Traveling with kids gives me anxiety like no other. Before our recent trip to Hawaii I would stay awake nights imagining all the potentially horrible/embarrassing/uncomfortable scenarios that could take place on our 6+ Hr flight to Honolulu. I read all sorts of blog posts and found them pretty helpful but I thought I would compile a list of my own; if not to ease your anxiety than to be a reminder for the next time I'm brave enough to venture out of town, skittles in tow.
Booking:
First off, although for ages 2 and under you are not required to purchase a seat I would definitely recommend it. Even with an infant that doesn't need a seatbelt to be contained from causing havoc all over the plane I have read that in case of an emergency the child will have to be held down on the floor of the plane to keep them safe from injury. I have not been able to verify that 100% at this point but the fact that I can put the child down to sleep for however long they're willing to in order to catch some rest of my own is reason enough for me.
Secondly, I booked seats way at the very back of the plane and I am soooo glad that I did. Not only were there several empty seats around us that we were able to spread out to after take off, we were right next to the flight attendants station so we were able to get anything we needed without waiting to flag them down but my cute kids charmed the pants (or skirts rather) right off these ladies and we got a lot of snacks and drinks for free.
Also, we were super close to the engine. If I was traveling without kids I would never book those seats because it is really loud after take off but you get used to it and during the flight it not only covers up the sound of all the fussing kids (especially your own!) but gives your kids white noise to lull them to sleep and keep them sleeping far longer than they normally would on a plane full of people. Meanwhile, I enlisted the help of earplugs and a good book.
I brought extra earplugs for passengers around us in case Beckham had a melt down or two but didn't end up needing them because we had so much space to ourselves and the plane noise muffled most of our noises. Please, please be careful though. These are a major choking hazard so be mindful of where you put the spare ones and always throw yours away after the trip so your baby doesn't get into your purse and decide they look like a tasty treat. I got mine off of Amazon and paid $6 for 20 pairs.
There was a super cute mom near us that was traveling alone with a 2-year-old and a 6-month-old and she handled it like a pro. When we got friendly she told me that she actually flies every few months to Hawaii to visit family and her husband can't always take work off so she often travels solo with the kiddos! She was such a rock star managing to keep both of her girls quiet and entertained whilst looking chic and fabulous the entire trip. Totally my traveling momma idol. I noticed that she gave her kids something to suck on or eat during take off and landing- I had read too that this helps with the pressure changes in the cabin that can cause ear aches in little ones. For Boston I handed him some gum and gave Beckham a sippy cup with juice. For infants trying to nurse during this time is a good idea as well.
As far as where you're staying, if you're lucky enough to be able to stay with family than by all means do but I have learned that between a hotel and a condo I would do a condo over and over again. In Hawaii we stayed at Turtle Bay in an ocean villa so we were able to enjoy the amenities of a hotel (ie. pool, private beach, nearby restaurant and gift shop) but also had the privacy of a condo and a washer and dryer in our unit(which got A LOT of use let me tell you)!
Although I have loved exploring the islands more fully in the past, this trip, after the long flight and subsequent drive to the resort, I was happy to stay at the resort the remainder of our trip. We were nearby our room for nap time and, after grocery shopping, we had everything we needed to stay the week. Also, the owners often keep items you forget to or don't have room to pack such as sand toys and beach chairs which make your trip infinitely more enjoyable.
Packing:
Packing for a trip is a nightmare for me. I always pack half of my closet and then end up not wanting to wear anything I bring. Apparently, I pack the half of my closet I never wear and spend the entire trip in clothes that are uncomfortable or just not my style. (I really need to clean out my closet...). I think, later on, I will have to do some research and post some travel style tips that I can use the next time I travel because this is a real problem for me.
Packing for the kids isn't as difficult for me. I basically over pack underwear and diapers/pull ups and socks. I usually pack one pair of pants/shorts for each day we'll be there and 1 1/2 tops. For example: for a 7 day trip I would pack 7 bottoms and 10 tops. My kids tend to spill on their shirts a lot and it is not unusual for a midday shirt change in our house. They can wear a pair of jeans or shorts twice so we have plenty extra in case of accidents.
Also, I divide their diapers and wipes into 3 places in case a suitcase goes missing or the diaper bag gets left behind. On our trip to Turtle Bay I had 8-10 diapers in the diaper bag and 20 in each Beckham's suitcase and mine. Yes 50 diapers for 7 days is a lot but I definitely err on the side of caution on this. I also pack two full packs of wipes and then a travel size. One full goes in the diaper bag, the other in Beckham's suitcase and the travel in mine just in case. I used up nearly a dozen wipes on our flight because we basically just ate snacks for 7 hours and wiped noses and hands and tried to clean up the seat before we left to keep us in the flight attendants good graces (several were going to be on our return trip the following week). Same goes with binkies. I pack 2 in the diaper bag and one in each suitcase. I had to buy more for this trip but we lost one before our flight was over so in this case I was so glad I am a little neurotic.
I always pack at least one spare swimming suit for each of us because no one likes putting on a cold wet swimming suit if it hasn't had time to dry properly.... And we do A LOT of swimming. I always pack each of us a swim shirt as well because once your shoulders have inevitably gotten a little burned it does wonders to protect them, much more than a regular t-shirt and sunscreen does not protect your sensitive skin from the heat of the sun once they've been burned. I also recommend packing crocs or swimshoes when you're going to a beach, small pieces of shell or dried seaweed can easily cut little toes and help smaller children to be a little more steady on their feet in the sand.
In the diaper bag....
The diaper bag is my very own Mary Poppins bag of tricks. At any given time I have a spare binkie or two, a plethora of diapers and wipes, a couple different kinds of snacks(fruit snacks, crackers, pop tarts, fruit, etc), a little used book that will hold Beckham's attention, a small toy for Boston(and/or crayons and a small notebook), gum, spare pair (or two!) of socks, a spare bottle or sippy cup, clean underwear for Boston (just in case!), teething tablets and/or Orajel for Beckham, sunscreen, Chapstick, a small bottle of water and/or juice box. Yes, my diaper bag is large and a little on the heavy side but, in my opinion, totally worth it.
On the flight I had all these things plus our IDs, another activity for each of the kids (that was new and would keep them occupied), also we couldn't bring liquid in a carryon so I had to pack the sunscreen and lotions in our suitcase and pay $4 for a bottle of water once we for through security OR bring an extra, empty bottle of water or two and fill them up at the drinking fountains. Genius! (this was my mother-in-law's idea, thank you Marta!)
Navigating the airport:
Always, always, ALWAYS keep proper identification on hand for your entire family and check OFTEN to make sure you haven't lost it or left it lying somewhere. I find travel wallets quite helpful in keeping the documents all together as well as easy to identify in an overly full purse or diaper bag. They are inexpensive and easy to find online.
It is important to explain to older children that the security gate is not a place to goof off. The security officers at airports do not mess around or appreciate your efforts to be friendly. So take their no-nonsense approach and get through security as quickly as possible and move on with your life!
Dress yourself and the kids in clothes that will help get through faster: cotton bottoms and tops with a light sweater and shoes that slip on and off quickly. Avoid belts or tennis shoes that need to be tied after removing them. Also, I would recommend putting all electronic devices in the same bag so you don't need to worry about searching through every single bag for iPads, laptops and DVD players when you're asked to remove them for the scanner.
After getting through security with the boys we split up and one of us took Boston to get snacks and then to our terminal and let him goof off and chat with strangers to his heart's content while the other basically followed Beckham all over the airport. We made sure we were near enough to the terminal once our flight time was close but didn't want to put Beckham in his seat any sooner than necessary.
Beckham is quite small for his age so we brought his infant car seat that attaches to the stroller base (both of which the airport does not charge you to fly with) and we were able to pile quite a lot into that and push it effortlessly throughout the airport.
While the child restraints or leashes are not a bad idea it didn't really work for us at Beckham's age. He has enough trouble with clumsiness and the leash basically caused him to trip more often and we ended up burying it at the bottom of the suitcase.
I should mention that the flight attendants often offer to seat families with small children first and we have made the mistake before of hurrying to get settled only to wait an hour for the last of the passengers to board and the flight to take off. I would not do this again. I now wait to be nearly the last person on the flight to let the kids get as much energy out as possible and minimize the time we spend onboard.
I think the best piece of advice I can give though is not to stress and to lower your expectations. I was expecting Beckham to be naughty the entire flight so I was pleasantly surprised when he only cried about an hour or so of the flight. I expected Boston to be super bored and irritable and was happy when he only began bouncing off the walls shortly before landing
At the end of the day, the other passengers will most likely be as sensitive and helpful to your situation as they can and if they are the rude sort that expect children to be seen and not heard than you can be a shining example to them of a patient parent who understands that children's needs are different to our own and all they really need is our love and patience.
Enjoy your trip whatever you do and cherish the moments when our kids are little. It will be over before you know it and I have a feeling it will leave us looking back longing for the days when our babies wanted to be cuddled the whole long flight across the country.
Xoxo
