Packing is one of the tedious things to do when preparing for a trip. And if packing all the clothes, toiletries, gears and whatever else one needs in a trip isn’t stressful enough, parents also have to arrange everything that their children want and need for the same trip. And believe me, children require more stuff to bring than adults would.
I’ve been bringing my son to my out-of-town trips as early as 11 months old. These trips, though, were only for a day and usually with relatives who help me out with all the baby stuff I had to bring. So, normally, I bring tons of baby stuff with me, even the ones that we might not need, simply because I know somebody else would be carrying them for me.
Taken during the early years of our travelling: left photo was from a family trip to Fontana Leisure Parks & Casino at Clark, Pampanga and right photo was from a visit at the Religious of the Virgin Mary Pre-Novitiate in Tagaytay City, Cavite
But, by the time my son was 4 years old, I decided to embark on a solo journey with my son for a 3-day-2-night stay at a resort in Puerto Galera, Mindoro Oriental. And since we will be staying for 3 entire days with several hours of boat and land travel, I had to think ahead all the possible scenarios, good and bad, which might occur during those 3 days. And for all these possible scenarios, I had to be ready with everything else that we might need – from the number of wet tissues that I had to bring to the number of shirts that he might need up to the kind of toys he might want. Everything in my list had to be detailed and completed. I had no Mom out there to call for help, or siblings to run errands for me. For 3 days and 2 nights, I had to do everything by myself.
Mokong, at 4 years old, with his little Marvel Heroes backpack at his side, as we were leaving Coco Beach Resort in Mindoro Oriental.
I couldn’t really say that our first-ever trip together, as Mom and Son, the Wandering Tandem, was a super success. For one, I brought too many small bags, which was difficult for me to carry all at the same time. It was easier when we went to the resort’s Manila office, as all throughout the land and boat travel, resort personnel would often help us out. When we got back to Manila and was dropped off near the resort’s office, I had an extremely difficult time carrying all our bags and hailing a cab at the same time. Worse, I had no hand available to hold my son’s hand and would just constantly remind him to hold on to my arms or my pants.
But since we got through the entire trip alive, I felt that it was time for me to bring my son to my yearly Holy Week trips with my long-time travelling friends.
And every year, since then, I go through the stressful stage of packing all our stuff. It doesn’t really matter that my son and I have been travelling every Holy Week since 2006. Somehow, there’s always something wrong or lacking with what I’ve packed – too many small luggages, too big a luggage, lacking of medicines, lacking of snacks, etc. I just couldn’t seem to pack things right.
Our chaotic, war-torn hotel room in East Asia Hotel, Macau as I attempt to re-arrange all our stuff and souvenirs before heading back home to Manila.
So, I’m listing here the things I normally do while packing my son’s luggage and the things I learned over the years of packing and travelling with him. Again, I have not perfected the art of packing a child’s luggage, but this list and tips below are the learnings I’ve accumulated over the years. Hopefully, with this year’s Holy Week trip, I get the packing right.
1. Getting my Son His own Luggage
Not because a kid is a small person meant he has less needs during a trip compared to their parents. On the contrary, as mentioned above, children want more of everything than they actually need that it won’t just fit right in somebody else’s luggage. So, yes, depending on the length of the trip, every child deserves a luggage of his own.
Now, choosing a luggage, or even a backpack, can be really tricky. I used to bring the smaller ones so I would be forced to limit the clothes and toiletries that my son and I could bring. But I later on realized, that the smaller the luggage, the more bags I would be carrying with me. Because, really, the essentials just won’t fit in the luggage.
Mokong, at 8 years old, sleeping at the Beijing Capital International Airport as we wait for our next flight to Xi'an. Our numerous luggage serve as dividers from our other friends sleeping on other chairs. Photo taken by RVSantos.
Even the little backpacks or handbags with cartoon characters that look really cute when kids carry them should be carefully thought of if they are indeed needed during a trip. Just remember that kids tire so easily. And when they’re tired, they will refuse to carry even an ounce of weight, no matter how cute their bags are. And if they don’t carry their bags, who else will? Parents! Of course, I write from experience.
Mokong carrying his very own backpack that usually contains his snacks, his PSP, an activity book and a few toys. Leftmost photo was taken when we arrived at the Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, Thailand. Middle photo was taken during a tour of the Wat Phrathet Doi Suthep at Chiang Mai, Thailand. Rightmost photo was during a visit to the Genting Highlands Outdoor Theme Park in Malaysia; photo taken by RVSantos.
When the kid gets tired, who else carries that little backpack? Mommy!!! Photo taken during an MRT ride at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Photo taken by RCSevilla.
But then again, the larger luggage also has its own set of problems. For one, it’ll most likely exceed the weight limit for check-in baggages. If you’re a cheap traveler like me who sees heaven during airfare seat sales, then most likely, the check-in baggage is limited to 15 to 20 kilos only, depending on which airline you take.
Secondly, one huge luggage eats up the entire compartment of a taxi cab. Sure, smaller bags can still be squeezed in here and there, but if you’re sharing the cab with a friend or a group, who has the same amount of stuff that you brought, you’ll be lucky if the luggage can be squeezed right inside the cab at all. Or else, take another cab, which of course, will end up being more expensive.
See?! My son is already inside the van, sitting comfortably as I'm still stuck outside trying to figure how to fit all our luggage inside the van. Photo taken at Xi'an, China by RCSevilla.
Lastly, larger luggage meant heavier luggage to carry. And since my friends and I opt for cheaper accommodations that can be found at the third and fourth floors of buildings with no elevators, I usually end up carrying the huge luggage with all my mighty effort. By the time I’m done bringing up all the luggage and bags to our room, I’d be too tired to go back down and make a walkatour of the town that I’m in.
So, really, choosing a luggage should be done with utmost consideration of how the trip will be like. Do take note of the modes of transportation, the number of transfers from one place to the next, the type of accommodation, and length of the entire trip.
2. Never Get Somebody Else’s List of What-to-Bring or Dare to Even Research about it Online
Every child is different. So are his or her needs. And as a parent, there’s nobody else more perfect to make that list of what to bring for his or her own child, except ME.
So, instead of copying somebody else’s list of things to bring, I created my own. Since I’m superbly worried that I might forget something, I run through my mind my son’s everyday routine from the moment he wakes up to the point when he goes back to bed and sleep at night. I list them all down, in chronological order, every activity he does and everything else that I do for that particular activity. Does he drink a glass of milk when he wakes up? Then, I write down milk in my list as the number 1 item. Does he geos straight to the bathroom to take a bath? Then I list down, one by one, what he uses inside the bathroom – the soap, the shampoo, the conditioner, the towel, etc.
When the list is done for the things that my son uses in his everyday routine, I list down next the ones I needed when we’re going to the mall, park or a relatives’ house. Again, the list of things needed should be in chronological order, running through my mind the preparation we had to go through everytime we would leave the house. Socks? Hat? Extra clothes? Umbrella?
As like any other list, I cannot make a perfect one in a day. It usually takes me 3 to 5 days of re-writing and re-editing this list as I become more aware of the stuff we actually need on a daily basis. If we don’t use this little something during my son’s everyday routine, then most likely, we won’t need it during a trip.
Disadvantage: My son and I went to Bali, Indonesia and since I was unfamiliar with the medicines out there, I brought small bottles of his vitamins during the trip. But as soon as we landed at the airport, my son got sick with a fever and I had to buy a paracetamol from the pharmacy. When I got there, it took awhile before I could buy one, as the pharmacist, who doesn’t speak English, couldn’t understand what I was trying to buy over-the-counter. Whew!
With Tita E and Tita N at the Denpasar International Airport in Indonesia.
3. Know Your Child’s Favorite and Bring Them
Travelling takes us away from our usual milieu. Sometimes, it is exciting for us. Sometimes, it’s just nerve wracking.
Now, if I put my feet inside my son’s shoes and took him away from everything familiar to him, that would be very difficult. I just took him out of his comfort zone! So, naturally, he would act up and go into tantrums at every bit of discomfort he feels.
Of course, I’m one of the lucky ones who have a son that doesn’t really go into major tantrums by nature. I don’t have much of a problem with this, but still, I have to be ready for any first time major tantrums that could strike a World War III between the two of us.
Oh, yes! He goes into tantrums, too! Leftmost photo was taken under the heat of the sun while we were taking photos of the Petronas Tower in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Rightmost photo was taken at the Bhubing Palace, Chiang Mai, Thailand. He was too tired of walking and didn't want to move anymore.
And when these things happen, only his favorites can calm him down – his favorite toy (Game Boy, which later on became PSP), favorite activity books, favorite shirt (Spiderman), favorite snack (oh, yes, junk food!), etc. Of course, I try to limit these down as well. I can’t just bring a shelf-full of toys because they are all his favorites. I just bring with us his super favorites ones that can be fitted inside his small backpack that he brings wherever he goes.
Dragon Ball Z. Spiderman. Game Boy. PSP. These are just some of the stuff we bring during our trips.
And to make sure we leave nothing behind, I make him pack his toys inside his little backpack. That way, he knows exactly what we’re bringing during a trip. Hopefully, that will prevent him from blaming me and crying over something that we might have forgotten to bring.
So far, so good.
4. Planning the Clothes to Bring
Knowing the climate of the place that we’re going to is very important as that determines the type and amount of clothes to bring. Cold weather countries limit the number of clothes we bring as we only change the inner layer everyday, plus, bulky jackets take up most of the space inside the luggage. Hot and humid countries tend to make us bring more extra clothes than usual as we would surely sweat a lot touring from one place to the next. Depending on the place, the people and their culture, we could either bring sleeveless shirts and shorts or regular shirts and pants.
Clothes to bring for a 5-day trip to Bicolandia last year.
Since we had to pack light due to the limitation of our baggage allowance from the budget airlines that we take, I really have to carefully plan our everyday clothes, taking into consideration what we can mix and match and what we can recycle wearing again.
And to make sure I get all our list of clothes right, I take a picture of them, one by one, and do my mixing and matching through PowerPoint, instead of re-arranging our luggage several times. This, actually, makes more sense as it can easily give me an overview of all the clothes that we would be wearing. Plus, it also helps on how I should pack the clothes – all clothes from days 1 to 3 in one zip lock, and another from days 4 to 6, and so on.
There you go! Mokong doesn't need to ask what he should be wearing for a particular day. He just looks at the print out of the PowerPoint file I made and he knows exactly what to wear... Without bothering me.
In cold countries, my son and I would often borrow bubble jackets from each other. Haha! And since I have all the clothes laid out in a PowerPoint, I can easily know which dates he would wear the blue jacket and when I get the turn to wear it. Now, that’s really what being frugal is all about when it comes to packing.
5. Fitting Them All In
No matter how busy I am, I always make it a point to give some time for packing. Friends would even laugh at me when I tell them that I start packing 2 weeks before a major trip. But in all my years of my packing, I realized, that the small things I pack on an everyday basis takes the stress out of cramming versus packing 2 or 3 days before a flight. Plus, the things I forget to bring are less likely to occur when I started packing way ahead of time.
Fitting them all in always requires planning – clothes for the last few days of the trip are placed way down below the luggage and stuff to bring to keep my son occupied during long trips are placed inside his backpack so we can easily get it at any time. What’s important is that, everything should fit right inside the luggage.
The best way to do that, of course, is to keep a group of clothes inside a zip lock and then take the air out once you close it. The clothes inside would just flatten so much, you’ll be surprised at how much you could put in your luggage.
Our latest Holy Week trip to India last 2011.
Packing my son’s luggage properly, no matter how stressful it is, ensures a more relaxed feeling during the trip knowing that I brought along with me all the essentials. It may not be as enjoyable to go through the preparation and the actual packing, but it’s really not what’s important when we travel. What matters most is that we get to enjoy each and every trip we make here or abroad.
I like to pack, don’t ask me why. So whenever we go on a trip, I have to pack my 8-month old baby’s stuff as well as her daddy’s stuff. This is on top of packing my stuff of course. I always over pack, but I think that’s better than underpacking (is that a word?)
hahaha! i agree with you, sometimes, it’s really best to over pack than scrambling to look for the things u need in another country.
Love the photo of all your luggage and then his little luggage! He’s such a cutie
I admire you for taking your son on trips, even though it’s pretty hectic. He’ll cherish these memories so much as he grows older, not to mention he’ll be so much more knowledgable about the world. I know so many people who have never traveled, not because they don’t have the money, but because they just don’t want to. I think that’s sad.
thanks, Ellen! i started bringing my son to my trips ‘coz i didn’t want to be away from him for such a long time… of course, i realized, later on, that because he travels a lot, he learns more about the world and seems to “mature” more than his age.
In all honesty, I do not know how to pack light. I always bring too much stuff even for an overnight stay. I don’t have a small luggage. In case I need one, I just borrow from my husband or my sister or even my mother. So imagine me packing for my 3 kids, that would be 2 toddlers and a baby. Disaster! I go from an SUV to a van. And the van is always on chaos even for a 2-3-hour drive.
hahaha! we often take the budget airlines so we really have no choice but to pack light… but i do overpack for an overnight trip. hehehe!
Now THAT is organized! I’ve never thought of pre-planning outfits in such a manner. Good job!
thanks, michael!
Making a powerpoint is a creative way to avoid the daily questions of what to wear!
oh, yes! sometimes when you’re too stressed from the travelling, the least that you need is another question from a kid. haha!
I have plenty of trouble packing for a trip too. I wish I can bring all my shoes in the closet and all the dresses too! The only thing I always pack right is my toiletries XD
Good idea to figure out ahead what one is going to wear on what day. That will save a lot space and stress later. (I have yet to achieve that utopia)
i know what you mean! i recently went to taiwan for a 2-day trip. while packing, i had to put it four different types of footwear! 2 pairs of boots, 1 sandals and 1 sneakers. all that for a 2-day trip! hahaha!
Ang galing! Ang OC! Nakapowerpoint ang damit! im not a mom pero i think marami mahehelp to and i see that kahit hagardo e gusto mo parin kasama si moks =)
Question… bakit me spiderman sa clothes photo? Hehe.
because we never leave home without Spiderman! may black spiderman pa nga ‘yan eh… nilalaro lang n’ya while i was packing so hindi nakasama sa picture. hahaha!
I love this post!!! very organized!!!! na capture lahat since bata pa si mokong -traveling to big na sya – traveling pa din! pati from lousy packing to very organized packing – love love the Powerpoint file! the best! enjoy more trips together! great job!
thanks, mommy gemma! it’s really great that he enjoys our trips as well. he’s my little travel buddy ^_^
ang nice ng trip ni mokong kung san san na nakarating. Paglumaki na siya lakwatsero na rin yan hahaha
hahaha! ngayong bagets pa nga lang, lakwatsero na eh ^_^
tinalo pa ako sa pagka OC… bukod sa travel , i learned something pa about parenting . Apir
Sobrang helpful tips to remember to when I travel with B. He snaps at times din e.
all kids do! hehehe!
Wow Gladys- you are one super organized mama. Thanks for the insights and tips. I really should borrow your Powerpoint idea. I love the progression in age of his pictures here during your travels. Lucky boy! BTW, have you looked into Space Bags? They have been my life saver in fitting things into luggages.
thanks, Mary! i’ll check on these space bags
hahaha! nakita ko na naman yang powerpoint na yan … saya saya! yan ang kinokopya namin sa trip. long pants pag naka long pants din si mokong, short pag short din si mokong (palibhasa walang pakialam sa itinerary, hindi namin alam mga places na pupuntahan – temple for the day ba or park lang haha!) advance copy ulit namin ng mga clothes ni mokong this HW2012 ha …. =)
wag muna, tita lai… let’s wait for february 7 muna… *crossing fingers*
wow naka powerpoint pa talaga?
hahaha! i know, right? adik lang. LOL
wow! grabe ka organize! :-p
marami me na learn dito ha.
Thanks for sharing
hahaha! OC lang, thanks TJ
I learned to pack light, finally. I like my new rule of 4 outfits each. It doesn´t matter the lenght of the trip, you just wash clothes every other day in the the shower.
My new rule of no toys is great too. We did it now in a 3 week trip, as our first experiment and it was so nice. I want to keep this rule, but if while packing my girl chooses to bring something, I´ll let her.
She seems really understanding to the fact that we only carry one big backpack and not everything that we would like to bring will fit.
It´s not just about being practical, but also have it light weight for real. Those little walks from the taxi to the cart carrying the whole thing can kill your back if it´s too heavy.
I love watching other travelers and their luggage, as you can identify the experienced practical ones with normal expressions and the heavy weight luggage carried by tense faces.
thanks for sharing, Marilla! i ought to learn about your 4 outfits rule. i’m too lazy to wash clothes during a trip… heck, i’m just plain lazy washing clothes! haha! but this seems like a pretty good idea. i used to wash my son’s clothes when he was younger just so i could limit the number of clothes. eventually, though, i got tired. maybe i should try to do it again ^_^
Then and now, packing (and unpacking) is what I like to do the least…especially when we’ll be out for a one-week trip…I now have a standard list of what to bring and if the trip gets longer, I would add up some more. I only give my kids a bag with snacks, changeables, a small towel and drinks in it.
i dunno why, but every year, i make up some darn list! i just couldn’t get it right. LOL
This just reminds me that I’m one uber unorganized momma! LOL. Can’t wait for Luna to carry her own bag!
hahaha! it’s better when they’re older. last year, while we were in india, mokong was completely on his own with his luggage and his backpack. such a huge relief from my end
packing and unpacking is quite fun everytime i travel..hubby always says, im bringing the whole house..not anymore, i learned from it….nice post here..thanks for sharing!
thanks, too! i used to hate family trips ‘coz my mom brought everything imagineable from our house. hahaha! i’m glad i didn’t get that from her.
I think looking at lists or copying a list may be a good idea for a first trip, but you area right, everyone is different, so you need to make create your own and modify. Great tips for parents and for all travelers.
thanks, ted! and thanks for re-tweet, too!
Toys, and especially soft animals, were my biggest challenge when my children were younger. How to get them to settle for taking along a small one rather than the current favourite which always seemed to be enormous…
my son has to favorite stuffed toys… he finds it hard as well that one stays at home… so i have no choice but to bring the two. LOL
Been in the same situation recently! My son is still very young (8 months old) and is already a jet-setter. Of course it falls upon us Moms to pack everything we need! Hay, I will be making a guide/tips also for those traveling with babies/infants. It can be such a wonderful or hellish experience! I’m lucky the packing and dragging of luggage were the only problems. He was an angel in the plane!
Visiting from SP!
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http://www.mommyroxi.com
yey! that’s what’s important… that they’re an angel during the actual travel. that’s a really good sign
I also dont know how to pack light that most often not, I ended up bringing things we dont actually need….
I love your site. I will be visiting more often.
A late Blog Hopping from (January 29 – February 3) our FB Group Pinay Mom Bloggers
thanks, Cielo! no worries. you’ll learn as you go on to more travels. that’s basically how i packed the first time my son and i travelled
i don’t have kids yet but 1 time i brought 1 of my nephew to Malaysia. his mom packed his bag for the trip but going back home i packed his bag and sent him to the airport with my mom, he lost his Mp3 player and my mom said he was crying all throughout the flight back from KL to clark, i should have checked his stuff before they left and made sure that all his things specially those that he needs are inside his bag.. ;(
awwww…. such a pity. that must have broke his heart. big hugs to your nephew
these are great tips for families who love to travel together with their kids…
thanks, romelo!
I love this list, Ms. Gladys!
Packing a luggage is unique in every person. What is essential to others may not be essential to you and vice versa. I remember how my sister brought a plastic bag since my nephew kept on insisting to bring his small toys, hehe.
Btw, it’s really great that at such a young age, Mokong gets to explore and learn new cultures. But what is even better is that both of you have bonding moments that Mokong will always remember all throughout his life.
thanks, Karla! i hope he really appreciates the places he’s been…
wow talagang powerpoint? hehehe.. never thought of that.. dapat isali na yan si mokong sa PTB Bagets!! hahaha..
hahaha! arte much lang, kesa re-arrange ako nang re-arrange ng bagahe. hehehe!
Packing and unpacking are two of the most difficult things to do during a trip. Packing marks the beginning while unpacking is the end. Great thing I only have to pack for myself. I bought a luggage last year with a removable bag on top. We’ve been together to many places so far.
yeah, you’re absolutely right! unpacking is actually the end of it all… maybe we ought to include washing of the clothes as well. LOL
Iba ka Audre, iba ka! Haha..
Ibang klase kayo mag-bond ni Mokong ah.
hahaha, thanks ed!
How organized of you – packing 2 weeks before a trip! I pack, errrr throw my stuff into a suitcase, like a night before a trip. And it all takes around 10 minutes. That’s how quickly I do it. I always wonder why most people take a lot of time packing.
hahaha! i pack for a 10- to 15- day trip with only 15 kilos of baggage allowance. and if u have a child with you, that requires a lot of careful planning…
This is so cool! As in naka powerpoint pa ang wardrobe ni Mokong! Very organized! BTW sis could you pm me how to put the floating widget you have here on your site?
ok, i’ll PM you, cha!
Ang saya naman ng trip na ito. Thanks for sharing helpful tips and the pics din.
Mas marami pa atang dala si bunso neh.
haha! thanks, rhed
korek, mas marami pa syang dala.
batang byahero hehe. I love the thought that family travel together and sightsee the world. super organize si Mommy ah, day 1 until uwian ang shirt and pants hehe
thanks, doc!
Surprise surprise!!!
naka powerpoint print yung clothes..
talk about being systematic.
Its been since Christmas that I read your son’s post!
You both are amazing!
salamat! ^_^
You have an adorable little boy! Saludo ako sa mga moms travelling with their son/daughter!
thanks, elal!
Wow…such a systematic mom you are! You can be a very good travel planner. Your son is very lucky to have you.
thanks, enzo!
You are right packing can be tedious, more so if you are packing for some else. I always pack light whenever I go places. Buti na lang I just pack for myself. But these are great tips you have given, especially for those who have children.
thanks, la! i wish i could just pack light… i used to travel with just a backpack…
I jot down all before I start packing. Kids has bigger luggage than parents. Specially girls.. Kakaloka! cheers!
hahaha! i bet i would need a larger luggage if i had a girl.
hahaha ang mga bata talaga kahit makulit.. masaya naman kasama!
Bringing all the essentials? Sounds practical. Listing those things you needed to travel is foremost. Then considering the weight that your pack or luggage to carry is another thing to consider. You’re good at this peculiarity. I appreciate it. Keep on traveling to places and generously share them to us!
“know your child’s favorite” i like that. indeed it will make them very happy. sometimes even without a great view or a fun spot.
I usually hate packing… but I just stick to the essentials and I never go wrong.
Oh and I can’t imagining traveling alone with kid for several days… I’d be exhausted!
You are an organized/genius/mom/explorer! Galing!
Hope you can join us at Messy Go Round meme. That’s my daughter’s blog. Thanks!
Wow! bilib ako sa ‘yo na kaya mong magdala ng bata na ganyang edad while on a trip overseas.madalas kasi hindi nila nasasakyan ang hilig ng mga adults.natuwa naman ako dun sa print out ng isusuot niya…parang sa miss universe lang,day 1 ganito suot mo anak…hahaha