Buying Baby Clothes For My One-Year-Old’s Overseas Vacation
Our son has been traveling from the time he was two-weeks-old, when we took him home for Christmas. Most of our travels with him had been easy since they were road-trips. It was easy when you could pack your car full of everything you thought you might possibly need, such as loads of diapers, every burp cloth we owned, a dozen bottles, and baby detergent.
It was when we decided to take our one-year-old on vacation overseas that the complications of traveling multiplied. Because we were going to a foreign country, before we left, I did a little investigating online and decided we would not need to pack an entire vacation’s worth of diapers, formula, or food, because there were comparable brands where we were headed. We did pack a lot of his favorite toddler snacks, which we were not sure we would find.
With those major issues aside, the next task was to decide about all his other needs. We packed clothes for a variety of temperatures. On the plane, I figured he would need something a little warmer, as it is often chilly on flights. He wore cotton long-sleeves and pants. I knew it would be mostly hot where we were headed, so I shopped online and found some mix and match outfits. I packed four pairs of shorts: brown, khaki, denim, and plaid. Then I packed several T-shirts that could go with any of the shorts. Little boys are quick to get dirty! I planned on buying hand-washing detergent when we arrived, so I could do some of his laundry in the hotel sink if need be. I also packed a pair of jeans, a jacket, tennis shoes, and sandals. For pajamas, I chose plain, white onesies and loose, cotton pajama pants. I knew we would be swimming, so I made sure to pack his swimming shorts and a float. I was not sure about swimming diapers in the other country, so I went ahead and packed several of those in his bag.
One of my son’s favorite things is bath time, so I picked out his favorite bath boat and rubber duckies to go with us. I also packed his matching towel and washcloth set, baby shampoo, baby wash, baby lotion, and comb. Plus, there were many other items I packed that you never know when you might need them, such as his suction, nose saline, thermometer, baby swabs, teething medicine, and pain reliever.
Finally, my husband and I decided on a few toys that would fit. We purchased one toy online that had dual features, like stacking buckets and puzzle pieces. We wanted something that would be entertaining on multiple levels. We also took a music box, a toy cell phone, some little cars, and a couple of balls.
All in all, packing for my one-year-old’s first overseas vacation turned out to be not as difficult as I had imagined. We just had to think creatively in order to pack lightly!
Mary-Ellen Catalano is a fashion-conscious Boston mom who loves to write about baby adventures and women’s fashions including gifts for infants and flats for women .
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