No one likes travelling with kids, and anyone who tells you otherwise is lying. Don't get me wrong - I love bringing my son on vacations with us, I love giving him the opportunity to experience other cultures and every year, as the plane takes off, I love watching his face light up as if it's the first time he's been on a plane.
But traveling with kids comes with a lot of anxieties: What if my child is one of those who cries the entire time we're on the plane? How do I keep him occupied on an 8-hour plane ride? What if he gets sick while we're there? What if he gets bored?
My husband and I have been traveling with my son since he was 18 months old. Our first flight, I will admit, was terrible. I was terrified of having to listen to him scream for 4 straight hours, and I was dreading the looks I was going to get while he did so. I spoke to my doctor about it and he said there was no harm in giving him a small dose of Gravol to get him to sleep (and it could have the added benefit of soothing his tummy if he was feeling motion sickness). I read the back of the bottle before giving him this small dose because I was worried about giving it to him - he'd never had it before - and the warning label said: "May cause excitability." But I thought - Gravol knocks me out, I'm sure it will have the same effect on my son.
Well, it didn't. It caused excitability. And since he was under 2, we saved money by not having to get him a seat - BIG mistake! My son has always been a mover, so the fact that he not only didn't have the freedom to run around the plane, but he was having to be held the entire time. I will tell you - that 4-hour plane ride to Cuba felt like 8 hours.
The good news though is that I learned a lot from that experience and we haven't had problems since - even during our 21 hour travel to California when he was 3.5 (upon arrival at LAX, we were praised by one of the passengers on how surprised they were that our son was so quiet and manageable during the flight). Below are my tips and tricks to keep your children entertained during the plane ride, safe throughout your trip and to bust boredom throughout it all.
1. Always have munchies. I don't know about you, but my son is a monster when he's hungry. I find always having some munchies on hand can, at least, tame the hurricane until we reach our next destination. As long as it's pre-packaged foods (yes, I know, they're not the best, but when you're in a bind...), you can take them on the plane to another country. You just can't bring fruits or veggies.
2. Buy a seat for your child and bring a car seat. Yes, I know, buying a seat for a little kid isn't always financially feasible, but if you can, I strongly suggest getting a seat for your child and bringing an airline approved car seat (make sure to check with your airline for car seat rules). This way, your child will not only be safer in the event that something were to happen (God forbid) but it will give your child the simulation of being in a car which could motivate sleep. This was one reason why we made it to California without tearing our hair out. And if you're worried about having to carry the car seat during a layover or what have you, bring a stroller to carry it in (not to mention some of your luggage, too). Yes, it's a lot to carry around, but there are always people at the airport who are willing to help, and although it may be frustrating to trek all this stuff around while at the airport, it will save you so much frustration in the long run.
3. Entertainment. If you buy your child a seat, they are allowed to bring one carry-on as well as one smaller bag. Pack the carry on with a blanket, a stuffy, an extra change of clothes, toothbrush and toothpaste (in case you lose your luggage), a pull up (if your child is still young enough to use one), and some books. In the smaller bag, fill it with snacks, juice boxes (under 100 ml worth of liquid), a colouring book, play d'oh, a tablet or iPad, ear phones, a neck pillow, and some other smaller toys (but not too small - Lego is not a good idea), an extra soother (if needed) and a bottle or two (if needed). Always remember you can bring just about anything for your child onto the plane as long as it doesn't exceed 100 ml of liquid, so those 4 oz bottles pre-filled with water or juice are perfect. If your child is a soother fiend (like mine was) make sure you pack extras - we lost one once and that did not go over well! Don't bring just his or her tablet and expect them to use it for the entire plane ride. Your child may be capable of playing games all day while at home, but trust me, the most games they play or movies they watch on the their tablet, the more agitated they get when their attention span runs out. About an hour of games or shows at a time is enough.
One trick for the bag of games and activities is not to tell your child what is inside, and I generally get one new toy or book that they don't know about (last year, I bought my son a Look and Find Mickey Mouse book and that kept him busy for a long time). Only take out a new activity if your child is getting fussy. But don't forget, it's OK for your child to just sit and look out the window if he or she wants to. These toys and books are simply a source of entertainment if your child seems to be getting annoyed. But don't wait too long - if you see them start to fidget, that's when you pull something out of the bag!
4. Ring Pops. Although I do let my child chew gum, I have this irrational fear of him choking on gum while flying or in a car so I don't let him chew on the plane. However, their poor little ears pop during take off and landing and if they haven't yet mastered the half yawn (to unpop your ears), ring pops help. Stick it on their finger during take off and tell them to "suck, suck, suck." This year, I bought a 4 pack at the dollar store and not only did it help us during take off and landing, but it also helped when we gave one to the kid behind us who wouldn't stop screaming!
5. Pack extra larger snacks in your checked luggage (like Gold Fish Crackers, Pringles, Bear Paws and so on - remember they have to be pre-packaged foods) for days where you may be cooped up in the hotel room or going on excursions. Although most resorts will allow you to take food out of the buffet area for a child, it takes time to fetch the food and they don't have snack foods. Our last trip to Cuba, my son was going through a growth spurt and needed to eat, it felt like, every 10 minutes. When we went out to the beach, on an excursion, or whatever, I brought at least 3-4 snacks (in fact, I ended up eating one of the granola bars myself before I turned into a monster). As I mentioned in #4, this also helped when we went on a Catamaran and there was a toddler who screamed for the first 45 minutes. I gave her a fruit strip and that kept her quiet for a little while.
6. Sand toys. If your child is an only child like mine, sand toys will save you both at the beach and at the pool. Although you can purchase sand toys at most resorts, you may end up paying an arm and a leg for them so if you have the room (I usually put all these things in my son's checked bag), I definitely suggest bringing them from home.
7. Board games. This year, I brought a few board games with us since my son has really gotten into them, and thank God I did! We had two days of rain and crazy wind, so although it was warm, the wind made it difficult to frolic in the rain. Instead, we sat in the lobby of our resort (which had open walls), ordered Pinatas (virgin Piña colada), and sat in the rocking chairs playing Winnie The Pooh Memory and Checkers until we got tired enough to enjoy a lovely afternoon nap. This saved us!
8. A positive attitude. My husband is a bit of a pessimist when it comes to traveling and he isn't a huge fan of being on a plane (he's tall and airplanes are not made for tall people). Although it requires quite a bit of energy to constantly be suggesting new things to do or playing tick-tack-toe 26 times in a row, this attitude can save your sanity. And then, when you're off the plane and getting on the bus to the resort, hubby can take over and you can have a beer on the bus! :)
9. Explain, Explain, Explain. I like to think my son understands everything I'm feeling and that he is aware enough to acknowledge when we are stressed and/or frustrated, but that's not always the case. Traveling can be long and tedious, and sometimes it's longer than it should be. For example, this year, we went to Cuba. The last time we went to Cuba it was a straight 4 hour flight and a 30 minute bus ride to our resort. This year, we had a 1-hour flight to Toronto with a 1-hour layover, then a 4-hour flight to Cuba and a 90-minute bus ride to the resort. We left our house at 3 am (yes, we are a little nuts) and arrived at our resort at 2. By the time we got there, we were all exhausted. But having traveled a few times now, I know around the time I start to get irritable and around the time my husband starts getting stressed - somewhere in between getting off in our destination country and arriving at the resort. But once you've arrived and the sun is shining and the weather is warm, your child's becomes rejuvenated and excited. What I do as we go is continuously explain to my son what we are doing. Right before we landed in Toronto I explained to him what we would happen next - we needed to find our new gate, use the washroom, and if there was enough time, have breakfast. Then we would have a 4-hour flight. Getting off the plane in Cuba, I explained that we would have to go through customs and grab our bags. I thanked him in advance for being patient (even though I could tell he was extremely excited), and we made it through. Then, when we got on the bus, I said to him, "This is around the time mommy and daddy get stressed and frustrated. I know you're excited, but we still have a little bit more traveling to do and then when we get to the hotel, we have to check in and get our room. But I promise you, once that's all done and you stay patient, I will bring you to the pool first thing." Worked like a charm!
These 9 suggestions were game changers for us. They made flying a ton easier, and made our lives a lot more manageable on the resort. Since our first nightmare flight, we have traveled 4 more times and we are always complemented on how well behaved he is, which makes me proud, but it also means that when we finally get to the resort, we still have enough patience and energy to enjoy some sunshine!
Below is a list of all the things I am sure to include in our bags for our son to ensure a safe, enjoyable vacation; because the last thing you need is to come home feeling like you need a vacation from your vacation.
Child's Extra Small Bag/Carry On
Colouring
Deck of Cards
Small Crafts
His tablet and charger (pre-download some shows from Newflix)
Neck pillow
Sticker Book
Blanket
Snacks
Change of clothes (pants, shirt, underwear, socks)
Sunglasses
Sunscreen
(Note: The dollarstore always has some pretty awesome things you can take with you on a plane. This year, I got him a superhero book - it had places to draw your own superhero or make your own out of stickers and so on).
Mom's Carry On
Gravol – kids and adult,
Imodium – kids and adults
Advil – kids and adult
Adult and Kids Benadryl
Baby wipes
Hand sanitizer
Child's Luggage:
1 pair jeans (other pair in his carry on)
2 pair sweat pants
5 pairs of shorts
3 bathing suits
2 hoodies
3 long-sleeved shirts
4 pairs of socks
8 pairs of underwear
1 or 2 button down shirts (for the nights you go to the A La Carte restaurants)
7 pull ups
Hats
Pajamas
Stuffed animala
Sandals
Board games
Soap and bubble bath
Toothbrush and tooth paste
Rain jacket
Lavender cream (for those restless nights)
Bum rash cream (just in case)
First Aid Kit
Although it's always a good idea to be as prepared as possible (I'm a better-safe-than-sorry type of person), there is one thing you absolutely need to bring with you that you can't put in any bag: A Good Attitude.
Traveling can be extremely stressful and when you book online without ever having been there before, there's a chance you could get a dud - a bad room, a disgusting bathroom, poor service....the list goes on (keep a look out for my article one how to deal when you've been dealt a bad hand on an all-inclusive trip), and although it can be extremely frustrating, if your child knows you're unhappy, they will be unhappy, too. As difficult as it can be, always be optimistic (or at least pretend) and try to make the best of things. On the two days it rained, we played board games, played cards, went shopping and took an afternoon nap and whenever someone complained, I just said, "We're not at work, we're not at school, there's no snow and we don't have to cook or clean - that is a vacation!"
Comments