Phylicia StitzelReady parents! This is where the rubber meets the road, how to survive traveling with children on long flights and everyone exits the plane with their sanity and all their hair! In this blog, I am sharing all my tips on traveling with children on long flights. Trust me, I’ve used these same tricks when we were traveling for 61 hours, traveling halfway across the globe, during COVID travel complications that took us through 4 countries and 8 airports!
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Table of Contents
1. Pack Snacks
The first piece of advice that I can provide any parent who is looking to undertake a long flight, or any flight for that matter, with children is to pack a lot of snacks! In-flight service isn’t always reliable, and the food is expensive. You never know when that service will come around and no one wants to deal with a “hangry” baby. Pack LOADS of snacks! It is better to have more than less and having a variety too is important! I always have a wide range of snacks with me too. From crackers to fruit snacks to cut up fruit and of course the greatest parent invention ever – food pouches!
2. Bring a Change of Clothes (For Everyone)
Trust me, there is nothing worse than a spill or an accident and you aren’t even halfway through a long journey. When my little one was barely a year old, we went to visit the grandparents and while sitting in first class (we were upgraded) and my infant projectile vomited all down my front…it was the WORST, what was even worse than that was that I hadn’t packed a change of clothes for myself, just for my daughter. That is when I learned this important lesson…PACK A CHANGE OF CLOTHES! You’ll thank me for this later!
3. Special Travel Toys
When I am packing for a trip, I bring out my special box of travel toys. This box is full of engaging and entertaining toys that don’t take up much space. My little one only gets to play with these toys when we are traveling which helps keeps things interesting and I can keep those same toys for many trips without having to buy new ones often.
This trick as worked from the time she was an infant traveling on planes and road trips to now (currently age 7). Trust me, having toys that ONLY come out when it is time to travel makes the toys seem more special or new every time you pull them out! As my child has gotten older (I have baby #2 on the way and will use these same tricks again!) I now let her help me pack her toys.
I do this because this way she has a say in her entertainment, she understands how much weight she is expected to carry, and she is involved in the process for the number of days we are gone and how much time we will be in planes and cars during said trip. It works!
4. Charge Everything!
This is one thing that can be a struggle, especially if you’re on your devices before you’ve even taken off. I try to hold off on handing off a tablet to my kid when we are traveling and it’s a more last-ditch resort, of course, this is my personal choice. The worst thing I can think of though is needing the tablet and it being dead! I keep a portable charger with me when I travel but before leaving for the airport, always remember to charge everything.
As a parent, it still happens to the best of us, we put everything on the table to charge and then completely forget to charge it. Or you pack it thinking you already charged it – or I’ve even left items behind! Don’t worry it happens.
5. Consider Flying When They Are Scheduled to Sleep
Some kids can sleep anywhere. Others can’t and will melt down into a terrifying, pig-tailed mini monster right before your horrified eyes. Ask yourself what category your kid fits into when booking that red-eye Tokyo-to-Atlanta flight (for example). Personally, I prefer overnight flights as it gives me a chance to get some sleep as well. Maybe even watch a movie as I enjoy my meal of rubbery poultry and sneak in a glass of white wine. Plus, trying to fill an entire 13-hour flight with fun but quiet activities is challenging.
Ultimately, you need to give yourself grace! Take every leg in stride, it can be overwhelming to think about traveling long distances with your little one. Especially, if you’re doing this travel alone. Have no fear! Take a deep breath and just remember that you can do it!
For more blogs with tips on traveling with toddlers – check this post out
