Gooooood morning!
We’re all back home in Brooklyn after our quick trip to Florida and so very happy to be back in our routine. After we got home, we went straight to the playground and I felt blissful when I saw four of Reva’s classmates playing in the dirt. Hooray! Little people entertaining other little people! I could finally zone out for a few minutes after four days of being the class clown.
A bunch of you wrote me and commiserated/empathized/sympathized with me about our experience traveling with two little kids. As always, thank you for reading and thank you for telling me how my words made you feel. It is so special to know that I something I put out in the universe has a ripple effect! Of course, I feel compelled to also say that I know I am blessed to travel with my children and despite the chaos, I wouldn’t have it any other way.
I decided to put pen to paper (do we still say that in this digital age?) and write down some tips for flying that I either already knew and implemented, or that I learned this time around. Before I get into the nitty gritty, let me say that the most important tip is not what to pack but instead how to act.
Being calm and stress-free despite the hurdles that absolutely will arise is critical to having as smooth a travel day as possible. Kids feel your energy, babies too, and the more wound up you are, the more insane things will. Take deep breaths, try to relax, maybe even get yourself a glass of wine (or something else….) and remember that it’s only one day. You will eventually get where you are going and you will survive whatever comes your way. You got this!
Now, for the other stuff…Here are my best tips to date:
Fly first thing in the morning as opposed to at night. On this trip, we flew to Florida at 5PM and it was totally fine, but much harder than our flight back which was at 10:30AM. Everyone was in a better mood and had more energy on the morning flight. We (parents) also felt much more at ease because we didn’t spend the whole day “getting ready to go” like we did on the way there. Also, statistically speaking, the later in the day a flight, the more likely it is to be delayed. So go with morning flights vs. trying to time things perfectly to line up with naps or whatever.
The Doona is still the best thing ever for traveling with 0-1.5 year old (+-) because it’s both a car seat and a stroller so you don’t have to worry about packing either. Here’s what I think is most comfortable: baby in the Doona until you get to the gate. Gate check the Doona and hold or wear your baby in a carrier until you get on the plane. Bada bing bada boom.
For your toddler, bring a compact stroller to push them through the airport and then gate check that as well. We love our Colugo which is sleek and simple, and way sturdier than other umbrella strollers I’ve seen. It’s also half the price of the Yo-Yo. Some toddlers are very good walkers but terminals can be really far and involve 20+ minutes of walking. If you have to rush or if they get cranky/tired, you really don’t want to be without a stroller. Oh, and it’s very comfortable to have the undercarriage for throwing in all the crap they’re inevitably going to ask you to hold.
And speaking of getting on the plane, I have no idea why anyone with little kids likes to board the plane first. No, that’s all wrong. You want to spend the least amount of time possible on the airplane so you should board last. The only thing to be aware of is that you want to get that precious overhead space for your carry-on, so here’s what you do: send one parent into the plane first and keep one parent with the kids at the gate. The parent on the plane should wipe down the seats, unpack, get settled, and then the parent with the kids can board at the last possible second. Easily saves you 30+ minutes!
Don’t assume that anything you need will be available at the airport or on the flight. We’ve flown with Reva about 8 or so times and each time I’m reminded that you cannot rely on an airline for anything. If you’re not going to buy your infant a seat, be prepared to hold them the entire time. Even if you booked seats near the “airline bassinet” they often won’t have it/can’t find it/lost a piece/etc. Same goes for any food on the flight. Don’t assume the sandwiches for purchase will be available (they’re often not) or that they will have wipes if you run out of your own. Make a list of whatever you really need and bring it.
Don’t assume your kid will watch the TV on the airplane TV. For starters, the TVs sometimes break, or are glitchy, and also, the selection of kids movies is really random. If your kid is anything like mine, they’re picky and won’t be happy with something new. Bring a laptop or iPad for your child with their show of choice pre-downloaded and ready to go. Also, buy one of these iPad holders for them. For us, Blippi and Peppa have a chokehold like no other on my Revala. Also, don’t forget over-the-ear headphones for your toddler. We bought these and they’re cheap and work great.
Bring activities like stickers or coloring books, but also, who cares? I see all of these influencers posting videos about tons of ways to entertain your kid on a flight. And yes, that’s really nice but also seems way more difficult than just embracing the insanity for one day. It’s really hard to stuff a bag (and then find what you need) with puzzles and assorted other kid crap. I try to be very mindful of screen time in general but on an airplane it’s just tight quarters and generally uncomfortable to be a parent of young kids. Give yourself a break and let them pig out on popcorn and Peppa if that’s what it takes. At least that’s what I tell myself :) Hopefully this lackadaisical outlook won’t impact her college admissions but I’ll circle back in 15 years.
Pack a bento box for your toddler instead of just snacks. I found this extremely helpful on both flights this time, which I hadn’t done in the past. It took Reva a long time to go through all the food in the box and she was happy to have something familiar to eat. Below is a photo of the one I made for the way back with pasta, string cheese, apple slices and pretzels. Don’t put anything particularly saucy in. BTW, see that nice green broccoli? You can cook any green vegetable for pasta by throwing it into the pasta water 2-3 minutes before draining and that way you don’t have to do any extra work!
Don’t overstuff your backpack/diaper bag or you won’t be able to access anything. Yes, you do need to be prepared but that does not mean you need 100 games, a sticker book, 20 snacks, three outfit changes, etc. Try to be as pragmatic as possible. If your kid has never played dominoes a day in their life, don’t use a travel day as the starting point. K.I.S.S method works best in these moments. This is my current diaper backpack, which is really plush and lovely. Thanks to Brandon’s cousin Mazra for buying it for me! I also love that it’s a little different from the M.Z Wallace version, less expensive and even more comfortable. Last time around I had a Happ brand bag, which I just didn’t find nearly as useful.
If your baby takes a pacifier, attach a paci-clip to his/her outfit because it is sure to fall on the floor a hundred times otherwise. I learned this the hard way.
Bring a swaddle to cover your infant with, or an oversized hat. Babies get overstimulated very easily and it can be hard for them to fall asleep in your arms, even after/during nursing, on an airplane. What I found tremendously helpful was placing a muslin swaddle over my shoulder and over Joseph’s head after he finished nursing. He immediately settled down and fell asleep. Another tip I saw Caroline Chambers mention is that she does this same thing with an oversized hat. She calls it the NapCap. Unfortunately Joseph gets very irritated by having a hat over his eyes so it doesn’t work for us, but she swears by it!
Bring extra outfits. We had 3 blowouts on our way to Florida and went through all the pajamas I packed. I recommend bringing the ones that have the hands and feet because it’s easier than managing onesies + pants + socks. Also, do the diaper up really tight to prevent the poop from getting out the back if you can. And bring gallon size Ziploc bags that you can put any dirty clothes into conveniently.
Speaking of the outfits, bibs are extremely helpful in preserving the lifetime value of an outfit because they will absorb any drool and most spit-up, buying you extra outfit time! So pack 1-2 bibs.
And as for diapers, did you know that if you put your baby in a larger size diaper, they can wear it for longer? So for example, Joseph wears a size two diaper. But for traveling, I can put him in a size four diaper, which is less likely to be full fast or to explode up his back. An easy + cheap trick to save yourself from being covered in baby poop in 9B.
And when it comes to diapers for your toddler, if you have a kid who is newly potty-trained or still having accidents frequently, rest assured, you won’t break them if you put them in a pull-up. You often get stuck on the plane when they bring the snacks and drinks and you know when your two year old needs to go, they need to go NOW. So put them in a pull up and once you get home, go straight back to underwear. It will be fine, I promise.
Don’t worry about flying with a baby, it’s supremely easy. Honestly, traveling with a baby 0-1 is really manageable. They have no idea where they are and will just eat and sleep. Worst case scenario: they cry. Ok, so you may have to walk up and down the aisle with them. For anyone who gives you dirty looks, ask them why their private jet wasn’t available that day. Children and babies are a part of life and have every right to be on a plane, the same as anyone else. So far, I found the ages of 1.5-2.5 much harder for travel than 0-1 and now 3-4. But just be flexible and try to be calm. You baby feels that energy!
Those are all of my suggestions for now, but I’d love to hear from you seasoned travelers. What other tips and tricks have saved your life when traveling with little kids? And don’t say Xanax… Ok, or do :)
I also plan to write about the tips that made the actual trip and the beach days comfortable for us but if you have any questions in the meantime, please feel free to comment below.
As always, thank you for reading and happy parenting!
In solitude,
Jane
Love this! I also dedicated a whole issue to feeding kids while traveling because it’s literally an activity during travel! Love this issue!