Airline travel with children can be a challenge. It is even more difficult trying to pack everything needed for a family vacation. Baby Equipment Rental companies in Canada offer baby equipment and supplies to traveling parents, making their jobs a lot easier!

The Evolution of Travel

I was once a business traveler.  I had the one piece of luggage that just fit into the contraption that all carry-ons must fit into, just fit down the airplane aisle, and also just fit into the overhead bins.  I had a system for travel, timed to the minute so I could arrive at the airport with my pre-printed boarding pass, get through security with relative ease, and have time for a latte before boarding the plane.  I had my book and coffee, my iPod and laptop, and I was relaxed and ready for the trip.

Then, I was a traveling new mom.  I first flew with my three-day-old son and immediately realized that life even on the airplane was going to be very different.  I couldn’t pre-print my boarding pass with a lap child on the ticket, I had so much more luggage, I needed lots more time at the airport, I was dealing with car seats and strollers and still wasn’t practiced on the folding and unfolding, security was a challenge because of the extra items, and the latte went out the window in favor of a feeding before boarding.  Four years later, I realize that those were the “good-old-days” because the baby slept 90% of the time and couldn’t run away.

Now, I am a traveling mom.  I recently traveled with my four year old and two year old boys, and I am also very pregnant with a third child.  The kids were running everywhere because they were excited about going on the airplane and wanted to see everything all at once.  There were three pairs of shoes to get off and on at security, three jackets to keep track of, three carry-on bags filled with precious snacks and toys, and of course, three boarding passes.  There was a stroller which didn’t carry any kids, but rather was filled with all of our stuff.  We needed ample time to do every step of the flying experience, from check-in with all the luggage to security to boarding, but had young children without much patience for sitting around.  We made it to our destination and I am happy to report that I have never seen the people on the airplane again.  They are likely happy to say the same about us.

The challenge of traveling with kids doesn’t end at the airport, however.  We still have to think about transportation, sleeping, and eating arrangements.  So, how can young families make it easier to travel?

There are now many baby equipment rental companies worldwide, whose sole purpose is to help make traveling easier.  I opened Parentals, a child equipment rental company, in my hometown of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada with that exact intent.  While renting gear can’t get your kids to settle down at the airport, it can help ease the stress of packing and traveling with kids.  In Winnipeg, travelers can rent brand name, high quality car seats, cribs, kitchen boosters, strollers and much more for their visits to our beautiful city.  I also recently added a portable travel toddler bed to the options for families looking to rent gear, specifically for those families with a rambunctious toddler too big for a crib, but too small for a bed.  The travel toddler bed rental also works for families going camping, or passing through Winnipeg on their way to one of our many small towns nearby.

So, if you are coming to Winnipeg to experience our friendly Canadian hospitality, enjoy our authentic winter, jump in our many gorgeous lakes or fish some of our best kept secrets, call Parentals to help make your journey with kids easier and your stay more enjoyable. – by Karen Dunmall

Visit Parentals Child Equipment Rentals online: www.parentals.ca.