Flying with two children, two and under is quite an undertaking! I have traveled by plane twelve times with my little ones, 11 of which I was by myself. Here are the items that are tried and true when embarking on a day of travel with your little ones.
Empty water bottles. You can fill them up once you get through security. If my little girl was taking bottles like my son did when he was her age, I would pack three 8 ounce bottles in a cooler for our eight hour trip. You can take more formula or breast milk if you deem that necessary, you will just have it tested when you go through security.
Emergency Medicine. My toddler suffers extreme food allergies so it is a medical necessity to carry this Epi-Pen pack. I also always bring Liquid Baby Tylenol and Liquid Benedryl. Both medicines are allowable and will be checked just as your bottles when you are through security.
You will need to bring proof that your children are in fact yours. I bring their immunization records in a ziploc bag(messes can and do happen). And of course your wallet with proof of ID.
Baby Snacks: This is tremendously important. Nobody likes a cranky baby and a hungry baby quickly turns into a little Tyrannosaurs Rex. I always bring more food than I deem necessary. When we go through security I purchase bananas to eat in the lobby and an extra for on the plane. Relatively clean, easy to eat and filling!
An extra set of clothes for every 4-8 hours you are traveling. Almost every single time I fly both of them need to change into their backup clothes. The swaddle blanket is both comforting and can be used as a nursing cover. I tend to dress my little ones in light clothes that I can add layers to. Flying out of the desert, the planes get hot and stuffy. A sweaty baby, is a cranky baby. So much easier to add layers or wrap them gently in a swaddle blanket.
Entertainment is ESSENTIAL. I tend to go for sensory objects that are not noisy for little ones- balls tend to get dropped and roll under seats, and noisy toys in a confined space is just not a good combination. Books have always been the go-to item in my bag of tricks for babies. The Toddler loves reading to himself and plays happily with stickers and a piece of paper. When in doubt, a small cup of ice for your toddler(beware of larger choking hazard pieces) can help pop their ears and calm teething pain. Win-Win.
This is the BEST book ever invented for flying with babies. Both of my little ones as babies have been captivated by this double-sided beauty of sad and happy faces. Other parents have borrowed this book while flying and I have yet to see a baby that is not enthralled. Why didn’t I think of making this book? Serious money maker!
Second carry on is always my smaller purse that has the breakables in it. Since I travel with a lap child and toddler we pay for two seats so I could technically bring four carry ons… but that would be crazy talk. Carrying a baby with two bags and holding hands with your little two year old down the aisle of a plane is a feat in itself. If you can carry four carry ons, more power to you!
I bring my City-Mini double stroller with me. The hardest part of bringing a stroller is getting it up on the conveyor belt at Security and disassembling it at Gate Check(with a baby in your arms and a toddler holding one of your hands-he is a runner). I am thankful that the City-Mini folds with one handle and is incredibly light for a double stroller. Super thankful.
I feel blessed that we have traveled so much without a meltdown. Not one meltdown. I solely attribute that fact to meticulous planning. We have to fly to see our family or drive 27 hours in the car. Flying may be hard, but 27 hours in the car with a baby and toddler? Not on your life. Here are some tips that help me survive each flight with my little ones.
I am constantly working on figuring out things to make my(our) life easier with traveling with little ones.
Do you fly with your baby or toddler?
Do you have any tips or suggestions of things that worked well for you? Please share!
I’m flying to Cuba with my 11 month old and I’m so nervous!! She’s not walking yet but crawling everywhere! We flew with her when she was five months old and she did so well! A baby carrier is a must! It makes things so much easier .. And especially for napping on the plane too. I hope your flight back goes better!! He gets cuter every time :)