It’s no secret that my family loves to travel. Jane was a little over a year old the first time she flew on an airplane. Since then I have honestly lost count of how many times we have flown or went on long trips together as a family. Even though my kids are a bit older now and more easily managed while traveling, the days of having toddlers and small kids on planes is still fresh in my mind. I know a lot of people want to explore the world with their kids, but are intimated by long travel times or flying with them. I hope these tips help you and your kids have an exciting adventure with a little less stress or worry.
Prep Your Kids Ahead Of Time
This is a go-to tip for a lot of things in our family, especially traveling. I never like to go into something blindly and not fully understanding the expectations or circumstances of what I am walking into. So why would my kids? I always prep them at least a few days before we travel. I tell them how long of a flight to expect. How many layovers. What time of day we will be flying. When we will be eating (this is of upmost importance to them). I also make sure to remind them of my expectations as far as their behavior is concerned. My kids are at the age now where they pretty much know what to expect when flying, but when they were much smaller this was not the case. We would watch videos about what its like to ride on an airplane, or read books so they could better understand. We would remind them it was very important to be still so they wouldn’t disturb the person sitting next to or in front of them. Our motto is more proactive parenting and less reactive parenting.
Bring Your Own Disinfectant or Baby Wipes
This may sound like common sense now because we are living through a global pandemic, but I have always flown with my own supply of baby wipes and disinfectant wipes. Not only because I prefer to wipe down the arm rests and tray table myself, but when you are traveling with young kids things just get messy. It is so much easier to be able to pull out your package of wipes to clean up sticky fingers than to try and scoot your way back to the bathroom. Also, don’t even get me started on how dirty the little remote controls for the inflight entertainment must be. YUK. I should also mention that since kids like to put their mouths on everything for some reason, its just best to come prepared because airplanes are dirty y’all.
Time Your Flight Carefully
I highly recommend booking your flight first thing in the morning or during your little ones nap time. Obviously, if you are doing a long haul flight, this can be a bit trickier, but for flights that are under 6 hours this is my go to. I find that If I fly first thing in the morning my kids are generally happier and more willing to sit still on the plane. It’s probably because they have gotten a good night sleep and are ready for the day. For the times when this was not possible, I do my best to plan for a nap time flight. I have always been big on schedules, especially when they were smaller, so they would usually go right down for their nap on the plane if it was nap time. It also helped that I brought along their favorite blanket or stuffed animal in the backpack to make it a bit more comfortable.
Check Your Stroller At The Gate
Did you know strollers are free to check underneath the airplane? And did you know you can use them through the entire airport and check them underneath right before you board? This was a game changer for us. The thought of lugging around backpacks and carry on bags all while trying to keep up with a toddler sounds hectic and stressful, and it probably is. So I highly recommend using your stroller while navigating the airport and putting it underneath right before boarding. As soon as you land and exit the aircraft, you can wait there at the gate again for them to offload it so you can use while leaving the airport or going to your connecting flight. This was a lifesaver tip for us for sure!
Have A Bag Of Goodies
Keeping your kids occupied on a flight is key. I like to call my travel backpack my May Poppins bag. Not so much now, but when Owen and Jane were smaller I stuffed that thing full of goodies such as snacks and activities. For snacks, goldfish, fruit snacks, and lollipops were the biggest hits with my kids. Plus they didn’t leave a huge mess behind, so they were a double win for me. For activities, I also made sure to stock up at the Dollar Tree with simple things to give out during the flight. A little pack of Mickey Mouse crayons or a sticker page would go a long way in terms of holding their focus and being a good source of entertainment while flying. Plus I didn’t have to invest tons of money into prizes.
Help Them Pop Their Ears
I have never experienced ear pain during take off or landing, but I know people who have. And from the experience they have shared with me, it was excruciating. I always try to avoid this myself by popping my hears by yawning, but with kids its a bit tricker. They don’t exactly yawn on command! When Jane was a baby, I made sure to give her a pacifier or bottle at both take off and landing times. Owen was 5 the first time he flew, so I just gave him a packet of fruit snacks because they are super chewy. Now that they are both older, I have found that chewing gum works just fine. And thankfully we have been able to avoid painful ear pressure on every flight we have been on!
You’ve Got This!
I know some of these tips might simple, but I hope they help you gain confidence in preparing to fly with your kids. From my personal experience, these are the ones that I always found most helpful to me. I hope that wherever you end up traveling with your family, you bring home so many wonderful memories! I also just want to say a quick thank you to everyone who has been so sweet and supportive of my blog. I have so enjoyed sharing my thoughts with you all, and it has been a wonderful way to stay connected while living so far away! ❤
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Another great blog!!
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