Traveling with a Toddler Tips

After flying for over 24 hours over 3 weeks, I think I can pass on some knowledge about flying with a toddler, well at least with my particular toddler.  I started flying with Jos at 3 months and I think she just gets better at flying.  We got very lucky and she slept the majority of the flights.  I say start them early, on a short flight, and work up to the longer ones. Traveling with kids can be stressful but if you get the opportunity to go somewhere or have the money to travel, do it!  It's a great experience for your family and your kids, even if they won't remember it.  I saw a woman flying alone with TWO kids on the way back and I was in awe of her. 


I completely over packed for this trip but I wanted to have plenty of ammunition to entertain Jos on the four different flights.  But now that we've done a long flight and I've seen what Jos is and isn't interested in, I'll pack differently next time.

So here's what worked:

• the iPad.  If you don't have one, a phone, DVD player or laptop would work to.  Jos used this for all the flights (when she wasn't sleeping) and while we were on vacation.  John loaded it with her favorite shows and movies. We also put some things on my old iPhone for her but she mostly used the iPad. 
• Edit together some home videos and put them on your phone, laptop, etc. I edited together all the random videos we have taken of her over the last year and it was a big hit!  
• Stickers, crayons/markers and something to color on.  She used these a lot and I LOVE the Crayola Color Wonder books, no marker mess! The hardest thing was getting Jos to sit in her seat for takeoff and landing since she couldn't use the iPad.  By the last flight, I figured out that I could entertain her at those times by putting stickers all over my face and hers. You do what you need to do :)
• A bag of random $1 store items.  My mother-in-law had a bag of little toys in her carry on and it worked great when Jos was over my bag of tricks and needed something new.  
• Bring their favorite snacks and a special treat.  Jos loves snacks so I always have plenty of her favorite snacks in my carry on bag and extras in my suitcase.  I like the little fruit or yogurt pouches that don't need refrigerating for traveling and crackers are always a winner too. Snacks keep her occupied and seated, very important.  I also threw in a couple ring pops from her party for an emergency. I used them on the flight home because I was all by myself with her and had a cold.  I would have done anything to keep her happy :) Also bring a cup with a straw since swallowing helps the ears pop.  
• If you are flying at night or during naptime, pack a pair of pjs and a spare change of clothes.  I put Jos in her pjs for overnight flights and also changed her into her pjs when we landed so if she fell asleep in the car on the way to our destination, she would be ready for bed.  The extra clothes also came in handy when Jos's bag was lost!
• A wet bag.  Even if you don't cloth diaper, get one for travel.  You will be so glad you have it when a drink gets spilled or a diaper leaks.  
• Little zipper bags filled with random favorite things.  The zipper pouches I got from Target were the biggest hit, simply because she would open and close them.  And she loved the chapstick and brush with a mirror.  
• Carry a lightweight umbrella stroller to the gate.  I have a Maclaren and this bag and I'm able to carry it to the gate by myself, while holding my carry on and Jos.  Save yourself the hassle of carrying one more thing and check the car seat with your baggage but bring the stroller to the gate. You never know when your kid won't listen to you or decides to have a meltdown and you need to put them into the stroller in order to go anywhere.  

And what didn't:

• Bringing the car seat on the plane.  Before this trip, Jos was young enough to be a lap infant so we never paid for her own seat. I thought, incorrectly, that Jos would sleep better in her car seat on the plane since she sleeps well in it in the car on road trips.  But she hated being strapped in there and it was a pain to carry on and install.  She actually slept better when she wasn't in the car seat because she could lay down. We did get one of these travel carts but it doesn't fit down the aisle (at least not with a Britax) so John still had to carry the car seat on the plane.  We only used it on the flight to Boston and then checked it on every other flight.  I might look into one of these CARES safety harnesses for future flights.  
• Just let the kid sleep in a bed if the hotel doesn't have a crib.  We bought a Peapod and brought it with us on the trip but Jos never slept in it.  She wanted to play in it but wasn't interested in sleeping in it.  Jos never sleeps in our bed but she did the entire time we were on vacation and returned to sleeping in her crib with no problems when we got home.  Next time, we leave the Peapod at home and have one less thing to carry. 
• Too many busy bags.  I brought about 15 of them, way too many to pack and she didn't really play with them.  Maybe your kid would play with them but Jos loves to destroy things so she broke the fishing game within 5 minutes and tore the paper off the shade matching bag.  Nothing kept her attention for more than 5 minutes.  She was more into the iPad and the zipper pouches I made.  
• Too many books. I had about 12 books and Jos made me read the same one the entire time, Elmo Loves You.  I could have saved my back and only brought 2 or 3.  

Hopefully sharing my experience flying with a kid will help you see you can do it too!