Traveling With Kids: 12 Holiday Travel Tips
The Holiday season has arrived – and with it the hectic schedule of visiting relatives, buying gifts, dodging viruses and yes, the dreaded trip with millions of others to the airport.
I will list tips today that will help alleviate some of that stress, however, my biggest tip is to be flexible. Whether it be a sick child, weather delays, traffic jams on the way to the airport or viewing the word CANCELED next to your flight number, holiday travel – actually any travel with kids, requires flexibility.
If you bring with you the right attitude – then delays, cancellations, overworked and rude ticket agents, tantrum-throwing passengers (not always children), extra time on the tarmac or an ill-timed-teething baby will not ruin your family trip, but instead just be small changes that you roll with.
Holiday travel does NOT need to be a nightmare. As is true with almost every event in our life, our attitude and preparation determine the environment we are in. Whether taking a toddler to church or the store or up to 37,000 feet, we need to be prepared for the unknown OR suffer the consequences.
So with that in mind, let’s cover those holiday travel tips for flying with children while maintaining our sanity and dare I say – our family’s enjoyment of the Holidays?
Holiday Travel Tips:
1) Arm your family with flexibility – talk about and have back up plans. *Remember that travel time IS family time – make the most of it wherever you are.
2) Make health a priority- boost immunity, wash hands, eat well and rest. *A delayed flight, long lines and tense environments are NOT where you want to deal with a sick child. (Maybe it is because I am a nurse, but my first priority is always the safety and health of my child. I do, however, have a child with a heart condition who can end up in ICU from a simple cold virus, so I am quite good at boosting our immune systems and as I say “feeding our troops”.)
3) Become familiar with the TSA website and obey the rules. Do not expect airline representatives to remind you or keep you up to date on restricted items. This is not their area of expertise. Go directly to the source and check ALL bags before leaving home – kids can unknowingly delay or cause a missed flight by throwing a TSA prohibited item in their backpack or bag. Educate your family about airport security – involve children even as young as toddlers. Role play and explain things like removing shoes, putting all belongings (including blankets or stuffed animals) on the moving belt. A great tool for this is the Shae By Air DVD Toolkit.
4) Use luggage and baby supply delivery services to eliminate the headache of wasting vacation time in lines (for baggage check in and claim, lost luggage reporting, and in unfamiliar stores at destination looking for necessary baby/child supplies.)
5) Pack that carry on like your life depends on it (it may!). Do not abuse carry on limits. Instead pack smart and light! Use backpacks to keep hands free. The key to a successful flight is to be self-sufficient. Your carry-on luggage needs to provide for your family – and a short flight may turn into an extra long one on the runway or circling above. The carry-on needs to cover hunger, thirst, boredom, spills, sickness, fear, tired kids and medical emergencies. DO NOT RELY ON THE AIRLINE OR AIRPORT TO HAVE EVEN BASIC SUPPLIES! (Have you ever tried to find a diaper or bottle in the airport? How about an extra pair of preschooler underwear, Infant Motrin, or an asthma inhaler?)
6) Remember the small things. Charge cell phones and iPods, bringing chargers along for use at destination. Program important phone numbers into cell phones: Airline, Travel Agent, Hotel, Med Jet Assist, Travel Insurance Contact, and loved ones (ICE – note next of kin In Case of Emergency).
7) Keep kids safe. Purchase a seat for every passenger – regardless of age. Eliminate back strain from hauling the bulky car seat and use the 1 lb. CARES harness for kids weighing 22-44lbs. Use the Two in One Buddy Harness to keep toddlers near- parents and kids are easily distracted in airports, carry a current photo of all members of the traveling family as well as important medical records and a medical treatment consent form.
8 ) Arrive early and stay late. Allow extra time for everything. Use extra time to explore the airport and recognize the unique environment that it is. Do not rush – don’t allow long lines to impact your family stress level. And if you are not rushing for a connecting flight, allow others to deplane first -avoiding being jostled by impatient and hurried passengers. Notice the difference in tension levels once those “stressed out- in a hurry-usually upset” passengers get off of the plane!
9) Do not expect ANYTHING from the airline or airport above and beyond basic transportation. Know the policies and if there is a problem, ask to speak to a supervisor. Do not argue as it may have the opposite affect – you are in their territory. As Peter Greenberg states in his book, “The airlines have a saying – We are not happy, until YOU are not happy!” Sadly, it is reality that airline employees are overworked, underpaid, and in general under-appreciated (by employers) as well as beat up by the public during the holidays!
10) Check in online early. Obtain seat assignments online. ANY seat is better than not having an assigned seat. You can always nicely ask someone to exchange seats, but this is easier to do with window and aisle seats – nobody wants that middle seat! If seat assignments are not available until airport check in, inquire as soon as you arrive at the airport. Do not expect seats together unless you request it. Yes, a 2 year old can be seated alone since the computer does not take age into account.
11) Take responsibility for your family. Not everyone has to be affected by our choice to bring a child into this world and onto an airplane. Respect that some people may not like kids, may not have kids, and may not want them. Do not assume that flight attendants are babysitters or that all passengers are on vacation. Basic respect for boundaries is the way to keep peace. And yes, not many people will smile at families boarding a plane. Remember not to take this personally. We have all experienced kicked seats, screaming babies, and inappropriate parenting!
12) And do NOT dread this flight! Children pick up on tension, anxiety and panic. I fly every month with my toddler. I am taking him to Europe next week for the third time in 3 years. Travel is incredible and to me – an amazing gift to give to children. Take time to recognize that the whole world comes together in the unique environment of the airport and then jets off in different directions. Even if it is just a small flight to grandma’s house, take the opportunity to enjoy the journey with your kids! Interact with your children, play games, enjoy THEM- if you have to spend the time there anyway, make the most of it! See the busy, fast paced world of aviation through their eyes and provide for their needs, helping them to adjust to the changing scenery, sounds, smells, people, and even speeds on the runway!
If you follow the steps I have researched and tested time and again, you will have the time, energy, and attitude to make the flight an enjoyable part of your vacation! Travel is often the first impression of the Holiday Season!
Happy Holidays and Enjoy Your Flight!
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