Continued...

Other “stuff” for parents-

-books
-travel belt/wallet
-deck of cards or travel game
-snacks
-powdered drinks (great for adding to a bottle of water)
-power adapter/converter
-travel alarm clock
-travel DVD player and DVD’s (it was really nice on the plane and in the hotel room)
-lap top
-IPOD
-gum
-anti bacterial wipes
-dish soap for washing sippy cups, bottles, etc.
-ziplocks (countless uses when traveling)
-travel flash light
-glasses (if necessary)
-journal
-pens
-photos of family at home to show/share
-camera, batteries, memory card (or film)
-video camera and accessories
-travel laundry kit
-baby sling/Snuggli/carrier (depending on age/size of child)
-travel book
-phrase book
-dictionary (an Amharic dictionary really helped in the early days with Ben).

Notes on “stuff” for parents- I was really grateful to have snacks…both on the flight and in the hotel room. There were days we just didn’t get around to eating when we were out and about in Addis, and it was nice to always have “something” available. Plus, Belane wanted to eat 24/7. We brought Chex mix, jerky, Twizzlers (my favorite), trail mix, cereal bars, granola bars, rice krispie treats and other stuff like that. I gave away a 3lb bag of Twizzlers (one Twizzler at a time) to kids on the streets in Addis one day and they were a HUGE hit.

Other “stuff” for child-

-small back pack for trip home (for older child)
-toys and activities for plane, hotel room, etc.
-small light weight blankets (lots of uses…Belane LOVED having a blankie)
-sippy cups (if child is old enough)
-bottles and formula (if adopting a baby)
-pacifiers (even if you think you don’t believe in them, when your baby is crying and there is 11 hours left to your flight, you’ll try anything!)
-snacks (see above)
-DVD’s (if your child is old enough and if you are bringing a portable DVD player or lap top)

Notes on “stuff” for child- For toys and activities, a lot depends on the age of your child. Travel-sized Magna doodles, party sized Play Dough, crayons and coloring books, magnetic travel games, etc. are often big hits. We brought a few small Lego sets for Benjamin and he burned through those in no time! I brought a baby doll and stuffed animal for Belane and she loved those.

I noticed on both of our trips that sippy cups were a huge hit with most kids between the ages of 1 and 5. In Ethiopia and Vietnam the kids either get bottles or big cups (which are often VERY messy with toddlers and preschoolers, especially when traveling). Belane LOVED her sippy cup and so did the other toddlers traveling with us. You can’t beat them on the planes, in taxis, etc. For Ben we brought a sippy cup that looked more like a sports bottle and he really thought it was the greatest thing ever.

Car seats, strollers, etc. are a personal call. Some people swear on bringing an umbrella stroller, while others find the streets to be in too poor of condition and too crowded to make a stroller practical and prefera a baby carrier or sling. Car seats are generally NOT used in Ethiopia and Vietnam and other countries, however some parents bring them to hold their child on the flight home and find them very useful, although cumbersome.

Continued...