The journey begins with careful planning and packing:
We all know and understand how much gear is needed when traveling with small children. This is true whether they are babies, toddlers, or youth. They require large amounts of traps. So making a list several days in advance and adding to it as you think about it will help bring everything together in the end.
Try to adjust it to needs, such as:
*For babies: diapers, formula and baby food. You’d be surprised how many people think airlines provide these items as a courtesy. That may still be true, in some cases, on international flights or on some other countries’ airlines, but in the United States, that is not the case. Domestic carriers do not have these items available. Please bring a sufficient amount for your flight plus extras in case of delay.
*For young children: pack their favorite toy or blanket that is comfortable for them. Bring snacks, toddler food, fruit, crackers, whatever they eat. But please bring them food. Unless you plan to buy food at the airport (it gets expensive), this is essential.
*Toys: Pack your favorite small toys. Stuffed animals large enough to require a seat should be left at home. Also, children love to have a book read to them or someone to color with them.
*For older children: the all-important portable DVD and movies they’ll enjoy watching. This is also great for small children. Don’t forget the PSP-2 and games, or the Nintendo DS Lite. These are your friends when you travel with this age group.
*MOST IMPORTANT: Please bring headphones for these electronic items. There will be no end to the dirty looks you’ll get and the complaints your flight attendants will get if you forget them.
*Food – What child in this age group do you know who doesn’t like to eat? Bring your snacks, as this age group generally wants to eat more than the small bag of pretzels or snack mix they’ll get on the plane.
Mom and Dad, you are parents, not pack mules. It is most appropriate for your children to bring their own small backpack or rolling suitcase that contains all their goodies. Also, you need at least one hand to retrieve them when they get away from you, and they do! I have even seen 2-3 year olds pulling their beanbags behind them which are all decorated with the latest in vogue character. Too cute! You will need your strength to fight with the car seat and your own suitcase in the overhead compartment. Must!
**Special Note: Please, please do not pack or check in cargo any medication that you or your children need to take regularly. These must be in separate bags of a quarter and be identified before the TSA in security.
For complete and detailed information on Transportation Security Administration rules and regulations, please refer to their website: Click Here
We’re at the airport – oh my gosh, look at the security line! – Did you remember to pack your patience?
First and foremost: Give yourself plenty of time to get to the airport! Please leave early and allow yourself plenty of time to complete your check-in and clearance through the security process. I say again, allow plenty of time.
Now the real fun begins, but you can do this. Just take a deep breath and get in line. I hope, dear friends, that you have checked out those three very large suitcases that you packed with 17 days worth of clothes for your 4-day weekend excursion. If not, turn around, head to the ticket office, and do it right away. This is especially true if all of your toiletries are packed, over 3 ounces, and not in a quart-size zip-top freezer bag. If you haven’t heard, that’s the rule, “3/1/1”. No more than three ounces in a bottle, in a quart bag, and one per person. If you check that bag though, hey, no problem. Not to mention, do you really want to fight them, along with your children and all their belongings, on the plane and save them? NOT. CHECK that bag!!
As you stand in line, chase the little ones, try to drink your coffee, and referee the fighting brothers, get out your tickets and ID as you’re going to need them.
Once you’ve made it to the front of the line and have given Mr. (or Mrs.) TSA Inspector your IDs and tickets:
*Throw all the bags, strollers and other items you brought with you onto the conveyor belt to go through the scanner.
* If you have bottles containing formula or breast milk, baby food, or juice bottles, please notify the TSA agent and separate them from your 3/1/1 bag.
*All laptops and DVDs must be placed in a separate container.
*Don’t forget to take off your shoes, the little ones too.
*You must let young children through security on their own. Babies, of course, you carry them, you have to take them out of the stroller or the baby carrier they are in. Sorry, you can’t keep them in the harness on your front, you have to carry them.
The TSA will never separate you from your children, so don’t worry about this.
Once you and your little ones have cleared security, pack up all your belongings, put your shoes back on, and head out the door. Be sure to check one more time to make sure you have collected all of your items, especially DVDs and laptops that have been removed from their case. I’ve seen people leave them, and it’s a frantic race to go back and get them back. People have missed their flights this way.
We have small children. What do you mean we can’t have seats together? – Remember, that patience you packed?
Okay, now you’re exhausted from the security clearance process, the kids are crying, and the gate area is packed. Good complaint! Ah, but you’re on vacation!
Approaching the gate agent, he learns that the plane is in an overbooked situation and he must wait for those seats to be assigned. (Whoa! Didn’t you check in early online and reserve those seats? That’s another whole article.)
Most agents will do everything they can to get young children to sit with their parents. If the worst case scenario happens and you are separated from one of your little ones, there is still hope. The agent is going to pass you on to the flight attendants anyway, so here’s what to do.
*Identify yourself and the problem at the aircraft gate, state the problem and ask for assistance. He didn’t come!
* Go to the first seat you are assigned, see who is sitting around you, tell them you are separated from your children, and ask if you could switch seats. If they don’t cooperate, ask them which one they would like to sit next to and keep an eye on during the flight. (Isn’t it lovely to be devious?) I’m kidding about this. Typically, a flight attendant will follow you to your seats and try to work with the other passengers to get seats together. It can be a hassle, but it works.
*If you have purchased a car seat for your infant or toddler and are using a car seat for this child, the car seat must go next to a window, so make sure any seating group you get for your family has a window seat. seat by the window. However, if the aircraft is a wide-body aircraft, meaning there are two aisles on the aircraft instead of one, the car seat may be in the center section as long as it does not block any passenger from reaching the aisle, in case of an emergency.
Are we there yet? – Fun things to do until you’re there!
I know that every parent who has ever traveled with a child has heard this more than once. I know I have. But I can tell you that if you’ve followed some of the packing advice I’ve given you above, you’re prepared for this question.
A good rule of thumb is not to drag all the entertainment items you brought along at the same time. Pull out one at a time as they get bored with the first. Then save the first one so you don’t have to clean as much at the end of the flight.
Turn on the DVD or GameBoy Advance after the announcement about the use of electronic devices is made. If you have more than one child in the same age group, make sure they sit together and watch the DVD. Use that splitter for the headphones so two can watch at the same time.
Pull out a book or coloring book and a snack.
If you’re lucky enough to fly with an airline that has TV on Demand, great, you’ve got coverage for older children. They love that feature. Not all airlines have this, so be prepared with your own entertainment.
If you’ve gotten your kids out of school for this little vacation, now is the perfect time for them to work on some of their schoolwork that they might have packed (or you did, because they wouldn’t). Bribery is good: “If you do it now, you won’t have to worry about the rest of our vacation.” It’s also the perfect time for a little one-on-one tutoring on a subject they might need help with. He is, after all, a captive audience.
Of course, there is the ultimate entertainment on the plane: your flight attendants. Children love to see them move down the aisle with the food or drink carts.
When you finally arrive at your destination, remember to “check seatback pockets, overhead compartments, and coat closets for any personal items you may have brought on board.” Especially, don’t forget small electronics or cell phones in the back seat pockets.
Kids love to visit the cabin and get their picture taken with the Captain. Leaving the plane is the perfect time to do it. In the old days, a happy time, we could bring the children into the cabin during the flight and take a picture of them. Unfortunately, in today’s world, it must be done before or after takeoff. All the captains and first officers I worked with were happy to take pictures with the children.
I hope you got something useful out of this article. I flew a long time and saw a lot of people get in and out of the plane. Many of my favorite passengers were children. They are fun, fresh and above all genuine.
I wish you pleasant journeys.
