Flying with Kids

Traveling with little ones can always present a challenge. Here are some of the things that I have found to be helpful when flying to and from your travel destination. 

1. Bring plenty of tried and true snacks and treats.  

Ready to fly!

Children are adaptable, and if you can make travel easier on them by giving them suckers or candy on takeoff and landing, go for it. Your children and the rest of the plane will thank you. When you get home, it may take a while to get back into a healthier routine, but as adults, I know I certainly indulge, no reason to stress yourself out by keeping strict dietary guidelines. I love to bring a bag of suckers, and things that will not be offered on the plane.

2. Bring toys.

As a parent, one of my pet peeves is children plugged into technology, technozombies. However, on a plane, this is a lifesaver. Don’t forget those chargers! Make sure your kids' tablets are loaded with apps that do not need WiFi to work, music and ebooks. Maybe even some titles that will build interest for the location you are traveling to.  Pre technology and for smaller kiddos,  I like to bring little toys like silly putty, puzzles, dollar store games, McDonald's toys they had never seen. In toddler years, I would actually individually wrap each of these up like presents. That prolonges the interest. Other items could include a deck of cards or Spot It.

Big kids sitting all by themselves

3. If you have to bring your own car seat to your destination, don't check it, use it on the plane. 

Make sure yours is approved by FAA laws, boosters are not. You can check here to make sure your

s won't be rejected as you're boarding. In my experience, even though a car seat is not required by law, children behave better in a car seat. I know that my kiddos have an expectation of being restrained in a vehicle, why should a plane be any different? Like all airline passengers, they will need to wear a seat belt in the air, why not something more their size? In addition, I have always limited the amount of walking around time to just bathroom breaks, sometimes when they get  that tiny taste of freedom, they may not want to return to be buckled in, which is safer for everyone.

4. Ask for help when your children lose their minds

On our way to Thailand!

Kids are unpredictable, and you never know when they will lose it, and they will lose their minds at some point. Half way through our journey home from Thailand, our 20 month old youngest son hit a wall while boarding our 9 pm 13 hour flight from Narita, Japan to San Francisco.  He was inconsolable, and we were going to have to sit separately on the plane.  I sat with the then 5 year old middle son, and my husband was across the cabin with our youngest screamer and oldest daughter (we switch off who gets to sit with the most difficult child, he was up).  Mommy instincts switched on and I stood up to fix it (probably not possible). The flight attendants on this particular flight knew what was going on, told me to sit down and they would take care of it. Across the cabin, they moved passengers around to accommodate our screamer. I don't know what they did, but between my husband and these ladies  they pulled out their bag of tricks. I swear it was voodoo. As we were taking off, I heard quiet and looked over to see he was laid out on three seats and snoozing away, my husband taking care of our oldest! Bless you United Flight Attendants and my proactive intuitive husband!!! The moral of the story is, ask for help when you need it, flight attendants can be incredibly helpful when you are struggling.

5. If you have a kicker, be gracious, and try not to allow your child to kick the seat in front of you.

Luckily, there are 5 of us, and we usually don' t fit in a standard row of seats, so we book and sit two behind three. We put the youngest behind one of us so that if we do get a kicker, it's not a random passenger, but one of us. I am not about to annoy people during travel, which is a stressful time. If this isn't possible for you, please remind your little ones to stop or scoot their seats back. If possible,  seat your child behind and empty seat, flight attendants can help with this as well.

6. Cherish these stuck-together times

Travel is easier when the kids get a little older

Please don't underestimate the amount of time you may have with your kid(s) one on one. These plane rides can be an opportunity to connect and talk, especially as your kids get older. One of my favorite things to do in planes, trains and automobiles is to play the ABC game. We will go around to each player and ask what was something we did today that starts with an "A"? Then the next person will say something that begins with a "B" and so on. My kids claim to hate this game now that they are older, but really, this is how we cement our memories which make our travel unforgettable .

Remember, travel is stressful and taxing for everyone. Even more so with little ones. If you keep a smile on your face and be gracious, people respond to that and I guarantee that your travel will be smoother.