I recently posted about my adventures in traveling with twins around the world. Here are a few additional lessons I’ve learned along the way!
Plan ahead: If you are traveling with an infant, bulkhead seats are the way to go. Most airlines will let you pre-book a baby bassinet, though some will not, so be sure to ask. When flying long haul, night flights are generally easier than day flights. Consider this timing when booking your tickets and be sure to allow plenty of time for check-in and connecting flights.
One friend swears by flying on Wednesdays—rumored to be the cheapest and least busy day to travel. When heading for security, it’s a good idea to devise a game plan before it’s your turn on the conveyor belt and the strollers, shoes, liquids and laptops are flying.
Be prepared: Flights can be delayed or missed, babies are messy and even big kids can accidentally launch their lunch. I am not known for packing light, but when flying with kids I definitely adhere to the better safe than sorry school of thought.
Double the amount of diapers and wipes you would usually need, include plenty of extra baby food and kid snacks, pack empty sippy cups and disposable bibs to minimize spills, keep a portable changing mat handy, and be sure to bring extra clothes for the kids AND parents.
Bring a bag of tricks: Keep the little ones busy with special snacks, cheap and tacky toys, activity books, post-its, stickers, stamps and crayons. These days my kids mostly carry their own entertainment, but I still like to include a few small surprises in their backpacks (not Silly Putty). I have occasionally gift wrapped a stash of inexpensive toys to increase the excitement factor—introducing items one by one (and often re-gifting a few hours later).
Also take advantage of what is already available: air sickness bags can make excellent puppets, seat pocket magazines usually have great I Spy potential and airline meals can be just as entertaining as Dora.
And if not, there’s always technology—children’s video channels, portable media players, and kid-friendly games can be lifesavers on long flights.
Stay positive: As a general rule, it pays to be a kind and gracious traveler. When flying with small children, you might be feeling the exact opposite—but a positive attitude can take you far—especially when interacting with airline staff, TSA workers and fellow passengers. When people offer to help you, let them.
The grandmother nearby could be a great baby holder when you need two free hands, and your aisle neighbor might have some great magic tricks up his sleeve. Whenever possible, extend a hand to other traveling families, or at least an empathetic smile.
And lastly, breathe. You will get there. Time passes s l o w l y on long flights and the irresistible in-flight map usually makes things worse. I once burst into tears upon learning that we were only halfway through a ten-hour flight with our short-attention-span toddlers. “How are we going to make it?” I mouthed to my husband across the way.
One hour at a time.
What are your favorite travel tips? Do share!
This is an original post to World Moms Blog by Shaula Bellour in East Timor. Shaula can also be found on her blog, Notes From a Small World.
Photo credit to My Kaul. This photo has a creative commons attribution no derivatives license.
Some great tips there! I think the one I appreciated most was “one hour at the time”… 🙂
Thanks Asta! Yep, the one hour rule is the key to my survival 😉
Great tips Shaula.We are planning to travel a VERY long way (about 12 hours, then with transit, then another short flight) with our toddler early next year. These ideas will definitely come in handy!
Thanks Alison. Long flights can be tough with busy toddlers, but you can do it! I definitely prefer night flights for long legs — and then the short hop will (hopefully!) feel like a breeze. Good luck!
Shaula — I like the Wednesday travel tip and preparing ahead with “wrapped” surprises!
It’s great to get tips from an expert like you when it comes to traveling the world with children, twins no less! 🙂
Jen 🙂
Thanks so much. I haven’t tried the Wednesday trick yet, but will have to check it out. There are plenty more flights in our future. 😉
Loved hearing this tips too! I also have twins and my husband and I like to split up! 2 in front and 2 behind. This will allow 1 of my children to kick the seat in front of her – as she has been known to do. This also seems to keep the stress level “at bay.” I concentrate on 1; my husband on the other – So far, seems to be working!!!
Twin mamas think alike! We do the exact same thing when traveling and find that it makes things so much easier. My daughter is also the seat-kicker in the family, so the boys always sit in front. It’s kind of nice, too — to just focus on one child at a time! A rare luxury 😉
Shaula – I love the idea of wrapped presents. I usually do something similar (although not wrapped – that is so much extra work ahead of time). And I DEFINITELY agree with twice the amount of diapers and baby food. I was stuck in the Paris airport for 2 days this past summer (one of my next posts are about the nightmare), and only had enough for the one expected day of travel. Thank goodness the airport staff came through and were able to find us diapers at 2am!
Another tip to add to your wonderful list is don’t be afraid to use the child harnesses, you know the backpack that the kids wear that has a leash attached? The kids are going to be cooped up on a plane for hours, so let them walk (and run) as much as possible in the airport before boarding, and use the stroller to carry your bags instead (to help free up your hands so that you can hold the leash and chase your child).
Thanks Maman Aya! Bringing along backpack harnesses is a great suggestion. We used these a lot when our kids were toddlers, as a matter of safety (2 toddlers = 2 directions). Wrapped presents can be fun, but you’re right on the labor-intensive aspect…wrapping takes a lot longer than unwrapping! So sorry to hear about your Paris nightmare — but glad that your diaper emergency had a happy ending. Cheers to the airport staff!
Extra clothes for parents!– that’s what I missed when I thought I’d packed everything for a cross-country flight… And then my 2-yr-old threw up all over me! (You wouldn’t believe the nasty comments I got from kidless travelers that day…). I also learned to pack pull-ups even for potty-trained kids after the same 2-yr-old (fully toilet-trained) came down with diarrhea on another cross-country flight. By the time we arrived, he was “wearing” an airline blanket… Above all, when traveling with kids: don’t forget to pack your sense of humor! 🙂
Oh Kana, I feel for you! I also learned the hard way when it came to bringing extra clothes for me….You’re right — a sense of humor is essential and should definitely be part of these tips. Even the worst moments are funny now…well, mostly. 😉
A really helpful set of advice, Shaula. My imagination went wild when you said…not Silly Putty…I can just imagine it. 🙂
Thanks Karyn! We had a “Silly Putty incident” on a recent flight…involving head-to-toe pink goo after one of my kids sat on/slept in some. I thought I’d gotten rid of it all, but just today I found some stuck to the kids’ rug. Lovely!
Great advice, Shaula. Thanks for sharing. Traveling with one baby/kid is hard enough so you are a hero in my eyes 😀 I could never travel light too I’ve always brought way too much diapers/pull-ups/clothes but better be safe than sorry. Once I forgot to bring an extra slack for me and baby threw up on my lap on a 13+ hours flight. Yikes! I’m with Aya, the kid harness comes in handy at the airport especially when we have long lay over.
Thanks Tatter Scoops! At least when traveling with kids I have an excuse for not being a light packer. 😉 It also helps that they can carry their own backpacks now. Ooh, sorry to hear about your flying mishap — I’ve been there too. Thank goodness for diaper wipes!
Thanks Shaula and everyone for such great tips! During our last flight of merely 3hrs, our son kicked, scratched and screamed for 2hrs. Two ppl offered to take him from me at two different times they felt so sorry for me. One even tried to distract him w/ her dog and it didn’t work! The woman next to me cried when I cried and I got a lot of sympathy from fellow passengers. I had prepared as much for this flight as for a mountain climbing expedition and yet there was nothing I nor others could do. He finally fell asleep on the floor, which the flight attendants thankfully ignored during our initial descent. I guess I tell our tale to help everyone know that even when nothing can be done, you still make it through and try not to worry about the other passengers bc they are probably more sympathetic than angry.
LOL-you forgot medicate the kids. Or yourself. 🙂