Parents traveling with kids are probably all too familiar with the grimacing faces of fellow passengers when you board a flight with a baby or toddler… It’s enough to make any new parent feel apprehensive about traveling.
My daughter Violet was born three years go, right around the time my husband’s work was due to take him around the globe. Not wanting to be apart for so long we decided to travel together, so at 3 weeks old Violet had her passport and we were packing our bags… and we haven’t looked back since!
Saying that, traveling with a baby isn’t what I’d call ‘easy’, but there are things you can do that make it a lot easier. Here are my top ten tips to making journeys with little ones bearable, even enjoyable!
1. Routines are key! While everything around them is changing keeping to a routine helps to make your baby feel secure in their new environment and adjust faster to time zones. It also helps avoid those tired/hungry melt-downs! If it’s bedtime or naptime at home then it’s sleep time on the plane too. Bring diapers, pajamas and their favorite cuddly toy and make it clear it’s time to sleep. When you land, adjust this routine to the new time zone. Sticking to it can be hard but persevere as over time it really does pay off.
2. Consider travel plans when investing in key baby equipment, particularly your stroller. Go for a compact, light-weight, fully collapsible one. I recommend a sling for very young ones, which allows you to carry your baby but be hands-free at the same time. BabyBjorn does a brilliant one.
3. Travel with your own car seat. It’s a pain but better than arriving somewhere and finding there isn’t one or it’s the wrong size. When you check-in ask them to bag it in plastic or pay to have it wrapped by machine. Otherwise they get battered, dirty and often wet when stowed.
4. Organize your hand luggage ready for security checks. Sounds silly but you’ll have your hands full with baby, removing coats & shoes, folding down the stroller etc, so make life easier by putting lap-tops and liquids within easy reach. Plus wear easy to remove footwear!
5. Bring a change of clothes in your hand luggage – for you as well as your baby. Spillages, leaky diapers, sicky-babies… there’s nothing worse than a long haul flight wearing soiled or wet clothes!
6. Don’t fall into the sugar trap! Tempting as it may be to give sweet treats to toddlers to keep the peace, avoid at all cost! Sugary snacks, juices & sodas make them more over-excited and less likely to behave. Bring a good stock of healthy snacks and keep them hydrated with regular drinks of water. Bringing your own beaker cup helps avoid spillages.
7. Don’t reply on airlines to provide healthy food. It doesn’t matter which airline or class you fly, kids food always seems to be junk and usually full of high-sugar snacks. Try to cook up one meal to bring with you – something simple like veggie pasta. There are great lunch boxes designed for kids-on-the-go – invest in a fun one.
8. Bring a good selection of toys and activities. Pack a ‘bag of tricks’ full of little things for them to play with on the plane, plus some good books. Coloring pens and children’s magazines are excellent too. Anything they can play sitting down! Bring one DVD for long flights – but save it for emergencies!
9. If you are staying in a hotel phone in advance and put in a list of requests. Hotels are usually happy to provide basic baby equipment. If you know people where you are going, beg & borrow whatever you can to make life easier. The less you have to carry the better!
10. Make it exciting! If you are relaxed and enthusiastic your child will most likely follow your lead. Things will go wrong sometimes but try your hardest to stay calm in front of your baby. Chat to your toddler about your travel plans. Get excited together about the trip to the airport, the plane, the hotel and the prospect of a new bed/crib to sleep in. Do some research into fun things to you can do when you get there. There are lots of websites and baby-blogs with good city guides and chat to hotel staff for suggestions.
Happy Travels! – Chloe Buckland
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