is in their eyes in their rear-facing convertible car seat. So, throw these mesh sun shades over your rear doors when you need them, and take them off when you don’t. They pack super light in the car when you are not using them (or for when you are travelling and will be renting a car) and are a quick fix to the sun in your toddlers eyes offering full window coverage, while maintaining the ability to open your window. 2023 Update: We upgraded to a Honda Pilot that has build in screens so we no longer need these, but I still use them on the pickup truck.

Silicone Feeding Set

This feeding set was a great buy. The bibs are excellent for “second chance” eating, if it drops and catches, offer it again. Less waste and less mess. My daughter loves to use the plate and the bowl as well like a big girl. They stay put reasonably well, and overall this is an excellent set. It comes with some spoons too. We find that we rotate through the bibs, bowl and plate pretty continuously. 2023 Update: These have held up and work well with baby # 2 too!

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20 Gifts Any Toddler Will Love

Here are some great ideas if you have a toddler on your shopping list this Christmas. These gifts are also a great place to start for 1st & 2nd and even 3rd Birthday Inspiration.

1. L.L. Bean Fleece Toddler Slippers

L.L. Bean Fleece Slippers

You will love these little fleece slippers because not only are they super cozy and warm, but they have a nice cuff to stay on those little feet a lot better than most of the other toddler slippers I have come across. The real bonus in our house is that they work well on hardwood floors, preventing our active little girl from slipping. They actually remind me of some slippers that I used to have as a child. They come in blue and pink and range in sizing from Toddler sizes 3- 10.

Notice: Some gifts contain smaller parts and I am providing you with these recommendations but I cannot ensure your child’s safety. Parents should make that judgement call on their own. Also, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases made using some of the links I provide at no additional cost to you.

2. Play Kitchens

KidKraft Farm to Table Play Kitchen

Play kitchens are so much fun. And yes, they are for girls and boys! There are so many options out there. You can usually even pick up a nice one used on Marketplace if you want to save some money and your toddler will love it just as much. I fell in love with this particular kitchen because I felt like it would look nice, which is important to me considering it will be set up in my main living space for 1/2 the year (Our screen porch is our playroom when weather allows). So, I want to enjoy looking at it. I also love the planter boxes for pretending to grow planters and herbs and the chalk board! My daughter was ready for a Kitchen at around 18 months, and she will get this one for Christmas when she is 21 months old.

3. Melissa & Doug Food Groups

Melissa & Doug Food Groups

I bought this play food to go along with her kitchen, and while the package remains unopened, I can already tell that I love the quality of the hand painted wooden pieces. There are 4 separate wooden crates included to sort out the different food groups, and they are pretty small so should store easily in her new kitchen. These would be fun for a toddler to have with or without a kitchen.

4. Melissa & Doug Fill & Roll Grocery Basket

Melissa & Doug Fill & Roll Grocery Basket Play Set

Anyone else recognizing a theme here? This grocery basket is a cool gift in itself, but I am theming this Christmas around my daughter’s new kitchen and since she does a great job “helping” me when we are grocery shopping, I thought it might be fun to pretend to do that at home too! It comes with some groceries in the basket like spaghetti, tacos and canned goods which will be nice to have with the kitchen. The handle extends to roll or can be pushed down to carry like a basket.

5. Mega Bloks

Mega Bloks (Legos) Ages 1 – 5

12 months and up are perfect for legos/blocks in my opinion. My daughter enjoyed watching us build with these Mega Bloks at 12 months and helping out here and there. It wasn’t until around 18 months that she really started building on her own. And now look at what she can create! Joking… my husband loves these too.

6. Magnetic Tile Blocks

Magnetic Tiles

You will find all kinds of different brands on the market. I have played with many of them, and for the toddlers I like these ones with the rounded edges. At this age I don’t think you need to run out and buy the most expensive and popular brands of magnet tiles on the market. I picked these up for my daughter when she about 12 months old and she really took off with these around 18 months. I know kids love these up until age 3, 4 and even older and maybe if it is their thing at that that age you can buy the super cool expensive brands that are out there. I love playing with these too! Some of the sets on the market come with some smaller pieces, so I just take those away and leave out the larger pieces for everyday play.

Also, since magnets can be dangerous for little ones to swallow if toys like this become broken, play with magnet tiles should always be well supervised and may not be the right choice for little ones who like to put everything in their mouths!

7. Fisher Price Little People Nativity Set

Little People Christmas Story Nativity Set

Fisher Price Little People are a great gift idea. In the interest of Christmas, I am recommending this Little People nativity set, but I actually recommend any Little People gifts because the kids seem to love them. Last Christmas we were visiting family and their little girl used a kids nativity set to tell us the story of Christmas and I was so impressed. I decided then and there that I wanted my daughter to be able to do the same.

8. Pottery Barn Anywhere Flip Sofa

Pottery Barn Anywhere Sofa Lounger

Toddlers love having their own chairs. I bought this flip couch to keep in her room but now I drag it all over the house depending on the day. Pictured here in my office, she relaxes and “reads” some books while I get some work done. Flip it out for a nap or just for relaxing. I sit on it with her often in her room to read books. I have laid on it and I have napped on it. We have also used it for elementary school sized guests as a place to sleep- it’s comfy! I like how it fits into my decor when it lands itself a place in the living room. Pottery Barn offers monogramming too. Our sofa is well loved in this photo and I need to take the cover off and wash it soon and when I put it back together it will look good as new! They also sell a popular Anywhere chairs if you are looking for something smaller without the flip out functionality.

9. Laura Numeroff Books

Laura Numeroff Books

My toddler is obsessed with these books. She received them for her 1st birthday and the stories are really fun to read and lots of great pictures to look at. I am attaching a 6 book set because you will end up buying them all individually anyway, might as well consider buying them all at once to begin with. Great gift idea!

10. Yeti Rambler Junior Cup

Yeti Rambler Junior

If you have read my previous post on gift ideas for adults, you probably already know that I love Yeti products! It’s fun to pull out a new cup once in a while and most toddlers like trying new ones out. Few of us parents are going to want to spend $30 on a single cup for our kids, but chances are if our kids were to receive this cup as a gift, it would be well loved.

11. Baby Einstein Magic Touch Piano

Baby Einstein Magic Piano

Any toddler will love this Magic Piano– I don’t have this one but I am interested in purchasing it for my toddler. It has excellent reviews, check it out!

12. Triangular crayons

Crayola Tripod Grip Crayons

Toddlers love drawing and coloring and moms and dads love when the crayons don’t roll off of the table. These crayons are washable too, but I can’t comment on how that works quite yet. Excellent stocking stuffer!

13. Coloring Book

Any coloring book is a win, but you definitely want one like this with nice big letters, shapes, etc. I am sharing this one because I think it is the perfect first coloring book and is excellent for learning numbers, shapes, letters, animals, colors etc and it is easy for them to color.

14. Foam Alphabet for Bath

Foam Bath Alphabet Animals

Bathtime can be learning time too! My daughter plays with these foam letters in the tub, we rotate different letters all the time and we have been keeping things simple and working on just the letters in her name lately. They stick right to the wall when wet and are easy to move around and rearrange. The letters pop out (kind of small but bathtime is always well-supervised of course). These are also great for learning animals and sea creatures.

15. Step 2 Creation Art Center

I love this so much if only I had a house with a dedicated playroom, then I would certainly purchase this for my daughter. It truly is a great concept if you have the right space for it. Seems like a great way to keep all arts and crafts supplies together and organized in one location perfect for creating.

16. Baby Shark Puppet

Baby Shark Singing Puppet

Have you met a toddler who doesn’t love Baby Shark (Do Do Do Do Do Do)? My daughter is obsessed. Any baby shark toy is probably a safe bet for this age group. We tried this toy out in the store and almost brought it home… but I have hit my max for Christmas gifts for her and we do already have a singing baby shark toy at home. We bring that little toy with us everytime we’re going for professional photos to make her smile!

17. Magnetic Drawing Board

Travel Size Toddler Magnetic Drawing Board

My toddler uses this drawing board every day. This is the travel size, but I think it is the perfect size for every day and also a great size to throw in her bag and bring along. It comes with some stamps but I took those away because I felt that the pieces were too small.

18. Crayola My First Finger Paint for Toddlers

Washable Finger Paint Kit

It’s time to start finger painting! This washable finger paint kit is a good place to start, comes with paper too. I would suggest buying this long sleeve art smock to go with it.

19. Lego Duplo My First Puzzle pets

Lego Puzzle Pets

This is a cute starter kit for legos, and what I like most about them it its easy enough to pack up one or 2 of the puzzle pets for on the go.

20. Wooden Peg Puzzles

Peg Puzzle, Wooden peg puzzle, animal puzzle, toddler puzzle, 1 year old puzzle, 2 year old puzzle, learn animals
Wooden Peg Puzzle

These puzzles are one of the ways that my daughter learned all of her animals first, and now at 20 months we focus more on fitting the pieces of the puzzle where they go. The pegs are really helpful for them to pick up wht pieces and to place them onto the puzzle. It comes in a set of 3 different puzzles. Note: The puzzle pieces themselves are not wooden, just the pegs, but I still think these are great puzzles!

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5 Things to Pack to Keep a Toddler Entertained on a Flight

As I write this post today, we are actually on a JetBlue flight headed to Grand Cayman with our toddler. While we have had multiple flights with our toddler already, this is our first out-of-country trip with her. Besides getting her a passport and remembering to bring it with us, not much differs in the way that I approached packing for her.

Less than a month ago we returned from our first big trip with a toddler-aged child and it was to Colorado. Our trip included a series of 4 flights and pretty much nothing went “as planned” as far as the flights were concerned, but luckily, we were well prepared and our toddler still did incredibly well. To say the least, our toddler was certainly the least of our problems. I call that a win!

With that trip behind us, we were more confident in what we actually needed to pack this time around– AND — I think we did quite well so far considering I still have 2 hands available to bring you this post, well 1.5 hands; I am enjoying a Bloody Mary complements of my husband’s Mosaic status with JetBlue.

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Here’s what I packed to keep her entertained:

A Travel Tray

DMoose Kids Travel Activity Tray

This travel activity tray– I ordered this tray before our last trip and I am glad that I did. I pulled it out and set it up in her lap on each of the 4 flights. It was great for containing her belongings so that they didn’t land on the airplane floor. We used it for snacking/eating, playing, drawing, watching shows and reading. When we arrived to our destination we used it in her stroller to feed her, eliminating the need for a high-chair. When we were done using it, it was easy to disassemble and store in her L.L. Bean Deluxe backpack.

I also want to tell you that a flight attendant on our current flight was loving our toddler’s set-up, especially this tray.

Amazon Fire Tablet (With Case & Bluetooth Headphones)

I know this one will be somewhat controversial, but there is no mom-shaming allowed here, please. As parents we all do the best that we can and this works quite well for us. And a qualifier for the doubters– the only time my toddler has any screen-time is when we are traveling by plane. This certainly doesn’t make me better than anyone… but it does make it very exciting and new for her on the special occasions when we travel which would not be the case if she was able to use our phones or tablets often. When we get back home, this device will disappear, again.

I am recommending the Amazon Fire because not only has it worked well for us, but it is affordable at just under $50! In my opinion, there is no need to run out and purchase your small child an iPad… we have the 7 inch Fire model, and it does everything we need it to and more. We find the 7 inch size to be just right too, especially for traveling.

Since I am an Amazon Prime member, I found it easy to just download some shows and movies for her there and the best part is that once they are downloaded, you wont need an internet connection to watch them! We try to select shows that can help her supplement her learning and development. For example, for this trip she has been learning all of her animals so we are featuring shows with her favorite animals, and programs for her to learn colors. She is a complete sponge right now (19.5 months) and I love for her to be exposed to as much information as she possibly can.

Amazon Fire 7 Kids Case

Also, this case is truly awesome for kids. It can be propped, hung, etc. It protects the device from drops and it also features some nice handles on the side which help with your child not touching the screen as they hold it- a feature you will appreciate!

Picun Kids Bluetooth Headphones 

This may seem over the top, but these particular bluetooth headphones are comfy, assist with some noise canceling, and also only play sound at a level that is safe for your child’s hearing. Additionally, they are cheap at about $20 and if the battery is charged up there is no need for a wire, so that eliminates the strangulation hazard. The only thing I will say is, and this applies to all childrens headphones that I have tried, the safe volume level seems pretty low to me. I can hardly hear it with the engine noise on the plane… but it didn’t seem to bother my daughter. Maybe all the years of me listening to audio at high volumes really is catching up to me…

A Baggie of Small Toys

As the trip got closer I began to stash away some of the smaller toys that my toddler likes to play with in a ziplock. This worked well for us on our last big trip as well. For this trip I chose some Fisher Price Little People, a handful of her magna-tiles, and a dress up Minnie Mouse toy.

I also have selected a few items for her out of the travel toy pack I purchased for her last trip. I brought the whole pack last time in addition to her baggie of toys, and found it too be too much. Overall this travel toy pack was good purchase but I found some of the toys to be too mature for my 19 month old so this is why for this trip I decided only to select a few items she would like from this pack and I will hold onto the rest for future trips when she is a bit older.

Travel Toys – 10 Toys to Entertain Busy Babies!

As for what I did pack, I intend to introduce all of these toys to her one at a time, as needed. I don’t have to worry (as much) about these toys landing on the floor because of that nifty activity tray, otherwise small toys are a travel nightmare. Then when we get to our hotel these will be the toys she can play with in the room.

A Couple of Books

She loves her books so I know this will save us in a pinch during the flights, but will also be great to have for the vacation part too!

We packed Moo Baa La La La which is, arguably, her favorite book right now. She loves animal sounds.

We also packed “If You Give a Cat a Cupcake” – we read her pretty much the entire series daily, but I tried to pick her favorite for this trip. I know she will be happy that we did.

Snacks (& Drink)

Bring lots of snacks. We like apple sauce pouches, snack catcher containers with puffs or cheerios and snack bars.

We also bring one oh her spill-proof cups, Munchkin Miracle 360 Stainless Steel are my favorite choice for traveling because they keep her drinks cold. We also bring along a couple bottles of water. (Yes, you can bring water with you when traveling with a toddler)

If you are interested in flying with toddlers, read about why I always buy my toddler her own seat on the plane and which car seat we use for traveling here.

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Flying with a Toddler: Buy a Seat? We Say “YES”!

Children under age 2 can fly for free in a parents lap, but that doesn’t mean it is always a good idea. You will read a lot of articles that weigh the pros and cons of purchasing a seat for your child, but we say, if at all possible, do it.

Buying our toddler a seat is money well spent in our opinion, because we know that our daughter will not only be more safe in her own seat (with a car seat), but also more comfortable and more likely to be successfully entertained by us, and more likely to sleep. All of this leads to a happier child, happier parents, and last but not least, happier neighbors on your flight.

When flying with small children, there are so many variables that you will not have control over such as flight delays, missed connections, etc. This, however, is something that you do have control over.

The only situation were I would possibly consider not purchasing a seat for my child would be for a very short flight. If you have a flight that is only an hour long, sure, go ahead and try to save some money if you want. We actually still purchase a seat for short flights, because we feel that it is overall a better situation for all of us in terms of safety and comfort. Our toddler is also not much of a lap-child.

Some will suggest that you try not purchasing a seat, and wait see if you can get one for free when you get to the gate. This is certainly a worthy exercise if you didnt purchase a seat for your child in the first place, because having a seat is a really good idea. This is not, however, a good reason, in my opinion, not to purchase a seat for your child. I could go on and on, but if you think you and your child (and an airplane full of neighbors) would benefit from them having their own seat, plan accordingly and buy one.

In our experience, airlines are not nearly as accommodating as the stories that you read online. We have personal only seen this work for people when there was an open seat in their row, allowing them to spread out. Airlines giving seats away is the exception to the rule, as they want to make sure that next time you fly that you purchase a seat. In fact, we have watched airlines go out of their way to ensure that only children under 2 who have purchased a seat get a seat, even on flights that were clearly not full. Oh, and we also get heckled as we approach the gate with our carseat about whether or not we have purchased a seat for our toddler, which of course, we always do.

Plan to Bring a Car Seat

Ok, so you know my thoughts on having a seat for your toddler and you saw me mention something about bringing a car seat. You are probably thinking, “How do I juggle a car seat, a toddler and my luggage?” Is it really worth all the hassle?

For reasons of safety, comfort and restricting your child from moving around, I say yes, it is well worth it. And this comes from parents of a pretty easy kid too, regardless, toddlers are busy and have a ton of energy they need to burn through. If they have the option to get up, climb and jump around, they will.

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I have to share my experience on just how to do this with you because there are a number of options out there and none of them are 100% ideal. Here are the top 2 scenarios that I considered:

Bring your child’s existing convertible car seat with you. (We almost did this)

This is an option, but since most convertible car seats are quite heavy, it can be difficult. Our Britax Marathon, (which we LOVE!) for example, weighs about 20 pounds. No biggie, I guess, if you didn’t have a child, luggage and everything else to maneuver around the airport as well. You can choose to tow it to the gate (with your child in it) with this cart (pretty pricey), or strap it to your suitcase with this gadget.

  • Pros: A nice, comfy car seat (I’m guessing your’s is too) that your child is already comfortable using. It probably has a bunch of features and extras that you would like to have available to you.
  • Cons: even if you buy the cart or other gadget to get it through the airport, you still will have to carry the heavy car seat onto the airplane and to your seat. Even if TSA approved, it may be too large to fit down the tight aisle space and also might be too large to fit in the airplane seat, causing you to drag it off of the plane and gate check it (an incredible waste of time). Also, if you are dragging around the car seat, you may not have enough hands to also get your stroller to the gate. Your stroller is less likely to get damaged if you gate check it as opposed to checking it when you arrive.

Purchase a different car seat for traveling (We did!)

I know how this is going to sound, I am asking you to throw more money around, right? Wrong! The car seat I am about to recommend that you purchase is actually cheaper than the travel cart option that I showed you above.

Cosco Scenera Next Car Seat

Purchase another convertible car seat, one that is smaller, lightweight, and affordable. The Cosco Scenera Next is what I chose to buy. While it’s not my top pick for everyday use, it works perfectly for traveling. Weighing under 7 pounds, carry options are limitless, I can literally carry it with one finger. It obviously is still awkward to carry, but we usually just clip it to our stroller with a stroller hook like this. There are also tons of stroller hacks out there for this carseat if you google “Cosco Scenera Stroller Hacks” and you may find a way to place the seat in your stroller with your kid in the seat. Do that at your own risk of course.

  • Pros: You have a lightweight car seat, so it’s much easier to carry. It’s also narrow so if any convertible car seat will fit in your particular airplane seat, this one will. (It is one of few options that fit 3 wide in vehicle.) It meets all safety standards and has side impact protection. Justify your purchase even more and use it as a backup car seat for grandma or a babysitter when you are not traveling. I found it to be quick and easy to install.
  • Cons: It may not be quite as comfortable as your everyday car seat (my daughter was very happy and comfortable in it) and it may lack some other features that your more expensive car seat has.
Stroller Hack

Aside: I tried the stroller hack and it worked with my Chicco Bravo Mini Stroller. The Cosco Scenera Car Seat fit in it pretty securely. I personally would have secured it with an additional luggage strap at the airport for my child’s safety. I ultimately decided this was not necessary, and that I wanted to bring my jogger, but do this at your own risk if you choose!

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How to Transition Smoothly From Bottle to Cup

A new cup for your baby needs to, first and foremost, work well for your baby. To allow for smooth transitions you will want to try to avoid making a transition that is too abrupt for your child.

For example, you wouldn’t necessarily want to go directly from a bottle with a nipple (slow) to a cup with a straw (fast). Just think about it from your baby’s perspective; with the bottle, your baby knows to tip it back and they don’t realize (of course) that the flow is regulated. This would lead them to assume that anytime they tip a drink back that the flow will be as it is with a bottle: slow… so with a straw cup, not only will your baby get too much to drink in one sip, but they will also need to learn a new sucking method. They would also not find much success in tipping the cup back. This experience would be overwhelming and frustrating for your baby and they will understandably want their bottle back. Oh, and if the goal is to teach your baby not to suck when drinking, a straw will not accomplish that. This is so confusing, right?!  So if you are like me you are now thinking, “then just tell me exactly what I need to do, I have 5 minutes until this baby wakes up from his/her nap”.

Well, if you see this post soon enough you can try doing what I did and see if it works for you. Perhaps you will want to do some more research, but either way follow someone’s advice. You would be surprised how fast you can end up with a graveyard of cups, and too many cup introductions might lead to a suspicious and confused little one who could end up becoming resistant to trying new cups, among other things. Oh, and cups are kind of expensive too, so don’t waste your money on the ones that aren’t the right stage for your child or those that leak!

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If you have been following me you know that I recommend starting your baby off with the Dr. Brown’s Options standard neck bottles. This is based not only off my own experiences, but the experiences of my closest mom friends. Consider us your mom friends an read more about why here.

If you already use these bottles, your first transition from nipple to spout can be pretty easy. You can try purchasing the Dr. Brown’s Spouts. I didn’t know about these when we made our transition, but I hear that it has helped some moms with babies who don’t want to give up their bottles.

Nuby No-Spill Super Spout Grip N’ Sip Cup

The Nuby Cup is a good first sippy cup to offer because it has a soft spout, which is what they are used to and easier to transition to as well as handles which are a convenient and fun addition. We transitioned to the Nuby directly from the bottle. It really doesn’t leak much. The no-spill spout works well, especially at first, but expect that your child will gnaw on it and depending on how many teeth they have, the spout will split and leak a tiny bit when held upside down. Even with that, I do believe it is an excellent transition cup from a bottle. When the spouts leak, it may be a fair signal to move on to the next phase cup.

Munchkin Miracle 360 Cup Trainer Cup

Munchkin Miracle 360

The Miracle 360 cup is pretty neat. It teaches your baby/toddler the method for drinking out of a real cup; only when pressure is applied to the lid is the drink released. It pretty much has all the benefits and feels of drinking out of a real cup, except that leaks are prevented with the miracle lid. The only exception is when your child drops this cup on the ground, there is generally a splatter of the liquid that is built up into the lip of the lid. As a result of using this cup, your child continues to tip their drink back, but learns that “sucking” is not necessary to take a drink. They essentially understand what it feels like to drink out of a real cup, but they don’t realize that holding it over their head would get them wet if they were actually using a real cup. This will be clear when they grab one of your cups off the coffee table and throw it back. It is a great cup that doesn’t get ruined over time and can be continued to be used for quite some time, especially when you are in the car and you want to prevent leaks. I later discovered that Munchkin also offers a stainless steel option that is not cheap for a toddler cup, but is great for keeping milk cold on the go (or just in the morning from wake-up until nap time). I use this similarly for my daughter as I use my own Yeti Rambler Tumbler cup.

In my opinion, the last transition that you really need to make is to a regular straw cup. There are 2 great options, and you may want one or both of these depending on your needs.

Contigo Kids Tumbler

Contigo Kids Tumbler with Straw– My daughter loves this “big girl” cup because I think it reminds her of the cups she gets at a restaurant. I love that the has the independence of a big kids cup, but in reality it is suitable for her to operate on her own. Word of advice, use it seated if you can. Like any straw cup, the hard straw will not be fun when paired with a fall.

Thermos Funtainer

Thermos Funtainer– This is a great straw option for on the go, but you may choose to use it for all purposes. It is great for keeping a drink cold. Straw can be replaced if your child chews it. Sometimes they do leak over time, but hey, they all do!

Voting Now Open for the 2025 Kids Pick Awards!

It’s that time of year again—voting is officially open for the 2025 Kids Pick Awards! 🎉 This is the second year families around Greater Portland are coming together to recognize the BEST local businesses, services, and activities that make life more fun, easy, and exciting for kids. From favorite indoor play spaces to the best […]