Plane travel with kids, tips and tricks to make it enjoyable for everyone.

You don’t need to be an adrenaline junkie to travel with kids!

I’ve done my fair share of long-haul flights with kids. And when I say long-haul – I mean flying from Canada to France to Australia and back again, with a 6 month and 2 year old… by myself.

Ok yes, that was just to give myself kudos, but it is also to show that whatever you are planning… you will arrive… one way or another!

The best way to make the trip less stressful is first – for you to be less stressed! Plan and talk to your kids about the flights, make them part of the experience. For me, getting ready for the trip is just as exciting as going on the trip and the kids pick up on this.

Here are a few tips for the planning/preparing stage:

Have the kids pack their own bags. Make it age-appropriate, my 5 and 7 year olds love deciding on their clothes and picking out the special items to take. I write them a list of items and draw a picture of the item to help younger ones with how many of each and off they go to pick them out (I strongly suggest re-checking, but I have found that they follow the rules well at this age and enjoy that I trust them to count it all correctly). For younger kids, get them to pack a pencil case with colouring-in things, or taking them to the shops to pick out a new colouring book. Don’t forget their favourite stuffed toy!

1. Talk to the kids about the plane trip. What time will you be going? Will they be sleeping on the plane? Special meals that they may eat? Show them pictures of where you will be stopping and where you are heading. Moments that you will need them to be on their best behaviour (ie. Going through customs, waiting to get onto the plane, take-off and landing). If they have any fears make sure you address these before getting to the airport.
2. Get all paperwork printed and checked. Make sure that all the information that you need is in an easily accessible place. I also suggest scanning or taking photos of important papers and storing them in a cloud facility (icloud, dropbox, google drive, onedrive) so that they are accessible from anywhere, even if you lose all your baggage. Store them offline on your phone, and also photo copies in another bag just in case. Just don’t forget your password! Being prepared will put your mind at ease. Also make sure that if you are travelling alone with your kids that you have permission from the other parent, you’ll need to check requirements for each country but at least having a signed paper and a copy of an ID just in case, you may need it notorized. I’ve never had to use this but having it with me leads to less stress at customs.
3. Make a list. Every time you think of something you may need, add it to a list. I’ve found the easiest way is to have the list in your phone, that way whenever you think of something you can add it straight away. Either in the notes section or by using an app like Wunderlist. Add even the most simple things as in a panic to get out the door you may forget. Your child’s favourite stuffed toy that they slept with last night, charger for your phone, the number of bags that need to be in the car. Anything.
4. Pack the car the night before. Having everything in the car in advance allows you to check it and make sure you haven’t forgotten anything, especially as you’ll be less panicked than on the morning of departure.
5. Check the baggage limits for both carry-on and checked-in bags and weigh them. I always have a hand-weight that I keep permanently in my suitcase so that I can check my bags whenever needed and not be chewing my nails when I put my luggage on the scale. I strongly suggest taking a backpack as your carry on, as it keeps your hands free.
6. Make sure to book kids meals and cribs for babies. They need to be booked in advance. Not having to have your baby in your arms makes things MUCH easier, if your baby sleeps better in your arms consider taking a soft baby carrier so that your arms are free and you can get up if need be.

The big day has arrived, you are heading to the airport. You probably didn’t get much sleep the night before with stress and the kids are super excited (read: difficult to handle) Relax! Lucky you’ve planned everything (plus if you’re lucky you’ll get wine on plane).

1. Leave early. I’m not the most on-time person, I ‘’enjoy’’ the adrenaline of last-minute… but not for flights. I much prefer to arrive several hours in advance, and have lunch or a coffee, take time to explore the airport and check-in as soon as it opens. Once my bags are checked in and I have my boarding passes I am able to relax.
2. Take a photo of where you parked your car. You may forget the details while enjoying yourself on holidays. There are also applications such as Waze that allow you to save the information to lead you straight to your car for the return.
3. Relax and fill up your stomachs, you never know how long it’ll take on the flight to get served your meal. Hungry kids = grumpy kids so make sure you fill up, drink and head to the bathroom before boarding your flight. Also grab a few snacks to put in your bag just in case.
4. Head through customs/security with plenty of time to spare. Make sure that all your liquid items are in a zip lock bag that is easily accessible and the same for your electronic devices. Relax, you’ve allowed plenty of time so just be patient in the lines, play I-spy, point out interesting things to the kids and be present.
5. Find a play area. I always head to the play area, the kids are happy and they can burn off their energy before being confined to their seats (and helps with sleeping later). There’s usually a coffee machine so grab a coffee, pull out your book and have a moment to yourself.
6. Arrive at your gate an hour before departure (international), boarding usually starts an hour to 45 mins prior to take-off. Make sure the kids have used the bathroom, change them into their pyjamas if it’s a night flight and get them comfortable. Make sure that you put everything that you may need on the flight in an easy accessible place, I suggest putting it into a smaller bag that is able to go under the seat so that you don’t have to get up and open the overhead lockers (you may have a child asleep on your lap… and you don’t want to wake them!!)
7. Be the last to get on the plane. Yes I know that they allow parents with kids to get on first… but this just means more time sitting in the plane and more time for their patience to wear thin. I wait until the queue is almost finished before boarding, this way I get the kids settled into their seats and it’s almost time for take-off.

What to take on the plane:

1. Snacks and water – Make sure that you have plenty of their favourite snacks (and a few treats), small packets work best or divide them in zip-lock bags. Just make sure that you check what you can take through security. And take a refillable water bottle, you can always empty it before going through security and re-fill it afterwards, there are usually water fountains in most airports.
2. A change of clothes, for EVERYONE – You never know when you will need to change your kids or yourself. Prepare for accidents, spilling food, or as my kids did, throwing up all over themselves… and me.
3. Small plastic bags – Can be used for throwing up, storing wet clothes, rubbish, nappies.
4. Small presents – Head to the dollar store and buy a few fun new things to entertain the kids. Wrap them up (always more exciting) and use them for difficult moments, or for bribes (wink wink). This can also stop the kids from constantly asking to buy things in the airport and will save you money!
5. A pen – The kids can draw with it, but most importantly you can fill out customs forms on the plane in advance.
6. Tablet/phone charged up with games or films that they like – Most international flights have an on-board entertainment system, but during take-off and landing this is not always available. Nowadays you usually have usb slots so that you can charge at the same time, so don’t forget your charger! Check out my list of my favourite travel apps.
7. Headphones – Bring your own headphones for the kids, often the ones supplied on-board fall off little heads and can frustrate them, bringing your own prevents this frustration… and may even allow you some sleep.
8. Baby wipes – can be used for wiping faces, cleaning hands, wiping up spills, refreshing the kids before arrival… and wiping butts if needed 😛 It’ll save you from having to line up for the toilets just to wash your hands.
9. Lip balm and cream – Plane air is often very dry, make sure to take these essentials on-board and drink lots of water.
10. Pyjamas and slippers for the kids, and don’t forget their soft toy!
11. Pharmaceuticals – Make sure you take essentials for treating minor sicknesses, you may have trouble understanding products in another country and it’s not fun combing the streets for a late-night pharmacy when fever strikes. Take a pain medication, ear drops, travel sickness tablets, something for diarrhea and stomach upsets. Take probiotics every day to help your gut deal with new foods, usually in powder form they can be mixed into kid’s bottles or juices.

What to do on the plane:

1. Need to go to the toilet? Hand your baby off to the flight attendants. This was a lifesaver for me when I travelled by myself. They were more than happy to hold my 6 month-old for the few minutes I needed, they bonded with my little one which meant that they always paid a bit of extra attention when they passed by. Don’t be afraid to ask for help, most people are more than willing and once people realised I was by myself they were helping me with bags, letting me in front of them in lines and generally just kind.
2. Take-off or touch-down can be difficult for little ears, breast/bottle feed your baby at these times, they’ll also appreciate the closeness. A dummy/pacifier works well too. Chewable lollies help for toddlers.
3. I know it can be embarrassing to have your kids cry or throw a tantrum, but get over it!!! You probably won’t ever meet any of your fellow passengers again, and most of them are just thinking ‘’Glad its not me’’. You don’t need to add extra stress by worrying what everyone else is thinking.

You’ll probably find that the trip goes much better than you imagined, kids love going on planes, discovering new places, and having your complete attention. There’s no washing to be done, meals to be prepared, so make sure that you enjoy discovering with the kids, take on their childish wonder. Race around the airport with the trolleys, play hide and seek, watch the planes take off, try new foods… Make the trip into an exciting adventure, not a nightmare. You only live once!

Layovers

Layovers can be a great way to break up a trip while discovering a new place. Usually your plane ticket allows you to stopover at any of the transit destinations on an international flight.  Check with your airline or travel agent when reserving your tickets.

1. Check visa requirements.
2. Book the hotel and transport through the airlines – Often the airlines have layover rates and easy transport options, making it much easier, especially if you don’t speak the language. Also staying near the airport means less stress for arriving at the airport on time, especially if you have an early morning flight. There is also Booking.com and Airbnb as great alternatives.
3. Don’t plan too much for the layover, allow the kids to relax and start adjusting to a new time zone. If heading to a warm country, pay a bit extra to have a pool, the kids will love it.
4. Hop-on, hop-off buses – These are a great way to discover a city in a short period of time while being flexible with schedules.

Arriving at your destination

Yay!! You made it. Congratulate yourself! Everyone made it in one piece and hopefully with your sanity intact. Head to your hotel, have a shower and settle in. Here are a few tips on how to adapt quickly to the new time zone:

1. If you arrive in the morning, have a quick nap, but try to limit it to an hour or 2, then get out into the sunshine. Your body clock adjusts with the light so make sure to get a maximum dose of sunlight. Go for a wander, discover the surrounding area, find a kids activity (play area or pool) where the kids will enjoy themselves and not get bored.
2. Eat at the correct times, even if you’re not hungry, aim to eat at meal times of your new time zone.
3. Arriving at night? This is the easiest way to adjust quickly, grab some dinner, have a relaxing shower, put on your pyjamas, a movie for the kids. Once relaxed make sure to go to sleep at a reasonable hour.
4. Don’t plan the biggest days at the start of your trip, your body and the kids need time to adjust to the new routine and time. I found that the kids actually adapted really really well, it was me that had a bit more trouble.

And if all else fails…. Glass of wine anyone?