So you have decided to do it. To travel with your children. Do not fear, there are things you can do to prepare for SUCCESS! Check out my travel guide with 10 tips that will help you change your mindset from “We are going on a trip” to “We are taking a vacation!”
Here we go…
- Encourage each child to participate in packing their own carry on bag. They have to be able to carry it themselves through the airport. We especially love the SkipHop line of children’s backpacks.
- Snacks and treats. Pack healthy snacks and suckers in carry on backs. The suckers help with the pressure that can occur in our ears as we fly. I’ve handed off suckers to moms who were at their wits end holding a crying child too! They truly can save the day!
- Invest in a car seat “Gate Check” bag. We are able to get all three of our children’s car seats in this one bag. In the past, we’ve been known to throw a few diapers in this bag too!
- Clothing-pack layered clothing for the flight. The temps get hot and cold. We also make sure the kids have socks and tennis shoes on so that they are not flip flopping’ through the airport. We often times walk long distances in the terminals and comfort is important.
- Water Bottles-Save money and pack our children’s each a water bottle. Most airpots now have a self serve water station that you can fill these up with cold, filtered water. We are huge fans of these Thermos Foogo water bottles.
- Stroller-bring a stroller even if you think your children have grown out of it. I mentioned long walks in the terminals but those car seats are a bear to lug around as well. The stroller is also handy when going to and from the pool. We can carry all our swim stuff in it-towels, swimmers, goggles, water bottles, snacks and more!
- Be a Team- It’s important to talk to your kids about being a team and working together when you travel. Helping to carry their backpacks, push luggage when they can, hold hands so that everyone sticks together.
- Time-Everything will take longer than you think it will. Plan ahead for delays.
- Wipes, Kleenex and Clorox-Keep all of the following with you in your bag: wipes for sticky hands and messes, Kleenex for noses and Clorox wipes for the airplane. We also keep a plastic bag in my purse for emergencies. If someone wets themselves or gets sick, we have a bag to throw the soiled clothing in.
- Bags for everything. To keep everything in check, I have bags for different sets of things. A bag for sunscreen, a bag for medicine and bandaids, a bag for each child’s set of clothing so that they don’t get mixed within my suitcase.
BONUS: Tattoos-we have used these great safety tats when the kids were younger and didn’t know their phone number. If they happened to get lost, they had our phone number temporarily on them. (LINK TO SAFETY TATS)
Remember to be prepared, stay organized and YOU WILL HAVE FUN!!!
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