The weather is getting warmer and chances are you are planning a trip that might involve a flight or two! Whether you are just traveling to see family or you are going on a much anticipated family adventure there tips should help make air travel a bit easier with you little one(s)!
Pack Early!
I am seriously a procrastinator when it comes to packing, but trust me you don’t want to spend the night before your trip stressing, doing loads of laundry, and trying to determine if all your stuff plus those of your littles will fit! I recommend getting bags or suitcases out a few days before and begin packing outfits you know you want to bring and baby stuff you feel you cannot live without. My little man is just 14 months and the destination we were traveling to wasn’t super stroller friendly so we just opted to bring the Ergo 360 Carrier and his car seat as the main baby essentials. I stuffed his diapers and even a baby pool float into his car seat bag to free up room in our other bags. Be sure to check what your airline allows, but planning this out early is the key!
Always Bring Snacks!
My carry on bag was filled with snacks as well as other items I knew I might need to keep my little many occupied. If we were traveling with our entire crew, I would have needed even more, but I packed Cliff bars for my husband and I, puffs for my little guy, as well as several pouches that I know are his favorite. He also had an empty water bottle that we filled once through security.
Snacks can even be entertainment. On our recent flight, we played a game where I pulled about 5-6 puffs out and he would have the best time picking each one up and putting them back in the container. Seriously we must have repeated this 100 times it felt like, but he was working on mastering his pincher grab and I was happy that the minutes on the plane were ticking by with a happy toddler!
Bring Books and Open Ended Toys!
My son was 14 months on the trip and he loved the lift and flap book I selected as well as a Lovevery Book that introduced the Beach!
With the lift and flap book he would open the flaps and we would make animal sounds, count things on the page, and just read the books with an animated tone. With the open ended toys like a ball and a car we would roll them or toss them back and forth on the tray or between my husband and myself. In the airport there was more room to interact with these toys and we would try to find a space near a window with more privacy and room for our toddler to stretch his legs. By the time we grabbed a bit of food and let him run about it was time to get our final flights either to our destination or home.
Charge Devices!
If you are like me these are used as last minute lifesavers, but in the off chance you need these it’s important to ensure you have a phone or iPad to entertain your little one. My husband is always in charge of the technology so he preloaded some Daniel Tiger shows and some Simple Song shows for my son to watch as a last resort. We used Mrs. Rachel on my phone while we were in the airports when we needed a break from running after our little guy, but truthfully I was pleasantly surprised by how little we needed to rely on these for him. He was really into taking in his surroundings and checking out new things both at the airport and on the airplane.
Nurse at Takeoff and Landing (if you are nursing)
Whether you have a baby or toddler, I’ve always heard it is comforting for them to nurse especially at takeoff and landing because of the pressure and impact to their ears. I think this makes complete sense and I even remember my mother giving me gum to chew as a child on my first flight. My little guy enjoyed nursing and even gave us a few naps both on our trip there are coming home that were really solid thanks to the soothing white noise from the plane itself.
Think One Step Ahead!
I honestly was always trying to come up with my next activity or idea for keeping our little guy happy and I think having a positive mindset is half the battle too! Looking at the airport and plane as mini adventures before the final destination is a great way to think about it.
Last Mom approved tip: Be sure to pack the cutest swimsuits from Caden Lane to capture some magical moments! JB is wearing the Island Vibes rashguard and I never worried about him getting too much sun even when on a boat trip and at the beach all day in the Virgin Islands!
