I’m a mom – my $10 buy makes traveling with kids so much easier, and won’t take up much luggage space
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AS flight delays, overcrowded airports, and lack of full service on planes becomes the norm, traveling is growing increasingly uncomfortable.
And that's especially true if you have the little ones to tend to on top of all that.
A parenting expert, however, said she has a few tried and true tips that will make getting to your family summer vacation a little less turbulent.
Myriam Sandler is a mom-of-three who began a parenting blog called to provide tools for both first-time and veteran mothers.
Her degree in psychology and her role as a stay-at-home mom to three young daughters led to the creation of her business.
“I was 23 and I was the first of my friends to have kids, so nobody really understood this struggle that I was going through,” she said, in an exclusive interview with The U.S. Sun.
“So, I took to social media and pretty quickly found a community of people who would hear me out, which was very comforting.”
She now offers a $40 guide called which provides a one stop shop for recipes, cleaning hacks, travel kits, and more.
On Instagram (), Myriam also shares videos of the sensory play games she creates for her children and offers advice on how to engage little ones based on their age.
“When you think of their attention spans, it correlates with their age. So, a one-year-old has a one minute attention span, a two-year-old has a two minute attention span, and so on.”
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When it comes to road trips, airplanes, and hotel rooms, Myriam is an expert at keeping them busy to avoid tantrums.
She spoke exclusively to The U.S. Sun about her go-to's.
SNACKS
“One of the most annoying things about being stuck on a plane with children is the constant, ‘Mom, can I have a snack? Mom, can you open this snack? Mom, can you get the other one from the backpack? Mom, my snacks fell everywhere.’”
Myriam said this frustration led her to start using $12 .
Similar to a classic pill box, each snack gets its own compartment in the box, providing diversity and allowing the kids to pick and choose what they want and when – an added source of entertainment.
“It has eight grids, so you can have all sorts of different things inside. You have your vegetables, you have your fruit, you have your potato chips, you have your candies, and you have your sandwich.”
The best part is, it won’t run out and leave your kids begging for more.
“Never once have they finished the snack box. Never.”
Swearing by these kinds of boxes, Myriam will be coming out with her own line of custom cases in August.
SENSORY TOYS
Food, however, may not be enough to keep your little one satisfied throughout the long travel day – you’ll need some toys too.
“You want a set of lightweight toys that pack a punch,” she said.
The age of your child will determine which kinds of gadgets they use, but Myriam said ones that engage their senses are the best.
“These suction cup things called Squigs are the best,” she said about the $30 .
Not only can kids stick them to the airplane or car window, but they can also connect them to each other to make a new shape.
“They become more like a building tool.”
Myriam also loves the $10 suction cup that will entice your babies to spin them and watch the colors whirl.
One of her favorites, however, is the $10 that most of us remember from our childhood.
“Because they’re thick, they’re easy for them to peel off with their fingers so the kids won’t get frustrated, which is very important.
“They could stick them on different places, take them off, move them around, and you reuse them so it’s just absolutely fabulous.”
Myriam said these come in handy whenever she’s traveling or going out to a restaurant and needs to keep her girls busy.
For kids who are a little older, you can experiment with more thought provoking games, like $15 .
“My kids love puzzles, but you don’t want the pieces to fall off, so the magnetic board keeps them on, which is great.
“And this goes further than a puzzle on a tablet because you touch it, you feel it, it’s more interactive.”
On the same token, she said $25 are also good to pack as they don't take up much room.
And similar to paint by numbers but without the mess that may come with it, the $10 , Myriam said, is a great game.
“It’s also more sensory with the sticker, because you have to unpeel the sticker, find its place by number on the sheet, and then you see your painting come to life.”
And to make your toddler feel like one of the adults, gift them a $35 mini plastic .
“They're super lightweight and kids love them. They take pictures, they take videos, they have frames that they can play with.
“So, yes, it's a tech item, but they get to interact with other people. They get to take their own pictures.
“And at the end of the trip, I download all those pictures onto my computer. And maybe it's a fire hydrant and the ear of a dog, but it's super cute, right?”
BACKPACKS
All kids want to feel independent, and allowing them to take care of their own goodies does just that.
“At age three and up, they should get their own backpacks,” Myriam said.
“They’re carrying their own stuff, so you don’t have to worry about it, it’s their responsibility. The more kids feel in control of their own life, the better they will feel.”
TABLETS
Myriam’s last piece of advice was to always have a plan B if things just aren’t going your way.
“Take a tablet with you. That is your tool, your emergency backup.
“Load it with games. Load it with videos that you don't need Wi-Fi for.”
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Although many parents are hesitant to whip out the iPad, Myriam isn’t telling you to use it if you don’t need it.
“It’s not the whole experience, it’s just a tool.”
