Most people get anxiety just from thinking of airplane travel with a toddler. In fact, I know oodles of parents that prefer road trips because they don’t have to travel on a plane with their kids. Hopefully, this cheat sheet will help you to create magical memories with your kids on planes. Travelling with a toddler on a long haul can be a fun adventure.
Here are my tips:
1. This one is last in the video, but it’s essential to create the magic. If you go into it thinking it’s going to be the worst ever then it will be exactly that. Try to stay focused on all the good things about travelling. I often think a lot about not just the destination but about all the movies I will watch and all the candy I will eat and how my daughter and I will get hours of phone free time to be together. Get your PMA (positive mental attitude) on and try to keep that rolling. Your kids feel you more than anything – we have all seen the meltdown that went from 5-10 because we were also stressed or angry. So if you can’t be zen for you do it for your kids.
2. Snack your ass off. I make airplane travel all about treats for my toddler. We load up and she can have lots on the plane and that makes her like it a lot. She gets all kinds and me too. Any diet you are on is in suspension when you are 30,000kms above the earth. Scientifically proven. Pig out.
3. You are going to need neck pillows, sleep masks, and electronics that are loaded up. Please don’t skip this. For the love of god, have an electronic device that you don’t need yourself loaded up for your child. Do not assume you can charge on the plane. Most planes do not allow battery packs now either. Also if they pass out, take that time to sleep too. If you are long hauling it, then you will need that nap to get through the next leg.
4. Get an aisle seat. More leg room and quicker to the bathroom. You will always be blocking your child’s access to the aisle too. And never ever ever let them stretch their legs in the aisle. Once they think they can get out there and run around, that is the only thing they will want to do on the flight. Never let them do that. If they need to stretch their legs they can walk with you holding your hand to the bathroom. This is a real no negotiation for me. My daughter does not know an aisle is an option; cause it’s not.
5. My final OG, game changer tip is to pack light carryons. Some airports have you walking 5km from the check in to the gate without a cart. You are gonna buy water and treats and all that inside anyway, so keep your carryons light. My daughter has a little backpack with all her treats and games and change of clothes, water bottle, crayons (travel size of course) etc. and then I have a bag with comp and chords and passports. That’s it. Check the works. Arriving at the gate for a 10-hour flight exhausted and overwhelmed is annoying. Getting things out of the overhead bin is annoying. Plus it leaves that aisle open when you stand up which goes against #4 – always block the aisle. Keep it as light and organized as possible.
My daughter, Luna, and I love airplane travel, we love a good 32 hour travel time. Seriously. We use this time to turn off phones and be together. And watch Jennifer Lopez movies, which I am convinced are playing on repeat on planes all over the world as the main backbone to her career. I look forward to them and so does my kid. we tuck in, get cozy, snuggle up – and then ignore each other watching our tablets for 13 hours. It’s family time well spent.
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