You, what? Travelling with three kids alone, by yourself?” asked one of my friends astonishingly. “Er…. Yeah” I replied and wonder what was in her mind. That expression was not one, but some responses I received when I told someone that I’m travelling with my kids all by myself without a husband. To me, that is completely normal circumstance. You have kids and want to go somewhere but you can’t leave them. So, you must take them with you in whatever situation it might be. Not a big deal, right?

Soon, I realized that something which appears usual to me may not be the same to others. I may think that travelling with kids is nothing sensational but to others, it is a plus point as a mom because the situation can be overwhelming. Subsequently, I was called a supermom simply because I’m capable to handle three kids on the journey. They reasoned, it is not easy to cope with three small kids all together especially on long hour trip. Not necessarily travelling, even going to the mall or park, they rather bring someone to help or not to make the trip. My eldest daughter Sena is eight years old and she is reliable if she were to look after her young brother and sister. Benjamin and Lily both are turning two and one years old in a few months. With Sena’s help, she eased the strains I faced while travelling.

Once, we were flying to Bangkok from Kuala Lumpur international airport, I was approached by a lady who was impressed to see me and the kids. She told me that she always fears to travel with kids without her husband even though her kids were older, between 6 to 12 years old. Besides watching out kids, a mom also needs to be in charge of the luggage as well as going thru the hassle of airport security checks. Hence, being well prepared to minimize the trouble is essential. Although I use a baby stroller when travelling, I always take a baby carrier with me as a backup. Sometimes, you have to surrender the baby stroller earlier before you reach the gate, or you need to collect the stroller at the luggage collection area upon arrival.

Every mom can be a supermom once you discover your own strength because we do most of the daily tasks managing the household for instance cooking, cleaning and care for kids. However, when comes to travelling, I always ensure that my travel style is savvy and do some preparation ahead to make my journey smooth and easier. Most important, my hands are free from holding handbags or any other stuff, so I can always grab my kids when needed. Similarly having too many bags hanging around the baby stroller or carry more than one bag on your shoulder is not practical.

 

 

 

Here, I share my style when travelling with kids as a reference.

1. Ensure that you don’t hold anything. Small kids tend to get excited when they see new places or object and intend to touch it to fulfil their curiosity. It would be easy for you to grab their hands or chase them if they are running away.
2. Instead of a handbag, I use medium size waist bag to keep all passports and wallet and ensure it can be easily reached when needed.
3. Likewise, a nappy bag. I use a backpack type so, I could carry it at my back and baby in front of me in the carrier.
4. I had long hair and it can be disturbing when I let it loose free whenever I’m with kids. So, I used a headband or tied my hair. This may not be a problem if you’re wearing a headscarf and keep it simple.
5. Since I have a toddler and baby, I’m using a double stroller to move around or else, you can also look for a lightweight stroller for a single kid.
6. Kids tend to get bored while travelling. Therefore, I allow Sena to use a tablet when we’re on the road and some toys for the little ones.
7. Furthermore, I will prepare enough sustenance for kids to ‘survive’ for the entire journey. Juices, snacks, milk powder, water and the list go on.
8. Don’t forget some useful medication or first aids for instance fever syrup, ointment and Vick VapoRub. It will be very helpful when you need it.

From my experience, travelling with an infant or toddler is a lot easier than travelling with older kids because they are portable. They will be happy as long as you keep their routine closely and create a comfortable environment. A baby usually sleeps while on the journey and cry when they are hungry or need a diaper change. Unlike 3 or 4 years old kids, they are more demanding and don’t really know how to express their feeling which resulted to tantrum. Remember, it is absolutely natural for kids to cry or misbehave sometimes but then again, we can tackle them with toys or snacks. Hence, having a break in between your trip to let them cool down and refresh is equally important.

All mothers are indeed a supermom as they are the best custodian for their kids. As a mother, kids are the first priority and we always look out what best for them. If we prepare early and plan our journey well, we can handle most of the awkward situation with kids. Don’t hesitate to bring along your kids for holidays otherwise, you will miss some of the greatest moment together. After all, that is the purpose of having all family members together to discover the wonder of the world. Enjoy every moment and create a lot of lifetime memories!