It’s been a while since my last post about traveling with a baby. Now that I have a bonafide tiny human a.k.a toddler on my hands, I figured it was time to give you all the rundown about how to fly with toddlers and maybe even enjoy it!
First of all, I have to say it really isn’t bad. I know you hear all these horror stories in the media and while I feel awful for those families that go through terrible experiences, by and large, I think traveling with small children isn’t terrible, I swear! It’s more complicated than just another day out and about with your little one, but it’s certainly manageable (we’ve done over 20 flights so far!) and yes can even at times be enjoyable!
I’ve done a vast majority of my travel solo with my little one and have always found people to be incredibly nice and kind. Don’t be scared to travel because you have small kids. They are more resilient than you think! I love being able to show my daughter different places (and feel very grateful to be able to do so.) I know she might not remember these trips but I sure will. So with that in mind, here are my tips for making your travel journey with your toddler a little smoother:
First, here’s what I brought:
- GB Qbit Travel Stroller
- SkipHop Forma Backpack Diaper Bag
- 2 extra outfits for my daughter
- 1 extra outfit for me
- Snacks – lots of this!! Raisins (my daughter is obsessed) bananas, mandarins, fruit snacks. I also like to treat ourselves to a quick snack prior to boarding.
- Thermos Foogo Sippy Cup (for milk) (I usually grab milk at a Starbucks at the airport so it’s nice and fresh)
- Munchkin Miracle 360 cup (for water)
- BKR water bottle (for mom)
- 5 diapers, wipes (this was for a 6 hour flight, if you’re traveling longer I’d recommend more)
- Hand sanitizer (I had both in wipe form and liquid form)
Activities for your toddler
- WaterWow cards & brush (these kept my daughter entertained for a while!!)
- PlayDoh (I packed the full size but these smaller size ones are even better!)
- Jumbo Crayons (these large ones are easier for toddlers to grasp and easier to find if you drop them!)
- Coloring Book (I usually just check out or local dollar store for these)
- Magnetic tiles
- Gel Clings (for playing with in the window)
- Books (I’d say maybe 1-3 of their favorite book but not too many heavy ones)
Schedule flight times that work with your child’s schedule best
Now I realize this isn’t always possible, but if you can I do recommend flying at a time that will work with their schedule best. That might mean scheduling flights during their nap/sleep times or avoiding them and scheduling flights when they’re alert and awake. Whatever works best. For example, so far we’ve done only one true redeye flight (NYC –> LON) and it was a nightmare. My daughter loves airplanes, she loves them so much in fact that she refuses to sleep on them. And what do you do during a redeye?? Well typically you sleep. LOL Needless to say she slept very little and we were quite exhausted (I luckily had my husband on this flight to help.)
We tend to do a lot of cross country travel (from California to New York) as well as flights to Arizona to visit family, so I like to book daytime flights. I know my daughter probably won’t sleep but at least I won’t be stressed out trying to get her to sleep to not disturb the other passengers. If your child is a good plane sleeper (I have friends whose daughter will blissfully sleep 8 hours!!! on flights) then by all means, schedule flights during naps or sleep time. Of course, the only way to find this out is through trial and error but once you have a routine down, you’ll know which flight times work best for you and your family.
Bring snacks/toys/games/etc to keep your toddler occupied
I just flew to the East Coast and back by myself with my 23-month-old daughter. I literally packed Play-Doh, books, crayons, magnetic tiles, gel stickers for the windows and many more items in order to have plenty of activities for our flight. I aimed at trying to make each activity last about 30 minutes and once we cycled through all of them we’d go back to the beginning. I was surprised that things she normally loves doing at home (like reading books) were not even remotely interesting to her on the plane. Instead, she played with her Play-Doh for an incredibly long amount of time, especially for a toddler! and I happily supervised and helped as needed.
In addition to the activities I packed, we of course got up to walk around, explored the plane and yes interacted with fellow passengers (all were very nice!) I also think bringing little surprise snacks or toys that you bust out in case of emergency is another great way to keep them distracted. If things get really hairy, then just get excited and inform them you’ll give them a special surprise if they (insert whatever thing you want them to do here.) On the flight home, I bought M&M’s and literally handed her one at a time. Now, it was probably way too much sugar but at least it kept her occupied! You do what you gotta do! 😉
And yes…you can survive the flight without an iPad/phone!
Because we are just starting to introduce a little bit of screen time (about 30 min) into our routine, I didn’t want to bring any electronics on the flight. We don’t have an iPad and I was afraid that if I gave her my phone a dramatic tantrum would ensue when her time was up, so needless to say I decided to just make do without it. It was a 6 hour flight so a bit long but nothing too crazy. This was just my personal situation however, I know plenty of people who rely on iPads so do what you have to do parents! The toys and activities worked for us and hopefully for you as well!
Dress them in clothes that are easy to change
Changing a near two-year old in those tiny bathrooms is not easy. So make sure you dress your child in clothes that are easy to get in and out of. Think zip front hoodies, Tshirts and long sleeves instead of onesies that snap on their bottoms and comfortable pants and shoes. And of course bring layers and a change of clothes. My daughter is currently wearing pull-ups style diapers which are much easier to change standing up (of course if you’ve got a number 2 situation then you’ll have to lay down) but all in all, I find having an easy wardrobe for them makes things a lot less hectic for us parents.
When checking in, ask for a window seat
For a long time when my daughter was an infant, the aisle seat was my jam. But now that she’s older, I think window seats are a great way to keep toddlers entertained. I brought some gel stickies on the flight that my daughter happily sticked on and off the windows. She also loved looking out the window throughout the flight. I’ve never booked an individual seat for my daughter (I’ll have to once she turns two) but I’ve gotten lucky in terms of seating. This particular flight, we had the whole row to ourselves on both flights! I’ve also flown sandwiched with two people so I’ve experienced that as well. Of course, it’s better to have more room to spread out, but even if you’ve got passengers surrounding you, at least the window seat keeps them somewhat contained (and maybe even entertained.)
Keep your carry on luggage light
Keeping up with my active daughter means I can’t be bogged down by tons of bags. I usually have a stroller and one suitcase along with my trusty backpack-style diaper bag. Sometimes I check bags, sometimes I don’t so I always pack very strategically. I have a very light, easy to maneuver travel stroller (here’s a full post about it!) that I love and highly recommend. Basically, I push with one hand and pull the luggage with the other. If my daughter is being fussy and I have to hold her, then I sometimes Macguyver it and somehow strap the bag to the stroller. LOL.
Parents, wear comfortable dark clothing
This seems like a no-brainer but I figured a quick reminder couldn’t hurt. Wear something comfy!! Depending on your destination you might have many hours of travel time ahead of you. I always wear leggings or sweats with sneakers (or any other comfortable shoe that is easy to pull on and off for security)and a open front sweater. And I always wear dark colors. Chances are very high that your toddler will wipe his/her sticky hands on you or spill their juice, or really the 10840384 countless other ways you can get dirty with small kids around. So to be on the safe side, wear darker tones.
Pack a change of clothes for both your child(ren) and yourself in your carry on
When we flew to Poland last year, we arrived at our destination after about 20-something hours of travel and whomp whomp they’d lost our luggage. I had of course packed several outfit changes for my daughter, but my husband and I had nothing. Needless to say, wearing the same clothes three days in a row (after you’ve traveled in them!) is no fun. I didn’t want to buy new ones since I knew our bags would get there eventually (they did by the end of the second day) so we made do. But now, I always bring a change of clothes for myself along with my daughter’s.
Bring your child’s birth certificate
The rules vary airline to airline but it’s always best to err on the side of caution. Sure, when your kiddo was a tiny baby airlines might’ve given you a pass this since it’s obvious they’re not yet 2. But since in the U.S., starting at age 2 your toddler must have his/her own seat it’s best to always have proof of your child’s age and identity. If you’re traveling with a lap child (who is under 2) always bring their identification.
Sanitize, always and often!
This is another one that is quite obvious but figured I’d throw it in again just in case. Airplanes are pretty gross as we all know. I like to bring sanitizing wipes and fully wipe down the area we’ll be sitting. Especially the tray! THEY NEVER CLEAN THE TRAY! Just in case you didn’t know, now you know. LoL. I also try to periodically sanitize my daughter’s hands and definitely around the times she’s eating. I figure it certainly can’t hurt!
Keep expectations low but at the same have a positive attitude
Listen, it can be easy breezy or it can be a shitshow. Honestly, you’ll never know. Each flight might be different but it’s up to you as the parent to be able to roll with any punches thrown at you so keep your expectations low and just hope for the best. At the same time, kids feed off our energy. If you’re stressed and anxious about flying with them, chances are they will be to. Toddlers can understand so much, so talk to them, explain where you’re going, build up excitement for the trip and make the airplane travel as fun and exciting as you can. If you keep that positive perspective, chances are they will to.
And last but not least…
Just do it!
Don’t be afraid to travel with a toddler or small child. It’s worth the effort I promise. Any inconvenience of getting there will be quickly outweighed by the memories you’ll be making during your travels. Plan ahead, prepare and enjoy the ride!
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