PCSing with kids is not for the faint of heart. There’s a lot that comes with moving with children.
Both of our children were born in Italy. While we had done some European travel while living abroad, this PCS was our first big adventure with both children. With 14 hours of flight time and a total transit time of more than 24 hours, it was a big undertaking for everyone.
At the time of our move, our kids were two-and-a-half and about 6 months old. Many of these things we used when traveling throughout Europe with one, and then two, kids. All of them we packed and used during our most recent PCS.
A little note: There are a lot of links in this post. When I can, I try and link directly to the company instead of Amazon. Please buy from a retailer you know and love. There are no affiliate links in this post. These are all products that we love and that we bought with our own money. I hope you’ll love them too!
Products for Sleep
- No WiFi Baby Monitor – This one is dual voltage, so it works both in Europe and the States. When we were living in Italy, it wasn’t our primary use monitor. Since it was always packed in the box, it was easy to grab and take along on trips. We bought it from Amazon in the US, but they wouldn’t ship it overseas, so we picked it up during one of our trips home. I like that it offers a split-screen option so I can see both kids simultaneously.
- Small Sphere Nightlight – We have an egg-shaped light and also a smaller sphere. Both charge using USB cables and work in both Europe and the US. The sphere light packs easily and gives us enough light to read bedtime stories and get up with a baby. We use the egg-shaped lights as our children’s regular lamps in their rooms at home.
- Sound machine – Any travel sound machine is great. I love that this one isn’t too large and comes with a lanyard for attaching it to strollers. It’s perfect for drowning out the slamming of hotel doors.
- Slumberpod – We got our first one used from someone whose children had outgrown it. It worked so well for our oldest that we bought a second for our baby for PCS time. The Slumberpod packs small and gives kids a blacked out space where they can sleep. The footprint isn’t much larger than a standard pack and play, and it has two pockets – one for a baby monitor and one for a fan.
Products for Getting Around (Town, the Airport, Wherever!)
- Zoe Tour Stroller – This is our regular stroller. We bought it knowing we’d be traveling with our first. It fits in the overhead compartments of most planes. I put it overhead on the large transatlantic flight, but I gate checked it for the smaller planes for our domestic flights. When our second was born, we bought the Tandem Seat to make it a double stroller. While I don’t reach for the double stroller set up as often as I reach for our wagon, it’s a great lightweight option for getting around with two. We used the car seat adapter for our PCS, so our infant seat fit right in.
- Car Seat Dolly – When we moved, we had two kids. Because it was a PCS move, both kids got their own plane seats. We knew we would need our car seats upon arrival in the States, so bringing them on the plane rather than shipping them made sense. At the time, our infant seat fit in our stroller, so we used this car seat dolly to tote around our toddler’s car seat. Bonus, he could ride in his seat like a stroller.
- Wildbird and Boppy baby carriers – The Boppy carrier was my favorite when my kids were small. I opted to bring this one on the plane since I needed to wear a backpack at the same time. As my second has gotten older, I find myself reaching for the Wildbird more. Now that he’s bigger, he fits in it a little better, and it’s easier for me to put on. I made sure the Wildbird was in our checked baggage, so I had it once we landed in the States.
Products for Eating and Pumping
- Hiccapop Travel High Chair – High chairs weren’t always available at restaurants in Italy, so we had bought this guy prior to our move. It was nice to have a dedicated space for our toddler to eat in the hotel room since the only table and chairs were counter height. As a bonus, the company replaced our tray table when one of the pieces broke, at no cost to us.
- Travel Bottle Brushes – We packed these whenever we traveled, especially when the kids were bottle-feeding or I was pumping. I love that everything fits in its own container and it’s easy to throw in a bag.
- Ceres Chill – This is a great option to have on hand if you’re pumping while traveling. Keeps milk cold and doubles as a water bottle once your pumping days are over. It also comes in a smaller option if the big one is too big.
- EZPZ plates and silverware – These are the plates and silverware we use at home. I packed two sets for each kid (a bowl and a set of silverware) on the plane to help make their feeding times easier while waiting for Unaccompanied Baggage. We checked everything, but I’m so glad they came with us. We use the Tiny Placemat anytime we eat at a restaurant.
Other Helpful Items
- Passport Wallet – With 8 passports between us, we had a lot to keep track of. I loved that this wallet held everything for me and the kids (let’s be honest, Husband can handle his own)!
- Giant Tote – This was a checked bag. We used it to hold some bigger items we didn’t want loose under the airplane like our pack and play, car seat base, etc. The drive from the airport to the hotel was short, and I felt comfortable strapping our littlest in using the “no base” instructions for our seat. But I knew I’d want the base in the 2 months before unaccompanied baggage arrived. The tote was big enough to hold a few other things we threw in right before leaving the hotel. While the link is not exactly the one we have (cause we bought it on Amazon IT), it’s similar. The one we have is 170 L/44 gallons and has wheels. I would double check the tote dimensions based on what you hope to pack in it before buying.
- iPad – I hate to say it, but it worked. Our oldest loved watching shows he was familiar with, which we downloaded prior to leaving. He could push the buttons easily, which saved us all from a frustrated toddler meltdown when he couldn’t reach the TV screen on the back of the airplane seat. This was pretty much the only entertainment he needed for the 10 hour flight.
Hopefully, this list of products we loved for our kids during our PCS will help you think through and feel more prepared for your move.
Looking for more tips on PCSing with kiddos?
Wanting more tips + tricks for PCSing with kids? Check out my free guide, Surviving Your OCONUS PCS – Kid’s Edition.
You can also get my free eBook, Moving with the Military: Preparing for an OCONUS move. In it, I offer a more comprehensive packing list to help you think through what to pack for your move. You can also find all our PCS-related posts in one spot by clicking the Moving + PCS Season graphic.
