The Sky is not your limit....

I'm fairly certain that at the age of 5 years old my oldest son has travelled far more than I did until I hit my 20s. The picture below is from his first time flying in May of 20129 when he was only 3 months old! (Our family is in KY and we were living in NC at the time.)

Was I scared to death flying with a three month old? Absolutely. Did I pack our entire house into my suitcase? Absolutely. Do I look back on that moment now and think "why the heck was I so scared, that was easy!"? Absolutely.

We have flown so many times with our kids now that I honestly have lost count of how many times our oldest has flown. Part of that is having family 8+ hours away and part of it is our love for travel. I'm hoping this post can help you as flying with kids does not have to be scary! In fact my boys love it and look forward to it!

How to travel:

If you are managing an infant you will have a stroller and diaper bag at the very least. I absolutely loved my Baby Jogger City Mini GT because it was light weight and had a one handed folding system. With strollers the easier to fold the better! Our double stroller is the Upper baby vista and it unfortunately does not fold or take down easy, so we don't use this when traveling. There are so many stroller systems out there so I suggest you just test out doing things with one hand or while managing a baby/kids. I love this article here too if you are looking for a better travel stroller. Now that our kids are older I love my Veer wagon for travel! It's the only system we use currently.

Car seats:

We have rarely traveled with car seats, mainly because it's just a pain. They're heavy and just generally hard to manage. If we have traveled with car seats, we check them after putting them into a car seat bag for protection. Note that you can bring them on the plane for your child but we generally have them in our lap or just in the seat with a belt. I also love the WAYB travel car seat for the plane. It's small and fits in a backpack so it's perfect for traveling. (If traveling with a child ages 1-2 it's wonderful because they can't get up on their own!)

Packing:

So a few things to consider here, mainly the age of your children and how long you are traveling for. I love a carry on bag for short trips but consider how much you are managing on the plane. If you have an infant, stroller, diaper bag, and car seat, then likely you need to just check a bag. If your kids are older and can walk on their own (or even carry their own suitcase!!), then you are probably fine with carry on luggage.

A backpack or diaper bag is a necessity for travel. It can fit under the seat so you can easily access anything you need. Obviously with infants, making sure you have diapers, wipes, bottles, breastfeeding blanket/cover. If you are traveling with a baby, you will actually need less than you think. Do not pack all the toys and books!! A couple fav toys, one book is about all you need. Your baby will be way more interested in playing with the tray table and seat belt than anything you have (not that I know this from experience)!!!

If flying with kids who can eat solids, snacks can also be a great way to pass the time. Even when my kids were younger we made it a game to grab and eat puffs out of my hand. And now that my kids have gotten older I've found that I can never bring too many snacks. I also pack their own water bottles so we always have drinks on hand. (Bring them empty until you get through security. Most airports have water bottle filling stations once inside.) I think it's important to note that the flight attendants will pass out snacks on the plane which my kids think is such a fun treat. However, don't count on that as your sole snack provider. I've been on so many flights where either the flight was too short or there was turbulence, etc and there was no drink/snack service! Big point here - pack all the snacks!

Fun:

So full confession - I always bring iPads when we travel. Traveling can be so fun but it's a lot of waiting. My kids love exploring airports or watching the planes come and go out the windows. But if a one hour layover turns into five, you're gonna need something more! This doesn't necessarily have to be a screen but whatever you think might entertain your kids for a long time. We do bring hot wheels, a few books or stickers and attempt to hold off on the iPads for as long as possible. You may also want to research your flight. Not every plane has screens for watching movies, tv. Some may have an app you can download and access entertainment or you might be on your own. In those times I'm thankful for my iPads to pass the time flying. Make sure to bring some kid friendly headphones for both their screens and the ones on the plane. (My kids are linked here.)

Other considerations/tips:

*If you have an infant, bring a baby carrier. It will make breaking down your stroller, carrying your bags and getting on/off the plane much easier. Also as far as getting on/off the plane, parents with small children are always invited to get on first. This can be a lifesaver if managing all the stuff, especially if you are flying solo with kids. However, sometimes it can be better to wait too! Once you are on, you are sitting down so know it might be better to board later or even last so your kids can run around (definitely have done this!).

*Check your airline for ID requirements. Obviously if traveling internationally you will need a passport. However, even for domestic travel some airlines require a birth certificate as a form of ID for children. (Though full disclosure - I always bring birth certificates but have never once been asked to see it.)

I'm gonna end this post with my most important piece of advice, don't stress! More than likely your child is going to throw a tantrum or your infant will start crying mid-flight but it's ok. I promise you are more stressed and upset than anyone else about it. People are generally pretty helpful to parents flying with children! Overall flying with our kids has been a fun experience and it definitely opens the doors to where you can go! Happy travels!