I received the product below for my review from Safety 1st. All opinions are my own.
6 tips for holiday travel with kids
By the experts at Safety 1st
Traveling with kids is no easy task. Parents should get a medal for pulling it off successfully! Here are some of Safety 1st’s tips for doing just that:
Prepare beyond packing the suitcase:
1. Prepare your child – Holiday parties can cause sensory overload for young children. It’s good to talk about the upcoming trip days, even weeks, in advance. Show photos of family members or friends your child has not met yet. This way, the new face may not seem so unfamiliar.
2. Prepare the guest room – If your child will be sleeping in a Play Yard during the trip, use it for bed or nap time the entire week before. This will help him or her get used to a new sleep environment. If your little one will be staying in a bigger bed than they are used to, the Secure Click Bedrail is a great option for taking with you and making a large bed more accommodating for your child. (Check out The Bragging Mommy’s review of the bedrail below)
3. Keep tabs on your explorer – In any home, sharp corners are inevitable. Soften the edges of an unfamiliar house with Foam Edge Protectors or an Expandable Table Edge Bumper. The Lift, Lock & Swing Gate is great for blocking off new staircases that your little one may want to venture down.
4. Once you are all set to go you’ll need a travel survival kit. Pack books, toys, diapers, a change of clothes and snacks to avoid this dreaded phrase, ”Are we there yet?”. Pre-load a tablet or smartphone with kid friendly apps or games. If you are driving, keep all necessary items such as wipes, hand sanitizer or tissues in an easy to reach location – you don’t want to get distracted while digging at the bottom of a bag.
Time to hit the road!
5. Before you head out – check in with a local Child Passenger Safety Technician to ensure your child’s seat is installed correctly. You can visit a local police station, fire station, AAA office or Safe Kids Chapter for guidance.
6. On the road – The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) advises children remain rear facing until the age of two. According to a study in the Journal of Injury Prevention children under the age of two are 75 percent less likely to die or be severely injured in the event of a car crash if they are rear facing. For older children, the AAP recommends they ride in boosters until the age of 12 or are 57 inches tall. Booster seats reduce injury risk by 59% compared to just seat belts alone.
Happy Travels this Holiday Season!
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Safety 1st Secure Click Bedrail Review
We will be doing a lot of traveling this this holiday break. We are heading down to Southern Utah to my mom’s house to celebrate Christmas with my family. Then we are heading to California to surprise the kids with a trip to Legoland and the beach! After that, we are heading to Arizona to visit my husband’s dad. We will be staying in a hotel for most of the trip. When I saw the Safety 1st Secure Click Bedrail I knew it was exactly what I needed for our holiday travels.
My daughter is 3 and she will be sleeping in the hotel queen size bed next to me. She sleeps in a small toddler bed at home, so I worry about her being in a big bed. With this bedrail from Safety 1st I won’t have to worry about her falling or rolling off the bed during the night. Which is great.
I was pleasantly surprised with how easy it was to set up the bedrail. It comes with clear and simple instructions and only takes a couple of minutes to assemble and install on a bed. I love that it has a red unlocked image and a green locked image, so I can easily know when it is securely locked into place. I also love that it sits on the top of the mattress so their are no gaps that could pose a danger. 
Another great feature is how it becomes compact again when not in use, taking up less space as we travel. I look froward to having this with us on the trip as well as in the future when my daughter transitions from toddler bed to big bed. It will be so great to have on hand!
Brag Worthy Features:
- Easy and simple installation: top-of-mattress design means no need to remove the mattress
- Removable panel allows for easy bed-making
- Top-of-mattress design eliminates potentially dangerous gaps between bed and bed rail
- Fits twin to queen-sized mattresses
- SecureTech® red/green indicator lets parents know with just a glance that everything is locked into proper position
- 40″ long, 14″ – 20″ high (on mattresses 4″-10″ thick)
The Secure Click Bedrail is available at Babies R Us.
Visit Safety1st.com to see all their other products.
