Traveling With Kids

Traveling with Kids

We all know that traveling with kids can be a nightmare! Let’s face it…traveling is stressful, even without kids. Add restless, impatient, and messy little ones to the mix and it is a completely new ball game. Much of our fear is probably due to the potential angry glares which other travelers tend to throw at parents traveling with their children (maybe you have thrown those invisible daggers yourself before). Part of it is also because we just don’t know what will happen when we are trapped 10,000 feet above ground…and so we imagine the worst: from diaper blowouts to 6-hour screaming sessions.

As travel dates creep closer, we begin to dread and worry about how our kids will do on the journey. Besides dealing with car seats, strollers, diaper bags, and other necessary child contraptions, we are afraid of being that parent whose children are a terror to the rest of the people on the plane.

The good news is, with a little preparation, you can minimize many of the biggest concerns about flying with kids and you do not have to be the most hated parent on the plane. In fact, you may be the envy of them! AND, you might actually enjoy it in the process. So how can you make this trip less of a disaster? Well, listen up traveling families.

These tips will help make traveling less stressful:

  • Strategically Plan Your Flight- if your child still takes naps or tends to get tired at a certain time of the day, try scheduling your flight for that drowsy time (if possible)
  • Ease the Discomfort of Flying- Pack ear plugs to relieve air pressure discomfort. Lollipops, pacifiers, sippy cups and bottles are also great for minimizing plugged ears.
  • Pack for Success – Pack an additional diaper bag with milk bottles and juice boxes, spare outfits,  a special blankie, favorite stuffed animals, and several immersive kid distractions .

  • Pull Out All the Distractions to Make the Time Fly By- Mark your belongings with your contact info just in case they get lost.

    • Pack a few books about traveling to keep them engaged about their trip. A few titles to enjoy are: My Plane Trip, by Cathy Beylon, My First Trip on an Airplane, by Katie Kawa, and My First Plane Ride, by Elizabeth Benjamin, Erin Gathrid

    • Children should be able to pack and carry his/her own entertainment in a small backpack which can include: sticker books, toys that don’t have too many pieces, an iPad (with new offline games), and a portable DVD player (with 2+ hours of videos). Don’t forget the headphones and remember to make sure everything is charged!

    • Children can also carry along a new pack of triangular crayons and a pad of paper.

  • Pack Helpful Accessories to Save Your Sanity- In addition to toys, don’t forget these essentials

    • Extra clothes for you and your child

    • Lots of wet wipes and large zip lock bags (use as garbage bags and other uses)

    • Snacks (crackers, string cheese, carrots, dried fruit)

    • Medication and first aid supplies (hand sanitizer, children’s Tylenol, antidiarrheal option, kids’ vitamins, and band aids)

  • Teach Your Kids What to Expect and How to Behave- Attend to your children

    • Watch out for signs of over-stimulation or boredom, have fun with them on the flight, and spend quality time with your children.

Author: Jenny Thieu, CSULA intern