Last month we flew to San Diego to visit my brother and it was the first time we’d flown in two years. We were definitely out of practice flying with kids and we learned a lot on both 4-5 hour flights. Many of you have said you are flying soon so I wanted to share a few tips that may help the flights go a little more smoothly.
* Pack tons of snacks and ideally some new snacks they haven’t had before and bring them out periodically. If you need an actual meal I like bringing the uncrustable sandwiches. They are just so easy. Suckers are a great option to help with their ears popping during take off and landing plus it gives a longer break from wearing a mask if needed. Also keep a few treats on hand that can be pulled out if things get out of hand.
*If using tablets make sure they are fully prepped and working ahead of time. One set of our head phones didn’t work on the way there and two movies didn’t download so we were left scrambling. Triple check everything the day before and make sure everything is charged. Many longer flights don’t have TVs anymore so I think it’s a good idea to have a tablet as an option depending on the age of your kids. We aren’t a huge tablet family but travel is an exception to that. It always makes things so much easier!
*Bring some small activities and toys. Even with iPads my kids still wanted to play a little and I’m glad we had a few no mess coloring pads, sticker books, and small toys. Don’t pull them all out at once – let them be little surprises as you need them. Here are links to some of my favorites:
Melissa and Doug Water Wow Pads
Melissa and Doug reusable sticker pad
* Mid-morning flights have always worked best for my kids. They usually aren’t tired yet and are in the best moods of the day. If you have the ability to plan your timing I would recommend trying for that time for both flights.
* Fortunately both of kids do pretty well wearing masks but I know that is a big worry for flying with young kids and whether they will leave them on. My biggest pieces of advice are to practice wearing masks at home beforehand and talking about how cool masks are to wear. During the flight having lots of snacks and suckers can help with taking those breaks. All you can do is the best you can and hopefully you’ll have understanding flight attendants like we did.
* One of the most important things is trying to keep a good attitude and your expectations realistic. Travel days can be stressful but I find that my energy and attitude really sets the tone for the family. Keeping my expectations realistic really helps with that so I don’t go in thinking things will be better than they may and it’s good to know that most likely you will be entertaining and tending to your kids for a majority of the flight.
This time I think I was a little too confident that the flight wouldn’t be that bad so when the kids were a little loud and people around us weren’t very kind I got upset and a little overwhelmed. I’d go back and tell myself not to let a few bad moments derail things and the flight would be over before I knew it. We can’t control the attitudes of the people sitting around us but we can control our attitudes and response.
I hope these are helpful and that you all have a good experience on any flights coming up! As always please share any of your tips back on my Instagram post.
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