Flying with Children

Nobody wants to be THAT person on the plane with a screaming kid! In my experience a little advance planning and preparation is all you need to feel confident to plan that trip, walk on the plane and be on your way to a wonderful family vacation. 

We’ve flown at least once a year since our kids were born so here’s some tried and true tips from a mom of three. Hope they help!

Don’t forget the important stuff. If traveling internationally, everyone needs a passport, even babies. Apply early and don’t forget to pack them!

Be sure to fill your carry-on with plenty of diapers and wipes, extra clothing for accidents and spills, basic medicines like tylenol and layers for chilly air conditioning or makeshift pillow. It’s also a good idea to have something to help pop ears during take off and landing. Gum, hard candies or lollipops work great for older children. Drinking from a sippy cup or bottle, nursing and pacifiers are options for little ones. 

Pack Snacks! I’m sure you already know hunger can mean the difference between a happy  and really cranky child. Always have snacks available! You never know when the time between meals will get extended. It could be a delayed flight, minimal food options in a terminal or a long wait for customs or luggage. Once in the air most airlines do provide some food but there aren’t many options and they can be really expensive. I find bringing individual sized snacks that I  know my kids love along with a few “special treats” usually works well. Just keep in mind liquids and gels aren’t allowed through security so things like fruit cups or applesauce tubes aren’t good choices. Beverages are also not allowed but I’ve found many airports have water bottle fillers so we often bring empty bottles and fill them once we’re through security. 

Note, baby food, formula, breast milk and juice for infants or toddlers are permitted in reasonable quantities. Just remove these items from your carry-on bag to be screened separately. Ice packs, freezer packs and frozen gel packs to cool formula, breast milk and juice are also allowed in carry-on.

Bring activities to keep kids busy. Definitely be sure to pack some fun activities to keep your child busy. Activity books and coloring are always great options but try and bring crayons in a ziplock bag or container – it’s never fun to crawl under plane seats to try and find the crayon that rolled off the tray! Card games, books, stickers and magnetic toys are also good.

Technology is an easy option for older children. Some airlines even have personal TVs with child specific channels and interactive games that you can play with people in other seats. Remember to pack headphones for everyone, or you’ll have to buy them onboard!

If you’re really in a bind I’ve learned those barf bags they put in the seat pockets make excellent puppets! Just draw on some eyes and a mouth and voila easy puppets. 

Each child can have their own small carry-on. Once kids are a little older it works well to have them each carry their own little backpack. We started this around age two or three. Having them pack their own small bag allows them to be part of the packing process. It also allows everyone to have what they need right at their feet, which is especially helpful if you’re seated in different rows, have someone on your lap or are sneaking in a nap yourself. Just make sure they know they have to carry whatever they choose to pack. 

Does it matter where you sit? When booking a flight you’re presented with many classes and options all with varying price tags. For us, paying for five can get really expensive so we often take a risk and get the cheaper tickets meaning we don’t always get to pick seats in advance. I’ve found most airlines do their best to put families together. In almost 17 years of traveling with kids we’ve never ended up with a child sitting alone and have even had people volunteer to swap so that we could all be in the same row. 

What about little ones? Children under age two don’t require a seat meaning they’re free to fly but that also means a child on your lap the whole flight. We personally never opted to buy tickets for our little ones and were often lucky enough to get rows with empty seats so we ended up with the extra seat after all. This is all obviously determined by how full a flight is.

As a family with small children we often ended up being put in one of the last rows of the plane which actually ended up better than I would have thought. Planes often board from the front to the back so you get a little extra time to run around the airport instead of sitting and waiting for everyone to get settled. Last row also means you’re right next to the stewardess if you need anything. The bathrooms are right there, and there aren’t as many people around if the kids get a bit loud. You may be the last ones off the plane but people are usually in a rush to leave so disembarking goes pretty quick. However, if you’re going somewhere warm with a smaller airport you occasionally exit from the front and back so this may not even be an issue. 

When it comes to window, middle or aisle seats we always opt for a window! We discuss as a family who gets the window seat before we board any flight to avoid the inevitable fight. Looking outside is great entertainment plus it’s nice to have the wall to lean on for a nap. 

Do you really need all that gear? I think it depends on what kind of trip you’re taking. Really think about if you’ll need those big heavy items once you get to your destination. 

Car seats don’t allow for much movement by a child when used on the plane. I always preferred to have the space of the seat for my child to lay on for a nap/snuggle, or move around on to play. Most car rental companies offer car seats for a small fee so if you’re planning to rent a car this may be a better option. However, I strongly suggest reserving in advance as they often have a limited number of each type of seat.

If you have a baby or smaller child you’ll most likely want a stroller of some sort for getting through the airport and naps while out exploring. Think about what you’ll be doing once you get to your destination to determine what type of stroller to bring. For example, we often just brought a small umbrella stroller to the Carribean but opted for our giant double stroller for a Disney trip.

Don’t wait, book those tickets! If you still end up with a bored or screaming child just know it’s not as bad as you think. Most people can easily drown out the sound of a crying child and most parents will feel bad for you, not mad. Nothing opens children’s minds like new experiences, and you’ll get plenty of those no matter where you travel.

Take vacations, go as many places as you can! You can always make money, you can’t always make memories!