Traveling with kids and not turning into an alcoholic!

I have been asked by many people throughout the years how I fly with my kids and not need a bottle glass of wine when we land.

I have to admit that it took me a few horrible flights to really get it down! Alli was my test baby. Flying with Alexander is a breeze now! When I first started flying with Alli, she was about 2 months. I would visit Ohio a lot and there was no way I would drive plus Kiko and I both worked for an airline and that always helps.  The first flight with Alli was a hot mess. I thought I needed to bring all this stuff and wasn't sure what I really needed. I wanted to ensure I had everything I needed so I brought it all! I later realized what a mistake that was. Not only was it a lot to carry but I couldn't find what I needed when I needed it. I found myself trying to juggle a screaming 8 week old while digging through my diaper bag and not elbowing the person next to me. Not easy! At all! 

 My first lesson I learned was to only pack the essentials. The absolute essentials. What do you need baby lotion, a tooth brush, 5 bottles, an entire pack of diapers and every stuffed animal your baby has on a plane? The flight is only around 2 hours or so. There is no need for lots of stuff. You may want to bring extra formula or snacks in the event of a delayed or canceled flight. It will save you time on the plane to not pack your life in your bag! Not to mention the stress you feel and in turn your baby senses.

I'll break it down by ages but I can only tell you how to entertain your kid until the age of 5 since my oldest is 5!

Let's start with before you even book that ticket!  If it is possible, try to book your flight when you know your kid will be sleepy! A sleepy baby/kid makes for a great flight!  Actually, I'm going to start with my DO NOT EVER DO's!!!! Ever!!!!  Maybe if I start off with those, you won't do them!

List of DO NOT'S while traveling with kids:

1. Do not pack everything you THINK you MAY need. It is more stressful! I promise.
2. Kid on a leash sound like a good idea? Nope! Not the least bit.  Scenario: it's your kids first time flying and is super excited once they get to the gate. Your child is on a leash and you are trying to  talk with your gate agent to make sure you are at the right gate (even though you knew it you just wanted to make sure 4 times) so you are not fully paying attention to your child. The kid wants to run to see the plane pull in. What happens? You trip the old lady standing behind you because the leash just turned into a clothes line! NEVER GOOD! I promise. I have seen this. As a gate agent, I hated seeing kids on leashes. Please, do not put your kid on a leash.
3. Do not give your child ANY kind of medicine if they do not need it.  I always hear "Oh well I will just give them something to make them sleepy." NO NO NO! Heaven forbid something happens while you are on that plane and your child is now groggy and not fully with it.
4. This is just advice - Not all people on the plane appreciate a cute little face smushed in between the seats and having that face stare at them the entire flight or little hands trying to grab their magazine. I will give tips on how to keep your little one busy so that doesn't happen!
5. Candy may seem like a good idea because you are about to go on vacation but have you ever been stuck on a 3 hour flight with a kid hopped up on sugar? I have! It's never a good flight....for anyone. (I do pack sugar free suckers)
6. If you want to get a picture with the pilot because its your child's first flight, ask after you have landed to your destination and after everyone is off the plane.  The flight attendants and gate agents all have a responsibility to get that plane off the ground on time so asking while everyone is trying to get on the plane just causes delay and you may not get a picture at all. Be patient and wait! Plus, this is something you can use to keep your child good on the plane. "I'll ask for a picture with the pilot if you are good on this flight."
7. Don't intentionally keep your child up for the flight. If they are overly tired, they will fight sleep and scream their faces off until they pass out. True story!

How your child will look after sugar on a plane!

Okay, back to before you even get to the airport!  Lets pack!  I no longer need to even check a bag.  I have learned how to condense everything I need for myself and the 2 kids into a carry on if I will be gone for a weekend.  It just makes it easier for me to get out of the airport.  If I need to pack for longer than a weekend, I will check a bag.  If you are going to bring your child's favorite night time lotion or any liquid or gel that is over 3oz, put in into your checked bag! TSA won't let you bring it no matter how cute your kid is!  Pack away anything that you will need on the trip but is not needed for the drive to the airport or on the plane.  You can always get it once you have gotten your bags from the bag belt at baggage claim.  

What goes into my diaper bag: Formula is you are bottle feeding and a bottle of water. Just bring one. The TSA won't mind just one. Don't over do it.  You can always get more water on the plane from a flight attendant.  I now bring those little 4oz juices with me.  Make sure that you "declare" that you have it with the TSA. What does "declare" mean: put it in one of those stupid bins.  Side note: put ALL liquids or gels into a bin just in case!  I have also found that having those little ready made formula bottles helps a lot. Sometimes I have had to go through extra security because I've had them but it does make it easier on the plane.  Of course wipes and I always have around 5 diapers.  Put all extra diapers in checked baggage. No need to bring a lot! I will go through each age group of what I packed later down the blog.

Getting through security: Getting through security is by far the hardest thing you will do while traveling! I do it alone with 2 kids, a stroller and a carry on roller bag.  It is completely doable! I promise. What helps the most of knowing the rules.  

• Children under the age of 12 do not have to take their shoes off so don't even bother!  
• Take off all of the kids jackets, sweaters, belts or whatever extra layers they have on.  
• Have all liquids and gels on the top of your diaper bag or carry on for easy access. 
• Laptops need to go in its own bin.
• Make sure you can put down your stroller with one arm! That really helps.  You will need to figure out a good system to hold the baby (if you are alone) while getting your bags and stroller on the belt.  A lot of TSA people will help you if they see you are alone with kids but there have been many many times that I have had no help at all.
• Take a nice calming breath! You can do this!   

What to pack for ages 8 weeks to 6 months:

• Whatever you need to feed them.  I always bring a small can of formula or ready made bottles. I also pack 2 bottles. 2 is always enough.
• If you are breast feeding then bring a cover and maybe try to sit towards the back of the plane and by the window.
• Hand sanitizer.
• If your child is teething, something they can chew on.
• A blanket. You will need it!
• Something soft for their little hands to hold on it. I always would bring a little stuff animal that I knew the kids liked. It is familiar and makes them feel safe. 
• Diaper rash cream.
• Diapers and wipes.
• PJs and an extra outfit.
• Thats all she wrote!  

There isn't a serious need for much to entertainment when it comes to a  little baby so you don't need a lot of stuff.

What to pack for 7 months to 12 months:

• Again whatever you need to feed them. By this time, you will need to be packing baby food and a spoon.  I use the Gerber Organic pouches.  You don't need a spoon and it is easy clean up! (It isn't easy to open a pack of baby food during turbulence)
• A toy that makes noise but isn't loud and is small enough to not take up a lot of room in your bag.  I always bring a little play cell phone. 
• Extra outfit and PJs.
• Diaper and wipes.
• Hand sanitizer
• Diaper rash cream.
• Snacks that don't get all crumbly. Try these. 

What to pack for 13 months to 5 years old:

I dread flying with this age! They don't want to sit in their seat and tend to scream a lot. So hopefully this helps.  This is the age where I start introducing their own backpack.  I always put some fun things for them to use on the plane.  I make it a big deal and a surprise.  They can't open their backpack until they get on the plane to see what the surprise is!  It makes it fun.  Here are some ideas for their backpack:

• Extra set of clothes. For the older kids, maybe a new outfit for the backpack.
• Snacks. Again, try to not pack lots of sugary things. A hyper kid makes for an even longer flight! I normally pack chex mix, sugar free candy, or granola bars. 
• Little a pack of crayons and a new coloring book or one of those books with activities. 
• Pull-Ups for those children not yet potty trained yet!
• LeapPad! That thing has saved me soooooo much!
• If you have an iPad, maybe load some kid friendly games or a few movies!
• No iPad? Maybe get a portable DVD player. I promise you will be happy you did!
• Thank you notes. Yes. Thank you notes!  I will have Alli write a "Thank you" for each of the flight attendants and pilots.  It is super cute and will make them smile! And if all else fails, you can write a "Thanks for not screaming at me" to your neighbor if you have a fussy kid.

Pre-flight routine:

This is the routine that we do once we have clear security and made it to the gate.

Walking off all energy before the plane at the Orlando Airport!

• Find Starbucks. (Okay this one might not be on your list but its on mine!)
• Figure out where your gate is. 
• If you are using a stroller, go to the gate agent and let them know you need a tag for your stroller. This lets the guys on the ramp know that you want your stroller back at the next airport.
• Change your child's diaper or make them go to the potty. You want a fresh diaper before a flight and empty bladders.
• If it is a late flight maybe put your child in PJs. My kids fly in their PJs a lot!
• Get a bottle ready but don't give it to them yet! (Below will give you a reason why you should wait for the bottle)
• Feed your child before the flight!  Trying to have your child eat dinner on a plane can get messy and if it is turbulent then it gets really messy! So if you can, feed them on the ground! Plus it will save you that "just eat a little bit more" fight while you are stuck on a plane.
• Check to see if they have to go potty again. You do not a child doing the "pee-pee" dance as you are taking off and can't go to the bathroom.
• Finish your Starbucks and throw it away. You will have too much in your hands to try to juggle.
• Make sure you phone is charged or electronic devices for your child.

Parting advice and misc. things:

• When taking off, everyone's ears tend to pop.  To help those little ones ears that can't pop on their own, you will need to help them. How do you do that? Have them suck on a pacifier or give them a bottle while taking off. Do not give them a bottle as soon as you start to move. You never know how long the wait will be once you are on the runway. Wait until you start speeding up on the actual runway. The sucking will help their little ears pop and you won't have to deal with ear aches later!
• Remember: less is more!
• Take your time at the airport. Get there early! Side note: If you are flying out of Orlando (my home base airport) on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday, get there REALLY early.  Don't be surprised to wait an hour to an hour to 1.5 hours just to check in and another hour for security on those days.  This is why I do not check a bag! 
• If you do not have to check a bag, you can check in on a kiosk where it says "No luggage checked" or something along those lines.  It helps so you don't have to wait to check in. 
• Use hand sanitizer!
• Children on leashes = broken hips for the elderly.
• If your child can carry their own backpack, let them!
• Do not wear a tube top or strapless shirt or dress. 2 words = wardrobe malfunction.
• Enjoy a glass of wine once you've made it to your destination! You deserve it girl!

The result of a well planned out travel trip!