Hey There,
The first time we flew with our kids I had a LOT of anxiety leading up to the trip. Actually, I had anxiety until we got home and it was totally over. There are so many variables to family travel (especially when you’ve got young kids) and literally anything can go wrong at the drop of a hat.
I was totally freaked out that they would have a tantrum on the plane and I’d be getting the evil eye from everyone to make it stop. We all know that trying to make it stop often makes it WORSE.
I was worried the pressure would hurt their ears.
I had NO idea what gear I needed or how to pack for all of us… the list goes on.
But after our first few family trips, we got into a groove with things. And now my kids are seasoned travelers even though they are only 3 and 4 years old.
It helps to be prepared for any situation that might arise. Here are my top 5 travel tips for you intrepid parents willing to explore the world with your little ones.
TIP 1: BE PREPARED WITH THE RIGHT GEAR
Do your research ahead of time and get everything ready you think you need. Here’s a good list to get you started:
- Travel Carseats + travel bag for the carseat.
- Travel Stroller + travel bag for the stroller.
- Travel Insurance + bandaids, neosporin, children’s tylenol, etc.
- Travel Crib? (Usually the hotels will have one or you can book an air b n b that offers one as well)
- Appropriate Clothes + extras for spills, messes and accidents (this goes for you parents too b/c kids LOVE to spill or vomit on us on an airplane).
- Kindle + headphones that fit your child (preload this with their favorite games, movies and shows that you download ahead of time. Don’t trust the internet on the airplane!)
- Diapers & wipes to get you through the travel portion + the first day.
- Socks, jackets, rain boots, layers, etc.
- Bottle or Sippy Cup. (Keep this open during take off and landing so it doesn’t explode in their face. We’ve made that mistake. It’s not fun).
- Plane friendly snacks! (This one is a big one… be prepared here in case they don’t like the airplane food).
- Baby Carrier.
- Passports + Global Entry or TSA Pre-Check (this will SAVE you at the airport).
- A few small toys, books and your kid’s favorite stuffy – but DON’T take this out until you are safely on the plane. Can you imagine losing their favorite toy at the airport? NO THANKS.
- Look into the small blow up foot rests that double as a mattress for your kids on the plane. This has saved us time and time again!
TIP 2: LET THEM WATCH WHATEVER THEY WANT FOR AS LONG AS THEY WANT
I know this sounds a bit cringey, but seriously… let go of the portion of your brain that wants to control how much screen time they’re getting just for the days you are traveling. It makes life SO much easier. For EVERYONE.
We don’t allow our kids to play on kindles or watch kindles at all unless we are traveling. They ADORE the kindles, which means they ADORE traveling. Win/Win in my book.
TIP 3: TAKE A HIGH VALUE TREAT TO BRIBE THEM WITH IF A TANTRUM STARTS
We used m&m’s the first few times we flew with our kids. They don’t get m&m’s any time except when we are desperate and let me tell you… it STOPS a tantrum in its tracks! Total magic. Find something they absolutely adore that you won’t let them have otherwise and use it to your advantage.
TIP 4: KEEP THE FIRST 2 DAYS OF YOUR TRIP LOW-KEY
Don’t schedule too many activities for the first few days of your trip. Your little ones will be tired and possibly jet-lagged, which means more tantrums will be coming your way. It’s hard to manage that when you’ve got too many things planned.
We learned this the hard way.
It’s MUCH smoother for everyone if you keep the first few days low-key and improvise your schedule on those days. You can ramp it up after that, but make sure to schedule down time for the kids as well. Remember, this is ALL NEW for them and it can often be overstimulating.
Manage your expectations and you’ll all be happier in the long run.
TIP 5: LOAD UP ON SNACKS, SMALL TOYS AND DIAPERS WHEN YOU ARRIVE
This one can save you a LOT of headaches (and money). Try to stop at a market first thing and pick up their favorite snacks, milk, diapers, fruit and veggies. We also buy bubbles and small things like stickers on that first day.
If you’re traveling abroad, they won’t be used to the food and will likely stick to just pasta and burgers, which means they’ll get cranky FAST. The healthy snacks are a LIFE-SAVER for this reason.
On our first trip abroad, our kids wouldn’t eat the meals we were buying at the restaurants and then the SECOND we left, they would complain they were hungry. It was my favorite thing. Learn from my mistake.
Once you get past those first few hurdles and find your groove, your kids will be little travel ninjas!
Lastly, try to relax and remember this is supposed to be fun! That first flight can be stressful, but once you get it out of the way you’ll know what to expect and can adjust accordingly.
Good luck & happy travels!
