I made the (slightly insane) decision to travel to my parents' with all three kids a few weeks ago. By myself. I should state for the record that my children are 4, almost 2, and 7 months. And we were flying on an airplane. Oh, and I was in a boot for a stress fracture. Good times. I was able to get a non-stop flight, and the flight to my parents is only about 2 hours, but then there is a two hour drive from the airport to their place. So a good day's travel, when you count in the time to get to the airport on our end, and needing to get there early for check-in, etc. We've always flown with our kids, and taken big trips with them, so actually, this trip wasn't really so different, but I've been compiling a list of tricks and tips to flying with small children, especially solo. So without further ado, here they are! (you're welcome).
When packing:
Pack light. I usually pack three days worth of clothing for each child, plus an extra set of bottoms in case of accidents or diaper disaster. I pack two sets of jammies, plus night time diapers/pullups. I always bring just one day's worth of regular diapers, and plan to buy diapers when we arrive--it saves so much space! (If we are going to visit family, I just order the diapers on amazon and ship ahead). Ditto for things like formula canisters. I bring enough for a day, and then plan to buy when I get there. My kids have one pair of shoes per season, so they just wear those on the plane. Thankfully the TSA guidelines have changed now and children under age 10 do not have to remove their shoes. I usually take one medium size suitcase for all of us that I check, and then a backpack for a carry-on. I put the boys' toys and books into Piglet's school backpack and had him carry it, since he is big enough now to manage that. When they were younger, I just put everything into one carry-on bag. I also had a small canvas sack with snacks. When we travel as a family, I take two small carry-on size roller suitcases (that we check), plus one carry-on backpack, one canvas bag for toys, the Volo stroller, the ERGO, and a plastic grocery sack for snacks. If we are travelling with a car seat, we use a
Pac Back to carry it. Just beware that when you carry a carseat this way, you are VERY deep and have a wide turning radius. If we have to travel with two car seats, we use the Pac Back and
a handy little t-strap that attaches to any roller suitcase to turn it into a carseat stroller. I also use one of those
lightweight bags to wrap any car seats in before checking them so the seat doesn't get so dirty. They pack incredibly small.
Pack smart. I've never been one of those moms who travels with everything but the kitchen sink, and I don't do it when I travel either. For the plane, I try to bring a small assortment of light books (those thin paperbacks are ideal, or those mini-board books), plus two toys each. This past trip I brought about seven light paperbacks, four toy cars (they were in sets of two so the boys couldn't fight over them) and two squishy sponges (they are good for kids to have a tactile thing for their hands). In the past, I've tried to get novelty items for the plane ride, but new toys frustrate my older son at first. It is better for us to take toys that are broken in a bit rather than having a frustrated child on our hands. I also bring extra clothes in case of accidents or diaper disasters. Pack the lightest thing possible--a sleeper for the baby (so you don't have to deal with separates and undershirts, and so forth), extra pants for the diapered toddler, extra pants and undies for the potty trained boy.
Pack food. I don't let my kids snack at home, but I find that, with travel, having small snacky-type foods on hand can really help smooth transitions, waiting time, and other points of travel pressure. This time I brought bananas, granola bars (the chewy ones, since they are slightly less messy), sippie cups (with water), and goldfish-type crackers. On the way back, I substituted pretzel M&Ms and grapes as our snacks. Try to avoid anything that needs a utensil (like yogurt) or leaves a lot of crumbs. I also tend to avoid "little" snacks that just end up falling on the floor (like Cheerios). We tend to book early morning flights, and so I usually plan to get breakfast at the airport, which, in addition to being a treat, has the doubly nice effect of giving the kids something to do for a while while we wait.
For the airport:
Dress your kids alike. Preferrably in bright colors that are easy to spot in a crowd. This past trip, I dressed both boys in red t shirts, blue jeans, and blue zip-up sweatshirts. Birdie was wearing a red/white outfit. My kids all look alike anyway, but I've found that in airports (as on playgrounds), Popsicle colors are best.
Don't count on help. But be ready to accept it if offered. I've had flights where no one helped me (like when I was 31 weeks pregnant and traveling with Piglet and Boo by myself; Boo was a squirmy 14 month old lap child and I had no lap). I've had flights where the flight attendants thought it would be a good idea to keep the seat assignments that placed my husband, myself, my four month old baby, and 2.5 year old son all over the plane, and did nothing to facilitate seat changes until we made a major nuisance of ourselves. I've also had flights where the flight attendants tripped all over themselves to help me out, offering to hold Birdie while I used the lav, or giving me my on-flight seltzer in a cup with a lid without my asking for it. But you never know what you are going to get.
Be a pack mule. Whatever you carry on, you need to be prepared to carry it yourself through security and onto the plane, in addition to corraling your kids. My general rule of thumb is to completely contain the most rowdy child (currently, this is Boo, the almost-two-year-old). So my plan for security was as follows (and it worked out rather well): I put Boo in the ERGO on my back,* and Birdie in the
Maclaren Volo stroller. (The Volo is, in my opinion, the best airport stroller because it is lightweight, folds with one hand, has a shoulder strap, and can hold a range of ages/sizes; just leave off the rain canopy). Piglet is now old enough that I can trust him to walk alongside and not wander off or take off down the concourse without me. I put the backpack in the underbasket of the Volo (it was a tight fit, but worked), and hung the canvas bag of food from one of the handles. Piglet carried his own backpack on his back. When we get on the plane, I put Boo in the seat, and switch the ERGO to my front and put Birdie in there. I gate-check the stroller.
Take the patdown. I have had four children without drugs and breastfed three of them; I can handle a little patdown. What I cannot handle is two children running amok while I try to corral the baby, the stroller, and the carry-ons. I've always kept my children in the ERGO to go through security. Sometimes they pat me down, and sometimes not. Depends on the airport. Since I travel with bottles, sippie cups, and Birdie's medication, they always have to test everything, but I've never found that to be a big deal. Keeping the rowdy child on my back makes everything much easier.
*TMI alert. I should add that I am completely versed in the art of using the bathroom with a child on my back, front, or both. This is a crucial skill to learn when traveling with little ones.
Take potty breaks. This sounds like a no-brainer, but if you have a potty trained (or training) child, it is best to take more breaks than you absolutely think you will need because it is almost guaranteed that your child will inform you that he has to go "really bad" just as the plane is taking off. For a potty training child, even if he is accustomed to underwear, I think a pull-up is the sole of discretion in these matters, because believe me, you do not want your child to have an accident on an airplane seat. Small children are prone to distraction and get messed up when out of routine, so even very reliably potty trained little ones can sometimes have problems when travelling. Oh, and use the family restroom. I can't tell you how many airports I've been in that
don't have a changing table in the ladies'. (Seriously. What.are.they.thinking?)
On the plane:
Use a CARES harness. Skip the car seat. I've found that my older toddlers do much better on a plane in a five-point harness. The
CARES harness gives you that without the bulk of a carseat. They are FAA approved, weigh about a pound, and take up no space in your carry on. We have two, although Piglet is basically old enough to manage without it now. I've always had the babies in the ERGO for flights. The flight attendants do make you take them out for take-off and landing, but otherwise, it is okay to keep them in for the duration.
Distract, distract, distract. We don't use media as a distraction device for our children, so for those out there who forgo the DVD player and iPad as ways to keep the children entertained, I suggest keeping the distraction level high. I know it is exhausting and hard (especially when you are a traveller like me, who just wants to sit and read a book, or sleep on the plane), but believe me, the quieter you can keep your kids on the plane, the better the ride will be for everyone else. People are more likely to help you out if your kids are well-behaved. (Obviously, expectations of good behavior start at home, but that is a whole 'nother discussion). I give out books, the small number of toys I've brought, I let them tear up the in-flight magazine, or look at the emergency landing fliers (my boys are totally fascinated with these), dole out snacks, and, yes a harsh word or two to keep them in line. I'll admit, the flight itself is usually not that great, but it is still better than the two days of driving or week on the train that would be the alternative.
Be prepared for blow outs. I don't know why this is, but I've noticed that babies are a little prone to diaper blow outs on airplanes. I don't know if it is the change in air pressure or what, but be prepared. I usually put a spare sleeper in the backpack I carry on, just in case. A few plastic grocery sacks are usually a good idea as well, for wet or soiled garments.
Don't sweat the small stuff. So what if your kid has to walk off the plane without pants, or a shirt, or is sitting in the stroller in just a diaper? So what if they spend the whole flight munching on stuff you'd never give at home? As long as your child is comfortable and reasonably quiet, don't worry about it. I'm assuming that most of us are not traveling to Siberia in the depths of winter, so I think getting a change of clothing from the checked luggage on the other end will be perfectly adequate.
And when all else fails, just feign sleep and pretend the granola-smeared rowdy things in the seats next to you belong to someone else.
