The Art of Art Hunting with a Baby [part 1]

As young parents and entrepreneurs, we often have to combine running the business and parenting, which can be exciting and exhausting at the same time. Few months before launching www.kulture.sg, we traveled with our 6-month old daughter to source new home decoration products such as wood carvings and terracotta ceramics straight from the islands of Lombok and Bali, Indonesia. Are you planning to travel soon with your little one? Be sure to check our tips in this post!

Tip #1: make a check-list for the packing and prepping

Yes, we know, this might seem like a boring advice coming from your boss, but guess what: you do not want to find yourself without diapers once you’ve reached your guest house in the middle of nowhere. Gearing up for a business trip requires being methodical and organized. Add a baby to this mix, and you will need to be even more thorough in your preparation!

Do ensure you include all the essentials to conduct your business (name cards, a good camera, laptop etc.) and to take care of your baby (pacifier, milk bottle, milk powder, mineral water, spare set of clothes to be put in your hand luggage, toys to be kept at your fingertips, possible medications etc.).

Luckily for us, Singapore is only a couple of hours away from the beautiful islands of Bali and Lombok, where we source most of our home decoration products. This means packing light, which is essential when traveling with a baby!

What your check-list should look like if you travel to an island with your baby

Tip #2: leave early

We all know we must check-in at least two hours before our flight. But traveling with a baby also means that everything takes twice or even three times longer! We recommend leaving 3 to 4 hours before your flight time (depending on the city where you live) and checking the traffic on Google Map or Waze few hours before that to make sure the road is clear.

Tip #3: keeping your little one busy while waiting for the flight

The idea is to keep your little one relaxed and jolly throughout the trip, starting at the airport. You want to avoid the feeling of anticipation and anxiety by entertaining your baby before boarding the flight. We always bring a couple of toys, some biscuits and a small book that plays songs (her favourite item) in her hand luggage. Remember: the more distracted he/she is, the less drama awaits you in the aircraft!

Tip #4: while flying, sleeping (not laughing) is the best medicine

If you have done your job correctly while waiting for your flight, your little one is probably tired by now. In our case, our daughter fell asleep less than an hour after take-off! Breastfeeding or bottle feeding helps to induce sleep and makes your baby feel secure, so we recommend that you give plenty of milk to her during take-off. Ideally, your baby should sleep 80% of the flight time (and hopefully, you can guys can enjoy some shut-eye like we did!)

Not quite ready to sleep yet...