Travelling With Children

I know --- Many ways to travel with your kids.  But take it from these two Moms, for tips on how to get through it.  

2 Moms, 2 Views.

View #1

Flying With Kids

School is coming to an end this week for most and many have some planned holidays to getaway at some point to enjoy our short summer or have a break from the hustle & bustle to enjoy some quality family time.

My original idea for this blog was to advise on ways to make travelling with young children easier but there really isn't a solution...apologies!  You have just got to grab the bull by the horns...close your eyes (figuratively speaking) and just do it.  Or not at all.  If they are in a bad mood it will be hell.  If they are happy, it will be bearable.  That is all.

Our kids are ages 5 & 7 and we have been fortunate enough to travel by plane yearly from when they were a very young age long haul.  Typically they have a little more time on average before they ask the question:  'Are we there yet?!'

We still get to board the plane early as parents with young children usually do.  I have always had mixed feelings about this...though you are rest assured that your bags are stowed near you; you are sat on the plane for much longer.  

As we went to board the plane recently, we passed a family travelling with baby twins and a toddler.  Seriously God help them!  It is hard enough trying to entertain one child yet alone three when there are only two of you confined to a very small area.  Have you ever tried changing a poopy diaper in an airplane bathroom?  I have.  Let's throw in some turbulence.  Fun!  If you are flying with a baby...expect more than regular poops & messy ones.  Lots of wipes and a couple of clean onesies should be sufficient.  Fingers crossed.

For our kids it is different now as for one they are diaperless but they have more of an awareness of where we are going and excitement ensues.   30 minutes in the air and S asks how much longer it will be and I am sure we discussed how long 7 hours would feel to be sitting on the plane...obviously it didn't resonate.  

So!  Thank goodness for inflight entertainment on long haul flights...when they work!  D (my son) was so excited to play games on the back of a plane seat and when it didn't work due to a technical issue it was kind of the end of the world in his little mind.   We were two hours into our flight before it was fixed and what a relief it was!  The kids had their tablets but I was going out of my mind...lol...I just wanted to zone out to a movie.

I made sure I had plenty of snacks ready as and the snack cart is often delayed if there is turbulence so don't rely on it.  So in addition to this you should also think about taking the following with you on the plane:

• Water bottle from duty free
• Sticker books (colouring books require markers or crayons that constantly fall on the ground)
• Stuffies (one per child)
• Travel pillows
• Tablets (with loaded games or movies)
• Cups with lids (to avoid spills)
• Wipes
• Change of clothes
• Layering clothes in case it is too hot or cool in flight 
• Kids headphones (Air Canada & Air Transat usually provide them)

All the above made our flight a little more comfortable and things went pretty smoothly.  We even had people around us comment at how well behaved they were!  It doesn't always end this way but I am sure glad it did.

So you might be wondering, why take a change of clothes?  I was convinced that at least one of them would end up with their dinner all over them.  This was a back up just in case.  As it turned out the kids were spotless but there luggage came on a later plane (ugh) so the extra clothes did come in handy for a different reason!

You just can't control the inevitable when flying with kids.  What you can do is hope that when you get to your destination an amazing time will be had by all!  

NB xo

View #2

Travelling with Children

Sounds scary, am I right?! It can be. It's a lot of work. Let's not call it a vacation, or a holiday. Let's call it what it really is, an expensive, stressful, whirlwind of a time, attempting to make happy family memories. Chances are your kids will have a great time and love it, they won't notice how overwhelmed you are, and that's all that matters.

Before having children, my husband and I would travel every winter, at least once. Each year we’d visit new destinations in the sunny south, usually booking them only two weeks out. In the summer, we loved a good road trip. As we began our family these trips started to slow down. The first year we went solo, and realized how hard it was to be away from our baby. The next year we took our then-toddler with us to Florida, and discovered it wasn't too bad travelling with a young child, when you have family along to help out! Of course, you have to factor nap time into each day, and meals out aren't quite as fun as you're taking turns walking around the restaurant. But it got us away from home and away from the brutal winter’s we’re faced with in Barrie. After that we hung up our travellers’ hats for a few years, recognizing it just wasn't worth the expense for all the stress and upheaval that it caused for our family.

This past winter, our family of five ventured to Mexico, and despite some major hiccups, we had a good vacation! We waited until our youngest was old enough to skip naps, to know not to run on the pool deck, and to understand when she was presented with an ice cream bribery!

This summer, we’re planning a trip to British Columbia to visit family.  It will be a longer flight, and we’ll be travelling around a bit once in the Vancouver area, visiting different people and areas. I pack them each a back pack with little activities and snacks for the plane, along with their favourite stuffie or blanket, and of course a well stocked iPad with movies to pass the time. One thing I find helpful when away, is to set them up in beds together like a sleep over. They think it's fun (usually), and it keeps them from getting lonely or home sick. I also pack my favourite essential oil to promote relaxation at night time, and just roll it on their pillow when I tuck them in. I think it also helps when away to have the option of making meals in our own little kitchen, or staying with family/friends where you can have use of their kitchen. The expense of taking a family of five out for every meal is huge, but also it gets redundant, and it's nice to be able to have a casual breakfast or lunch, without the big production of going out. I also choose to dress the kids in bright colours when going somewhere that's really busy.  My middle son has been know to be a bit of a flight risk, so knowing I can spot him easily in his fluorescent pink shirt, makes me slightly more at ease!

Do you have any tips for travelling with children? How do you keep your cool when away from home and out of your element?

I'm sure we’ll have a great time, and make some fabulous memories that I hope my children keep with them as they get older. I'll just make that my mantra as I sip my wine on the flight there…

B.