Easy Strategies to Stress Free Air Travel with Kids
Air travel with kids can be a daunting task. Knowing and avoiding travel troubles is the concern of most parents. No parent wants to be in the awkward situation of having their own child cry or misbehave during most of a flight. Traveling with babies has its own set of dynamics but traveling with school-aged kids can sometimes be overlooked because once we’re out of the baby phase we think, “Phew! We’re in the clear!” However, traveling with children between the ages of 6 and 10 still requires forward thinking and a little more preparation than just packing a bag and brushing up on TSA requirements.
I prepared and planned a few extra things to help our young lady have a special air travel experience with just mom. Perhaps you too can try a few of these tricks on your next trip with your big kids.
Recently I went on a special trip with my 10 year old daughter. As I was preparing for our trip I found myself contemplating how to help make the air travel portion as easy on her as possible. She is our adventurous spirit, and will tackle new things with bravery and confidence. This trip wasn’t without it’s unknowns, we got lost a few times on highways, had a three hour flight delay, and arrived back to Colorado during some significant snowfall. But she tackled it all with a great attitude and had a pretty good laugh at me when I piled into the car, after it was all said and done, drenched from snow. Overall though, we had an amazing time and I’m still basking in the fun that was family, Texas warmth, and yep…Magnolia. Hop over to my instagram and catch up on all the highlights from our day at the Silos. All I can say is, W.O.R.T.H. I.T!
“Can I have the window seat?”
Little Miss asked to sit by the window on both legs of the trip. So, yep, I was stuck with the middle. She loved looking out the window almost the entire time. I thought the novelty would be lost on her (she’s flown several times already) but it wasn’t. Let the magic and adventure of travel be something you savor with your child. I was certainly reminded of that each time the plane took off.
“I’m hungry, can I have a snack?”
We plan on a decent sized snack budget at the airport. I always buy a water bottle with a sport top for the kids at a snack shop in the terminal. Then we re-use the same water bottle throughout the whole trip. Because, yes, I’m that mom who buys their kid nice water bottles for school and day to day life. So I don’t like to risk it getting lost, broken or stolen on a trip. I also try to buy a snack for the actual plane ride. On the way home I didn’t let my daughter get a drink from the flight attendant either because it didn’t have a lid, and there was a little bit of turbulence. She was content with her capped apple juice and trail mix. Knowing our flight would be mess free was worth the extra money I spent on snacks.
Travel Safety with Kids…
During this trip I was able to accompany my daughter everywhere. She never went to the restroom unaccompanied, and I was able to essentially be her shadow at all times. I have however, traveled solo with both of our kids before and managing the restroom with two independent big kid potty-ers of opposite genders is a little nerve wracking. Many airports now offer family restrooms which is highly appreciated. My son accompanied me into the women’s restroom without issue until he was 10. But now, my solution, when it concerns my young teenage son, is that I stand guard right outside the restroom. Both of the kids are equipped with a whistle around their neck as a safety precaution. I am by no means a worrier as a mama but I do think it’s important to instruct my children on safety protocols when needed. Zoos, museums, airports, concerts, public pools, and amusement parks all qualify as times when we refresh on safe behaviors. As soon as we park the car at any of these locations I do a quick brush up on safety and expectations.
“Do you have my charger?”
I carried her chargers and device power cords with me. I was so glad I had them with me, and not in the checked suitcase, because our flight was delayed for three hours due to storms so it definitely came in handy.
Speaking of the suitcase…
Years ago, I read somewhere that when your child, younger than eight, is walking any distance longer than half a mile, they may not be ready to have anything on their back. Little Miss is 10 and I still made sure her backpack wasn’t too heavy. She had a small blanket, a couple light books, her purse (no money though), e-reader, and iPod. Once she was carrying her snack and water, she mentioned that it was getting a little heavy! We quickly found a cozy spot (near an outlet) to camp for the duration of our delay. Another little bit of comfort I afforded myself, we a large suitcase for the weekend and I checked it. So we each had our backpacks as we walked through the terminal and it made my management of our belongings very doable.
Savor the Memories
Carving out one on one time with each of my kids is getting harder as they get older. My husband has had the benefit of traveling solo with our son before. Now, I’ve been able to do so with our daughter. I’m so thankful to have prioritized the getaway. She and I made so many special memories on this special Spring Break Trip to see family. I can’t wait to hop on a plane with her again. More importantly, I know she looks back at our trip with happy memories too.
