Michelle's Musings: Tips for Airplane Travel with Children

As I sit to write this personal post, I am filled with deep anxiety of a day coming up this week: the day I will fly with three boys under age six to visit relatives in Texas. The trip sounded well and good when I booked our tickets four months ago - several days filled with laughter, relatives and overdue catch-ups, but it's funny how mother nature blocks out the chaotic memories of travel with children! 

I've traveled with my boys over 10 times now and it never seems to get easier but that doesn't mean it can't be manageable!  Below I will share my list of the best ideas I've collected over 5 1/2 years of travel with kids:

1. Let your little ones burn off steam BEFORE boarding. Allow them to run, yell, somersault and jump before boarding your flight. They will burn off extra energy and be more tired on the plane - it's a two-for-one!
2. Snacks are critical. It's no surprise that children eat... A LOT and often. Don't get caught in an airport or on the plane without snacks that are good for chubby, clumsy hands. Keep in mind you don't want to pack something that smells very strongly in case it drops below your neighbor's seat. Some good ideas: berries, bananas, raisins, cheese cubes, nuts (if your child doesn't have an allergy), hummus wrapped in tortillas, cream cheese and jam sandwiches and carrot sticks. If you have enough time to include your children in the snack prep, they are more likely to eat them once on the plane.
3. Have an arsenal of distractions and then have back-ups for that arsenal! I have a 5 year old, 3 year old and 16 month old so when I pack, not only do I need several activities but they also need to cover a wide range of ages. My five year old is very happy with a fully-charged ipad with 2-3 movie options and several apps such as Sight Words or Angry Birds. My 3 year old is into dinosaurs at the moment. I already purchased a new T-Rex that I will hand to him the day we travel. New toys are guaranteed to receive at least an hour of attention. He will also have a dinosaur coloring book, stickers and tin foil. Yes, I know it sounds weird but he LOVES to wrap and unwrap other toys with the foil and stays focused for at least 45 minutes at a time. The baby loves flip books so I will bring several for him as well as a game I call "guess the relative." I place pictures of the relatives we are traveling to visit in a folder that I pull out and repeat the names to him. Hopefully this will make him a little more comfortable around the relatives that he does not see very often.
4. Don't forget special items. Each of my boys have a special blanket or lovey. These are critical during moments of change, challenge or stress. Some people think bringing lovies out in public is improper, but I am willing to bet they would rather see that than hear any or all of my boys screaming for 4 hours straight.
5. Load some new apps on your iphone or ipad.  Parenting has a fantastic list of 25 apps for children - we are huge fans. Check out the list here: Top 25 apps
6. Be prepared for take-off and landing.  We all know how uncomfortable our ears can be when taking off and landing. Help make it easier for your little ones by offering your older kiddos a piece of chewing gum (ages 4 years+). For the younger ones give them a bottle, sippy cup or water bottle filled with water to help pop their ears - the sucking action is what does the trick.
7. Splurge - buy the seat for your 0 - 24 month old if you can. Don't get me wrong, being able to place your baby in your lap and fly free is an AH-MAY-ZING deal but nine times out of ten your baby will not fall asleep. If you can purchase a seat and strap your baby's car seat in the chair, this frees up two whole hands to aid in soothing, distracting, serving and cuddling. Also, if the baby falls asleep and big brother needs something, you are free to help!
8. Last but not least - bribe bribe bribe (grown ups)!  One thing I never fail to bring along is a bag of Lindt Lindor Truffles and disposable foam earplugs (easily found at convenient stores). Why? To pass out to the grown-ups on the parameter of your seats, of course! I pass them out as everyone gets settled in their seats and take the opportunity to introduce my boys to them. Then, I emphasize that I have done my best to prepare the boys for travel and hope to have enough snacks and activities to make my neighbors' trip comfortable as well. This inevitably softens those around us so hopefully if the dreaded tantrum (or eek! tantrumS) happens, they won't be as tough or judgmental. Fingers crossed! Don't forget the flight attendants, too.

Safe travels, everyone! Happy holidays to you and your bébés!