Traveling With Kids on Planes
by Audrey Okaneko
I was at the airport last week and felt so sorry for a few kids who obviously had been on a long flight and were now quite cranky.
I’d like to offer some tips on traveling with kids:
1. Have your kids prepare their own packing lists. You can download a shell or base for them, but from there have them create their own lists. One of my daughters can actually spend hours and hours thinking about the clothes she wants to take, the accessories she wants to take and even the music she wants to add to her iPod before we leave.
2. Make a schedule the week before leaving so that everyone has the opportunity to wash their favorite clothes and then pack them. I know both my younger daughter and I have taken dirty clothes on trips as we wanted/needed a certain item and it was dirty.
3. Prepare your luggage. Make sure zippers work. Make sure you air out the suitcase before packing it. Check the address on your luggage and make sure it’s your current address. And then tie on ribbon or yarn to make your suitcase stand out. If your suitcase has two handles tie the ribbon or yarn around both handles.
4. Offer ideas to your kids for snacks and toys/games to bring on the plane with you. When my kids were younger, I tried to buy new items for the plane trips, items they had not yet the opportunity to become bored with.
5. Most flights do not include a meal. Make sure to pack plenty of snacks. We always bring pretzels or crackers, a sandwich, an apple and even some cookies. We also pack empty water bottles that we can fill up once we’re through security.
6. If your kids are young, don’t rush to pre-board. I always see parents rush to pre-board with their kids, trying to “take advantage” of the call for those traveling with young children. The problem is your kids now have to sit in a seat and no longer have space to move. Pre-boarding could increase their on board time by as much as thirty minutes.
7. When your kids pack their carry-on case, make sure they put in a change of clothes. You never know when your luggage might get lost and having that one change of clothes allows you to wash out what you wore traveling while putting on something fresh.
8. Depending on how many children you have and how many adults are going on this trip, consider having your toddlers wear ID bracelets. Airports are huge and with so many people in the airport, it is not uncommon for a small child to get lost in the crowd.
Trips and vacations can be a lot of fun. These are just a few tips that have helped our family over the years. Think through your trip and all of the things you can do to make it fun for everyone. Enjoy your travels!
Audrey Okaneko is mom to two girls. She can be reached at audreyoka@cox.net or visited at http://www.todays-parent.com
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