Guest Post: Marlena Torres & Traveling with a Little One

Since my daughter doesn’t like the car, I’ve had to figure out a ways to keep her happy while I drive to the grocery store to get our fresh food.

1. Make sure she’s fed first, and not tired. Most babies and toddlers that are still nursing will often need to be nursed before you go out. While not all children are the same, when my daughter wanted to nurse, no smoothie fruits or freeze dried blueberries would do. So be sure that baby is nursed and not ready for a nap. This may seem like common sense, but I can’t tell you how many times I have gotten so busy that I didn’t even realize that I was heading out at a time that my daughter usually was getting sleepy.

2. Healthy snacks. You don’t want your baby to be hungry when you’re out and about. That’s a recipe for disaster! My daughter loves freeze dried fruits, especially blueberries and apples. Other favorites include: puffed kamut, Harmless Harvest coconut water, and Ella’s brand organic smoothie fruits are other excellent options.

3. Bring books and dvd’s that she likes and interacts with. I’m not a huge fan of putting my daughter in from of the television to divert her attention, but sometimes that’s been my only option, when she’s really grumpy. It’s best to get dvd’s that your baby interacts with, rather than zoning out in front of. My daughter’s favorite is Pocoyo, which is easy for toddler’s to understand. It is helpful that I sometimes watch these videos with her and talk to her about what’s going on in the video, and ask her to point out certain characters. My daughter also loves to dance, so she loves to watch Shirley Temple and dance along with her, too. Books are always a better option and it really is so much fun to go through different books with your baby to see which ones she likes best. My daughter loves dogs and bugs, and I always take books featuring these animals when we go out because she gets excited when she sees them!

4. Talk to her. Another no brainer, right? But I talk to my daughter all the time when we’re driving and when we’re in the store. I ask her what she wants to get, I let her pick out things when it’s sensible to do so, and I don’t care if I sound silly or weird. I make funny faces at her, tickle her, and I think this makes our outings much more fun rather than just a chore.

5. Make her a part of the routine. Let her get her own shoes, pick her own books, and put on her own coat if she’s able to. I always ask my daughter to get her boots and pick out a book to bring with us. This doesn’t always work if she’s just not in the mood to go out. Sometimes I have to do it all myself. But with consistency, this practice makes it much easier for us to get out of the door.

6. Let her help you juice and put together your healthy meals (safely, of course)! My daughter loves to help, and most children do as they get older. The go from observing you to helping and wanting to do everything that you do. It’s really something you can use to your advantage. Now, my daughter is even able to help me make fresh juice on our Norwalk juicer! She loves to put salad lettuce into our dishes, and she brings spoons to the table to set, as well as salt and pepper. Sometimes she will even pick out radishes, herbs, or other small produce items that she can easily pick up at the store. It really seems to make her a part of the process of taking care of our health, which I think is just wonderful.

I hope this helps you get around more easily with your little one!

Much love,
Marlena