We went on our first family trip in September and the lead up was nothing short of full blown anxiety and stress. For one reason. The flight. I've seen SO many TikToks of babies crying on flights and child-less adults posting their rude commentary and nasty reactions. Now, best believe I'm not the mother to play with, BUT, that doesn't mean I want my babies screaming and uncomfortable during their first flight, and as an anxious flyer myself, I had to be prepared for the worst.
I watched reels and other traveling mom accounts to see how they travel with their babies. My faves are, @thetravelingchild and @whereisbriggs on Instagram. They have so many tips and resources on flying with babies/children.
Here are my top takeaways for easy flying with two toddlers. A one and a three year old.
Plan flights based on naps.
I know this seems extreme, but for my fellow parents, you know that nap time is VITAL to a good day with your babies. I timed our flights early enough so by the time we took off, it was around their nap. Waking the kids up early also helped with their tiredness on the flight. This really worked with my daughter, who fell asleep mid-flight my son was engrossed with the plane and didn't sleep at all on our departing flight. Coming home, they both fell asleep. My daughter for the WHOLE flight. Big win.
MOVIES/SCREENS
I'm a screen mom, idc. I downloaded all my babies' favorites on my cell, tablet, and iPad so they always had something to watch.
Learning Activities
Learning toys are a fantastic way to get your babes' brains going and TIRED. I bought a velcro sensory and learning playbook that allowed for easy play with tons of lessons for my son. Colors, animals, letters. and it comes with a fidget section for him. My daughter loved playing with the fidgets and strings as well.
Don't worry about anyone else.
As an anxious person, I couldn't help but be worries about everyone else's opinion of my kids if they acted up. I'm not the mother to let my kids run a much over any place were in, however their comfort was my main concern, no one else's. If my babies are happy, I am. Other passengers can try me if they'd like, but thankfully, my kids had a great flight with minimal crying and fuss.
Don't try to delay their nap so they can fly on the plane.
Yes, our departing flight was EARLY and I did that thinking they'd fall asleep on the flight. No. They ended up falling asleep in the car on the way there. I didn't worry too much. I'd rather have a happy and rested baby on the flight than an overtired one cause I tried to delay their nap. This kind of contradicts point one however it worked for our flight going home. I planned it around my kids' naps and they both fell asleep on the way home. *Chefs kiss
Check-in the day before.
Most airlines allow you to check-in for your flight. This saves so much time when you're at the airport, you can have your boarding passes on your phone, pay or your checked bags, and head right to security.
Those are my biggest takeaways when flying with my kids for the first time. Here's my shopping list that saved my life when flying.
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