Traveling around the world is such an amazing, rewarding experience for everyone, including your children. Depending on your destination, this may include getting on an airplane with your child. As your child gets older, the task of traveling on a plane with them does get easier (and more expensive after 2!). Don’t let your fear of a hard trip stop you from traveling while they are young though. Follow these six tips for a pleasant trip with your child.
- Pay for the shorter flight
I wouldn’t pay an extra $1,000 per person for a flight without a layover, but investing a few hundred extra overall to have less travel time really is worth it. Your whole family will be grateful, but especially your young child. - Leave early
However much time you think you need, you may want to build in an extra 30 minutes or more. Children often will dawdle, roam, and look around, especially if the experience of an airport is new to them. Instead of feeling frazzled and rushed, possibly resulting in tears and tantrums, give yourself extra time to get where you are going. - Pack light
The last thing you are going to want is a ton of crap as you walk through the airports. The more stuff you have, the longer it’s going to take for you to do everything. Plus, airports and airplanes are crowded. You are going to want the space around you for yourself and your child, especially if your child is a lap child. You don’t need as much stuff as you might think. A stroller might be nice, although if your child is young enough and wearing them is an option, I find this to be even easier than a stroller. - Bring games
Either bring a few games or plan to make up a few. While I tend to be very anti-electronic, even I can admit that being able to plug in for an hour or two on the plane may help the time go faster for your kiddo. I Spy, books, and other low key activities are nice both while on the plane and while waiting. - Nurse or chew gum
If your child is breastfeeding, nursing during takeoff and landing can help with ears popping and the discomfort that goes with it. If your child is old enough, offering them a piece of gum can help alleviate the pressure in their ears. If neither of these are an option, try rubbing just outside their ears. You want to do anything you can to make the popping go away, one of the main contributing factors to a fussy babe on a plane. - Sleep
If you can travel at a time you know your child will be sleeping, do it. On the flip side, if you know there is no way your child is going to sleep on a plane, avoid scheduling travel when they would sleep. This way, they can either sleep the whole trip or they aren’t melting down from exhaustion the entire time. It’s tricky to balance, but a well rested child can make or break an entire day of travel, sometimes more.
Keeping these six easy steps in mind can help make a stressful trip into a pleasant adventure. One last item if you have a lap baby is an airplane vest. Clipping your little one into your seat belt can help protect them from turbulence and make the plane ride that much safer.
Where are you going with your children?
