When my kids arrived I made a vow that we would travel together and we would travel often. I never considered for a minute that they might not be on the same page as me and went to great lengths in the early days to ensure they developed a passion for flight. It paid off with both loving a flight interstate or overseas. Travelling by plane with kids has become easy.
Flying with babies was probably the easiest. I would take my Ergobaby carrier, dress them in layers (too hot, remove a layer; too cold, add a layer) and breastfeed on ascent and descent. They were comfortable cuddling with me or T and when they became a little restless I would pop them in the carrier and walk the down the aisle. I initially thought other passengers would find this annoying, but T pointed out that a crying baby would be much worse for everyone.
It was the toddler years that were the most difficult and required lots of forward planning and a strategically packed carry on bag. I sought out large removable foam stickers before each flight which seemed to keep my youngest occupied for around ……. 5 minutes! Although she would go back to them regularly throughout the flight. Inflight entertainment? Forget about it, she had zero interest. My domestic flights were full of LEGO, stickers, colouring, reading, tickling, cuddles and eating. Some would say my carryon was a little like Mary Poppin’s carpet bag. I was continuously putting my hand in to drag out something new to grab her attention.
As the kids hit primary school, travel became a breeze. The above image shows you my typical packing guide for keeping the kids amused in the sky these days. A few years ago I invested in a Fossil Satchel bag which has become my ongoing travel companion. It fits:
- my Macbook,
- the kids iPads (remember to download the latest inflight app from your carrier),
- headphones,
- eucalyptus lollies and lolly pops. If you are looking to travel by plane with kids in the near future, make sure you work out the best way to *pop* their ears on ascent and descent. I use lollypops and eucalyptus, but you might find chewing gum works. Knowing what works will help make your flight a little easier.
- L’Occitane Lavender Purifying Hand Gel It doesn’t leave a chemical smell on your hands that leeches into your food when you touch it,
- a chapter book for the kids,
- a colouring book and markers,
- lip gloss,
- listerine strips, to freshen your mouth,
- tissues or wet wipes,
- stickers,
- eye spy bags, this activity will keep them busy for ages!
- ….other items I might grab on the way.
Actually, eye spy bags (I discovered them at Sweet Elephants) are something I wish I had sourced right back when I was travelling with toddlers. With around 30 trinkets hidden inside the key is to manipulate the bag to reveal the specific one you in the list you have created (each bag has a list attached to help you). I’ve packed our eye spy bag on a couple of road trips and a flight to Queensland and it kept us amused for at least 30 minutes. Get your hands on one!
Of course, even with a plethora of activities at your finger tops, there are times when your flight might not go well. Don’t let it impact your future plans to travel, it’s just one flight. Happy travelling!