July 2014 – Let Kids Travel

Well, everyone, we made it back from our big road trip. We visited Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado, and Utah. That is a lot of states. We drove almost 5,000 miles! You may be wondering how these two kids did in the car? I am happy to answer that it went better than I expected. There were moments of tantrums and fighting between siblings and they both seem to push each other’s buttons, but they were good most of the time.

Here are a few tips: Wells for his birthday received a little VTech tablet from one of his friends. We saved it only for the car and it was only for long distances. He absolutely loved it and it kept him busy for hours. Isla really likes to unpack bags, so I had a reusable bag filled with toys or container, which kept her entertained.

We like to book our hotels ahead of time so we don’t have that stress while we are traveling. However, it sort of backfired on us since two of the days we overestimated the time we could cover due to construction or other deterrents. That made for some late nights and cranky kids. If you have access to a smart phone it would be worth it to book that same day so you can avoid some late nights. I would account for unplanned circumstances into your travel time. There was one day that I am pretty sure Wellington had to go to the bathroom every thirty minutes. That makes for a lot of stops along the way! Going with a newly potty trained child is going to be more difficult. Another thing we weren’t planning for was all the construction. We know it is summer and a busy time, but how much construction was happening and for huge stretches of a time was unreal. I am quite sure it always happened when I was driving, too.

Well, readers we made it to and back from Wisconsin safe and sound with a little stop in Utah for some extended R&R at my in-laws place (we had the house to ourselves!). I think the kids enjoyed seeing all their family. I am glad we did it for the new experience, definitely some trials but the good memories are outweighing the bad. Where are you guys vacationing this summer? Anyone headed on a road trip?

As you may have guessed we love to travel. Our kids have been flying since they were infants so we’ve learned quickly what works to avoid the screaming, crying baby.

Baby Wells sleeping on daddy on one of his many plane rides.

On the one hand, our son a calm, happy baby, and traveling with him was quite easy. Our daughter, on the other hand, is a completely different person. Here are some tips and lessons we have learned over dozens of flights:

Pick your flights strategically. Is your child able to sleep anywhere? Then flying during nap time might be a good suggestion. Is your child happiest in the morning? Then take a morning flight. Think about your child’s disposition when picking your flights. We used to take red eyes often with my son because he could sleep a little and would transition well to his crib when we got home. We figured our daughter would be the same way. Ugh, not so much! She slept most of the flight but woke up during landing and screamed the next twenty minutes on the plane, plus the car ride home. Lesson learned, no red eyes with Lady Bird.
Dress your kids in layers. Our kids mostly run hot but we were traveling in winter and planes usually run cold, right?! Wrong! Our daughter was screaming uncontrollably and we couldn’t figure out why. Well, she was sweating in a fleece sleeper. Once we stripped that off she cooled off and stopped crying. She didn’t have much under that sleeper, so she spent most of the plane ride naked. Lesson learned? In addition to bringing extra clothes, plan for it to be uncomfortably warm and frigidly cold. Also, avoid fleece entirely.
Avoid flying sick. Seems quite obvious, right? If flying in winter it is probably going to happen, especially if you already have an older child because toddlers seem to be cold factories! Be prepared when it does happen, though. I would suggest bringing pain reliever, saline drops, and NoseFrida. Also, a pacifier or a bottle helps with the changing pressure. I always try to nurse on take-off and landing, and taught my son to pop his ears by opening his mouth.

I find packing a diaper bag strategically to be one of the key things or flights. On our recent journey to Europe I used Ziploc gallon zipper bags to store toys, snacks, and clothes. Instead of digging around for what I needed I was able to find the bag quickly and pull it out without taking everything else along with it. It was a revelation! Why didn’t I think of this years ago?

A few other suggestions for key items to pack:

Several sets of clothes, our son once pooped through four sleepers in a four hour flight!
Snacks, a good snack can go a long way in diverting a tantrum. Think of things that will transport easily such as fruit leather and KIND bars.
Toys, this one is obvious. I went to the dollar store before our trip and picked some toys up. I would suggest wrapping them. That will make the novelty of their “present” last longer. I bought a new coloring book, trucks, and puzzles.
Media. We try to be strict on how much media son watches in a normal day. However, on plane rides that rule goes right out the window. You do what you need to survive! Beanie is really into Super Why, Curious George, and Little Pim. On the flight to Europe each seat comes with a media consul so he was able to watch his first movie, Planes. Also, we put books on our computer so we were able to read several Dr. Seuss books on the plane. You may feel guilty about letting them watch television but I am telling you to not! Traveling with children is hard and exhausting. If this makes them happy and you get to your destination with your sanity intact then that is a win!

I hope this provides some insight and helpful hints on flying with children. What were your flight experiences like? Any helpful hints I should add?

Month: July 2014

Family Roadtrip Finished!

Surviving a plane ride with babies and toddlers