Traveling with toddlers is tough: no amount of “advice” will change that. While some of the pains of traveling with little ones might be timeless: packing, restlessness, and snacks come to mind, our collective ability to keep them quiet has come a long way, even since the turn of the millennium. Ten years ago, we used primitive devices such as magazines, toys, and hefty laptops. Granted, while these things are still around, touch screen devices have changed the game.
Think about it: when little Johnny or Jenny starts to act up, your iPad or iPhone can rescue you from disruptive behavior in an airport, on a bus, or even on a plane (if there is Wi-Fi or if you have preloaded apps and games). Your little ones get both the interactivity of a toy and the mental stimulation of a magazine in one item.
Popular mommy blogger Lauren Hartmann hits on some truths about traveling with toddlers here, and concedes that most of your “well-laid plans will be chucked out the window.” But that’s the great thing about handing over your iPad/iPhone in these situations: as long as you have some sort of filter on your device, you can let Johnny or Jenny explore whatever they want while sparing all those around you.
Now, this is not to say that the digital approach is a cure for all traveling woes. It’s not. But it’s certainly a step in the right direction. Happy traveling