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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! ❤

For the past year, my husband Trenton, our son Owen, our daughter Jane, and I have lived in Madrid, Spain. We still can’t really speak Spanish. My husband takes lessons but has a severe hearing loss which makes it more challenging for him. I speak decent “grocery store” Spanish which is just a nice way of saying I know how to look for the food I need from the market. Owen, on the other hand, can speak a fair amount but is too shy to ever speak in front of us. And Jane knows she can’t speak Spanish but just goes about her normal social butterfly business anyway. In the year I have lived abroad I have learned more about myself and the the world than I ever realized I would. My perspective of things has taken a shift in such a beautiful way. This experience is something that I honestly have a hard time putting into words. But I think if I can try to wrap my head around how I feel, its worth trying to. Enjoy my feeble attempt at putting this into writing!

This place is completely different from anything I had ever known and yet it is still exactly the same. Different language, different food, different holidays, customs, clothes, and places, but life is the same. Everyday I wake up and drink my coffee, and get my kids ready for school. The same as all the Spanish moms. I go to the grocery store to buy food for my family and so are the other parents. Sometimes I will see a grandpa picking his granddaughter up from school, and watch with a smile as the little girl runs up to him for a big hug, the same as my little Jane does with her grandpa. I see people going out to the park, riding bikes, and taking their dog for a walk. People are living their lives. It looks different here but it’s the same at the core. This experience has taught me in such a deep way how we are all the same. We all have needs, we all have dreams, and we all have families and friends. Nobody is exempt from these things. This experience has grounded me in such a profound way. No longer do I think of people who are completely unfamiliar to me as different, I think of them as the same, no matter how big the difference may be.

Life is normal for me here. If you only saw my social media posts, you might think my life looks amazing. To be fair, IT IS AMAZING! We have had many opportunities to travel, tour old Spanish towns on the weekend and so much more. However, on any typical day, life is still just like any other normal day. Trenton goes to work. The kids go to school. Owen has basketball games on Saturday’s. I go to dinner with friends. We just happen to be living our life in an amazing place where we can take advantage of so many memorable adventures. But again, the ins and out of my life is still a lot like yours. I stil get sad. I still get behind on laundry. I make cookies for my kids after school. I go on dates with my husband. The only difference is I’m doing it in Spain. Also, on a quick side note, I don’t have a dryer, so I am jealous of all y’all for that one!

The deep love we have for travel will now shape the rest of our lives. I find so much beauty in getting to go somewhere I’ve never been, eat food I have never eaten, or hear a language completely foreign to my ears. Before moving here my “must travel to list” was VERY simple. It went something like “Paris, London, Turkey” and 2/3 I have done now, it would have been 3/3 but COVID. The longer we’ve lived in Europe, the longer our travel list is becoming.We long to go explore places off the beaten path. The places that are on the road less traveled. In a just a short time and with only seeing a small part, Trenton and I want to spend the rest of our lives getting to see the beauty the world has to offer. It has become a big goal for us now. We have such a deep desire to spread light and love throughout the world.

There is so much beauty in being out of place. As I already mentioned, we can’t speak Spanish, and unlike most other European countries, a large majority of Spaniards don’t speak English. And you know what, I like it. As much as I wish I was able to communicate better, I love that I am constantly reminded just how diverse and unique every corner of the world is. There was a learning curve when we moved to Europe, for sure. A steep one at times! I remember vividly being shocked that I would be required to street park most places I went. In fact, parking lots would be considered a luxury here. But I found my groove. I found my way. I have a whole pocket of knowledge in my brain about how to do life in Spain. A whole bunch of information that to anybody else would be rendered useless, but for me it’s essential information. I know that most shops will be closed from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. for lunch break. (Despite what Google might tell you…) And that if you want to buy cranberries for Thanksgiving you need to rush to Costco as soon as it’s November.

We do not take this for granted. Let me be clear, at times, it may seem like I diminish what a gift we have to be able to live in Europe, because, for me, it’s just my normal now. But hear me when I say, we know just how huge of a thing this is. Especially being brought up in a very rural part of America, where many people we know dream of being able to visit Europe once in their lifetime. I hope you hear my heart when I say that, while it will be sad if and when this adventure ends, we will return to the US full of thankfulness for the time we had. In the end, we know we will return as different people, because living abroad changes you in a lot of ways, most of which you don’t anticipate. We have grown so much as individuals, and within our marriage. Our children have been given an opportunity to go to a very diverse school. They have learned about their friends background, culture, and faith while still being proud of their own. We have learned that the way people live their life can look many different ways and that the world would be such a boring place if they didn’t.

P.S. The most beautiful place in the world to me is the view from my grandparents cliff overlooking the mountains in West Virginia. I am confident that will never change.

Tag: travel

Flying With Young Kids | My Personal Tips |