HOLIDAY TRAVEL WITH CHILDREN PART ONE: TRAVELING BY PLANE
Happy Holidays! The winter holidays are here, and many families are traveling. Traveling as a family can be sweet and meaningful. But it can also be stressful for parents and children to change routines and visit new places. Airports and air travel can be especially stressful for parents since they have little control over the schedule and circumstances.
Here are some short and sweet tips for making air travel with kids less stressful and fun. (See our previous posts on cold and cough season for ways to boost immune systems if you are concerned about extra germs during holiday travel).
Traveling by Plane
Rule number one: Give yourself a lot of extra time for everything. Your children will enjoy traveling more if you are not rushed and stressed by timelines. Get yourself mentally ready for their needs, potty breaks, rest, and food.
Rule number two: You cannot over pack snacks. Have lots of healthy offerings, but also include special treats. If your day is going to be long, map out eating places ahead of time so you know where you are getting meals. Tip: if your child is carrying their own backpack, let them carry a special little bag of snacks and treats they get to eat whenever they want. You can carry the snacks needed for the day, but a special little bag of snacks all their own can be a fun thing to look forward to.
Rule number three: Bring an extra change of clothes and have layer options too. The temperature in airports and on planes can get chilly.
Rule number four: Don’t forget the comfort items. Have your child’s blanket or stuffies accessible in your carry-on. Don’t pack them in bags you won’t have with you. Even if your travel time doesn’t interrupt a nap or nighttime schedule, traveling can throw off a normal routine. Some children will take short naps during travel to get a break from the overwhelming nature of airports. Other children might get wound up by all the stimulation and having their blanket or stuffy with them can be comforting.
Rule number five: Be prepared. The night before travel, be sure rest and eat well. To be the most patient and understanding parent, take care of yourself so you can take care of your children. Also don’t forget to pack a good first aid kit that includes items for sniffles, bumps, and fevers.
Rule number six: Bring activities. Plan to do things together when you are waiting. Expecting children to read to themselves quietly like adults is an unfair expectation. Planning times of play together will help them feel connected and make travel fun. Bring small packable activities to do together. Some of my favorite travel games are Spot-It (this is a small card game in a tiny round can, it's easy quick and can be played by children as young as 3 years old), magnet and sticker books, brand new crayons and holiday coloring books, LCD doodle boards, holiday washi tape to stick onto anything (it comes off of everything!), busy boards made for toddlers, puzzles such as Rush Hour and other ThinkFun brain games that are age appropriate keep the brain busy. Children of all ages enjoy being read to and choosing a book for the family to read together can be a special vacation activity.
A note for parents helping an anxious flier. It is normal for children to have concerns about flying. Airports are busy, loud, unfamiliar places. Traveling away from home and familiar surroundings can cause some anxiety for children. If you have a little person experiencing anxious feelings, first assess your own feelings around travel. Be intentional about how you talk about air travel. The details of a trip such as flight, layover, car rental information can often feel intense and overwhelming for children. Ask them if they have any questions about traveling and how things work, time schedules, and new things they might experience. Make space for extra comfort items if they want them. Dressing them in comfortable clothing they love can also be helpful.
Many times when traveling we only have the destination in mind, but for children, the traveling time is also part of the adventure. Parents can make this part of traveling enjoyable with intentional but often minimal effort. Something simple like having special snacks and a book of Mad Libs up our sleeve can make airport traveling feel like an adventure and enjoyable family time. Your attitude as a parent parent makes a difference; a small dose of patience and joyful spirit can make traveling with children in airport crowds smooth and even fun.
Links for this post:
Spot-It
ThinkFun Games