My kids are professional travelers. Both by car and airplane. My older son took his first flight at 7-weeks-old and hasn’t stopped since. We have had it all happen. From diaper explosions, crying for hours on a flight, to having the 25-year-old male TSA Agent inspect 60 ounces of frozen breast milk.
Flying with young kids can be fun if you prepare ahead of time! I love when we get sat in the same row as a grandma flying across the country to see her own grandchildren. She talks to the kids and plays with them the entire flight. My kids have a collection of pilot wings, and they love getting a treat from the snack cart.
I am more efficient at going through security than most people. I am absolutely bragging about this because it's a skill I've worked hard on. I also know that the less stressed I am, the less stressed my kids – and those around us – will be! One time we were going through security. I had an infant strapped to my chest, a toddler at my feet, a stroller, and a carry-on bag. A very impatient guy behind us said, “can I please go ahead of you, I know how long this can take.” I gave him my best, are you kidding me look, and said, “sure go ahead, but I bet I’m still faster than you.” And you know what? I was. He forgot about his belt, the change in his pocket, and that pesky laptop computer that needs to come out of the bag.
So here are some of my best tips for flying with kids, especially younger ones:
✈️ Don’t Overpack Your Carry-On. This is hard. You want to be prepared, but lugging too much stuff through airport security can be exhausting. My rule of thumb is always one extra outfit per kid and an extra shirt for mom/dad. Then I calculate the travel time and do one diaper per hour. I would also bring several extra pacifiers (if your kid uses one). Because once those things fall under an airplane seat, you definitely don’t want to stick it back in your baby’s mouth. And of course snacks, bottles/formula, and any necessary medicine or comfort items.
✈️ Conquer Security Like a Boss. Seriously, don’t go up there frazzled and unprepared. Wear as little extra clothing as possible because scarves, sweaters, sunglasses, and belts all have to come off. My travel attire is always leggings, shirt, tennis shoes. Always. Before you get in line, pull out your laptop, tablets and any other mobile devices. Do not stand in line and do this. Many airports are now making you take out food in addition to liquids. Have this all in one place. Pull it all out in one ziplock bag.
✈️ Keep Your Hands Available. You can babywear through security and you can gate-check your stroller for free. Either way, you’ll go through the metal detector then a TSA Agent will swab your hands. If your stroller is small enough to fit on the conveyor belt it has to go through it. If not, it’ll go through the metal detector then will be manually screened. Know how to fold up your stroller ahead of time.
✈️ Potty Break. Allow yourself extra time to get through security and hit the bathroom before you get on the plane. If you’ve ever changed a baby in the tiny airplane bathroom, you know why this matters.
✈️ The Multi Bag System. I rarely let my kids carry their own bag. I carry one decent-sized backpack with everyone’s stuff. Then when we get on the plane I pull out those cheap reusable grocery bags and I put each kids stuff in it. This allows you to keep things separate – especially if baby brother can’t have big brother’s snack. And it allows the kids to feel like they have some control over their items.
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✈️ Milk. My toddler loved milk. We learned the hard way that they don’t always have milk on planes. Buy some after you get through security if it will keep your child calm.
✈️ Create a Busy Binder. Before trips, I put together a binder full of zip lock bags. Each bag has a simple activity. I pull them out when the kids start to get cranky. I’ll post examples below. This is also great for driving!
✈️ Headphones. Many airlines have little TVs in the seat backs and will give you free earbuds. While this is really nice, the earbuds are big and will constantly fall out of your kid's ears. Bring some kid-sized headphones to use with either the airplane TV or their own electronic device. This will help kids hear their show without having Mickey Mouse at max volume disturbing nearby passengers.
✈️ Car Seats on Airplanes. Double check that your car seat is TSA approved – it will be on the little sticker in the back or on the side. If it is, it is legal for you to bring this car seat on the plane. You will get eye rolls from some flight attendants and definitely other passengers, but you do you, momma. We use the rolling car seat carts and treat them like strollers. We strap each kid into his car seat and push him through the airport. If you are using car seats in lieu of a lap-held infant (2 and under), each person must have his or her own purchased seat.
✈️ Proof of ID. I have only been asked for proof of ID for my child one time. It was when my son was almost 2, but not quite. The airline wanted to see proof of age. With that said, I always carry a copy of their birth certificates just in case.
Be prepared for some dirty looks, but don’t sweat it! Kids and babies have a right to fly for any reason. If you have an older kid, talk to them about the process and “rules” of the airplane. For younger kids, try to be as calm as possible to keep them calm as well. If all else fails, be prepared with some bribes – candy and iPads work wonders in our family!
Busy Binder Ideas:
- Washi tape – let them rip pieces off and stick to the tray table. Then peel them all off to throw away.
- Tupper ware lids and pipe cleaner – punch holes in Tupperware lids and have them thread the pipe cleaner through the holes to make shapes and objects.
- Water wonder books – these are the little books with the water “pen” that colors and then dries up. I buy new ones to surprise them each time.
- Silly putty – unlike playdoh, silly putty does not leave tiny chunks everywhere, so it’s a good plane activity.
- Wikki Stix.
- Triangle crayons and paper for coloring and drawing.
- New books.
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