5 Tips for Summer Travel with Kids

 This post is sponsored by Cottonelle, but these travel tips and other opinions are all my own

Two facts about us. 1. My husband is a school administrator. 2. We live far from family. These two factors mean that we spend several weeks each summer on the go traveling to visit out family and friends that we don’t see very often.  Traveling with kids can be a challenge. Traveling with boys can be crazy! {ha!} Today I’ve put together my 5 Tips for Summer Travel that help me to stay sane while living out of a suitcase, taking long flights and drives and being away from home for long periods of time. I’m excited this summer to be trying two new products in my quest for a fun summer on the go: Flushable Cleansing Cloths On-the-go soft packs and  Flushable Cleansing Cloths Travel  packs #LetsTalkBums

Over the course of the summer we will be taking several long drives 4-6 hrs. Two LONG flights and be living out of suitcases… and we do this every summer. I’ve gotten the packing and sleeping arrangements down to a science and keeping my kids happy pretty well taken care of. Yes, there are still meltdowns, but with these tips for summer travel you will be off to a good start.

1. Bring your own Activities and Movies

Even though we have been on flights with great entertainment, I don’t count on this for my boys. There have been stages when all they would watch was one certain show {cough, cough… Thomas the Train} so that summer I brought several of those DVDs along. Load up the I Pad with a favorite show or movie. My kids can now really zone on the plane… its great!

2. Pack Fun Snacks

I will admit I’m a pretty healthy conscious parent. We generally eat pretty well and healthy. I do however try to make some exceptions on those long car drive or flights and let the kids have a treat to look forward to along the way. It doesn’t even have to be a sugary treat. My boys love these special cheese pretzels, so I make sure to pack those. When I was growing up my mom would always buy crackers and those cans of easy cheese. This was something we only had on trips and we loved it! What special snack or treat would your kids love?

3. New Books/Gifts

I always buys a couple new books or little present to give the boys along the way. I used to wrap each little thing up and it would also be entertainment to unwrap the book or stickers. This summer I let each boy choose a mega sticker book for the trip. They looked at it in the store, then I put them away as soon as we got home and will bring out on the plane.

4. Be Prepared for the Trip with Cottonelle Fresh Care Flushable Cleansing Cloths On-The-Go Soft Packs

Airplane bathrooms and public restrooms present a whole other challenge when traveling! Your average roadside bathroom or gas station present other “issues” {ha!} I carry hand sanitizer at all times and this summer I’m adding  Cottonelle® Fresh Care Flushable Cleansing Cloths On-The-Go Soft Packs to my purse and plan carry ons. These wipes feature SafeFlush Technology, so they not only offer you a confident clean but also start to break down immediately after flushing. I used flushable wipes when we were potty training and I’ve kept some on hand ever since…. SO handy!

Cottonelle Fresh Care Flushable Cleansing Cloths On-The-Go Soft Packs are available in discrete and modern packs that fit in your pocket or purse. On-the-go soft packs are small enough to conveniently take with you and keep you clean and fresh when you’re away from home.

My Husband also like to carry our own dry paper, so this summer we are trying the wet AND dry combo to hopefully keep ourselves and our boys clean.  I also carry an extra change of under wear and clothes for the kids, just to be sure!

5. Relax and HAVE FUN!

When we travel I let the boys watch too much TV {normally very restricted!} eat snacks and treats and I don’t stress about naps…. I find when I am more relaxed about things, so is my whole family.  Yes, I have let my kids watch 7 straight hours of TV on a flight… Yes, we have had chips for dinner. Happy kids make a happy mom and dad, so on those long travel days… we strive to keep the kids happy. Of course I don’t let them get away with everything, but I do try to relax my parenting.

For more tips, videos, comments, coupon downloads, games and more visit the Cottonelle site. You can also hear Cherry Healey talk about bums. #LetsTalkBums

How do you survive summer travel? I’d love to add to my list!  What do you think about using the wet+dry combo on the go?