Here’s a news flash: Flying with kids isn’t all that bad. Really. Airports have gotten a lot more family-friendly even as airlines have gotten less so. There are family bathrooms, nursing rooms, play areas for little ones, restaurants with high chairs and kid menus and apps to help you find it all.
But that doesn’t mean flying with a baby or toddler or even a tween or teen is a slam dunk. There are rules and hurdles and crowds. Especially if you[‘ll be flying during the holidays.
These are the most common epic fails we’ve seen parents make when navigating airports and airplanes with kids (and the ones we’ve made ourselves).
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1. Failure to Prep the Kids
Navigating a major international airport can be a challenge for adults who are not regular travelers. It can be downright overwhelming for a small child.
Before the big travel day arrives, try watching a video on YouTube that depicts a day in the life of an airport. And talk with kids about what they will see, the crowds they will encounter, and the fact that they will have to wait in lines that could be long and take a while.
2. Failure to Figure Out Airport Security Screening
The Transportation Security Agency is the federal agency everyone loves to hate. But it has worked out its problems with long lines and inadequate staffing. And it has figured out a few ways to make airport security screening easier for families, including allowing kids under 12 to keep on their shoes, light jackets and hats throughout the screening.
Score one for parents who don’t have to wrestle toddlers back into their tennis.
But make sure kids understand the rules of screening. For example, let them know that they will have to go through security without their favorite stuffed animals, which will have to go into a TSA bin for screening.
If your child has special needs, call the TSA Cares line 72 hours before your flight to make arrangements to get the family through security.
SheBuysTravel Tips for Airport Security: Bring a protective bag for your child’s lovie rather than placing it directly into one of those filthy TSA security bins. I once saw a kid throw up in a bin. They are definitely not sterile! I wouldn’t want my kid to grab a stuffed animal out of a bin and bury his face into the toy the minute they are reunited. Also, check your child’s backpack before putting it through the security screener. Anything that looks like a weapon — even if it’s a toy gun — will set you up for additional screening.
3. Failure to Wear Out the Kids
Kids are energetic. Plane travel requires them to be still for hours at a time. Fortunately for parents, a growing number of airports have play spaces for little ones. But you don’t need an official play area. Just head to an empty gate and let the kids run laps around the chairs. (Don’t try this at a gate filled with weary travelers waiting for their delayed flight to be called. You will irritate those testy travelers and the kids will be tripping over the bags in the aisles.)
Just be sure to leave a responsible adult within earshot of your assigned gate so you don’t miss any important announcements about your flight — like the one telling you it’s time to board! Or, if you’re traveling alone with the kids, check your flight status regularly, either via an app on your phone or by taking regular walks with the kiddos to look at the flight status board.
4. Failure to Keep Everyone Charged Up
This is not the time to get stingy about electronics. Tweens and teens will need their phones as much as your toddler will need an iPad. And they will all need to stay charged up.
So bring a power strip. (I keep this one in my travel backpack.) Then you can be the hero who finds the one available plug at the gate and charges everyone’s devices at once. Just make sure the older kids have their earbuds and the little ones have kid-sized headphones so they can watch and play without disturbing everyone else at the gate or on the plane.
5. Failure to Keep the Kids Contained
When you travel with a baby, the easiest approach is a baby carrier that keeps your hands free to hold the plane tickets or roll the suitcase. Strollers work too, although you will have to unload them, fold them and put them through the security screening, then open them up, reload them and strap the baby back in after you’re through TSA.
6. Failure to Pack Right
I loathe checking a bag. With Chicago’s O’Hare as my home airport, I always worry that my bags will be lost. That’s why my kids learned to pull their own weight early. Four-wheeled roll-aboard bags make it even easier. Kids as young as 4 should be able to push their own 4-wheeled spinner bag.
Still, I understand that doesn’t work for everyone. If you’re traveling with a baby or your kids simply aren’t up to managing their own suitcase, then, by all means, check the bags. Unless you’re flying Southwest Airlines, which doesn’t charge for checked bags, expect to pay $25 or more for each bag.
Regardless of whether you are Team Carryon or Team Checked bag, always pack one bag that will fit under the seat with a change of clothes and bathing suit for everyone along with any medications or toiletries you cannot easily replace when you arrive at your destination. That way, if you have to gate check your roll-aboard or your checked bags get lost, you will have something to tide you over.
7. Failure to be Creative
Entertaining kids at an airport requires some amount of creativity. You need to keep kids engaged without irritating your crabby fellow travelers. You can always break out the old regulars like the Alphabet Game. You might be surprised how easy it is to complete the entire alphabet without having to venture far from your gate. Advertisements, shops, and flight schedules all make it easy to locate each letter of the alphabet
SheBuysTravel contributor Breeze Leonard dug deep into her creative resources to create an airport scavenger hunt. Her three kids love the thrill of searching and discovering what’s around them. And she appreciates how involved they get and how focused they become on the goal of finding each item on their list. One of her kids is a little apprehensive about flying and the scavenger hunt helps keep her mind off the events shortly ahead of her.
Here’s her scavenger hunt list:
If you’re not the creative type, buy one of these travel-friendly products to keep your kids engaged on the ground and in the air:
We love this washable dry erase travel set. Your kids can create, erase, and do it again.
If you’re traveling with little ones who are easily distracted, they’ll love this buckle toy. Not only will it keep them busy but they will be learning important fine motor skills at the same time.
Throw this cute puppy lap desk in your kid’s backpack and they will have a desk when they travel by car or plane. This lap desk even comes with handy storage pockets so you won’t get stuck holding all their stuff!
Magnetic activities are so much fun and this set is travel-themed so it would be a great activity to play with while waiting to board your flight or even on the plane.
This classic memory game has always been one of my favorites.
9. Failure to Understand the Power of a Bribe
As far as I’m concerned, bribery is an underappreciated parental skill, and highly useful when you’re negotiating a busy airport with kids. A goodie bag full of new toys and your kids’ favorite treats can go a long way toward saving your sanity during a flight delay or an extra-long TSA airport screening line.
10. Failure to Bring More of Everything
From diapers to snacks to coloring books to movies downloaded to your iPad, bring more than you think you’ll need. If it’s a long-haul flight, bring even more.
11. Failure to Choose the Right Seat
the right seat will depend on your family. If you’re traveling with a toddler, that might mean choosing the aisle seat so it’s easier to get up and walk the aisles with a restless kiddo. Or it might be better to choose the window seat so your child can be contained but distracted by looking out the window. I always liked seats in the back of the plane when my kids were little. It feels like the more family-friendly section of the plane — the childless frequent flyers snag those extra leg room seats at the front of the plane.
12. Failure to Bring Disinfecting Wipes
Use them to clean everything. There are a lot of germs on a plane. Use them to wipe the tray table, seat belts, window sills, armrest and anything else you or the baby might touch. Definitely do this before spreading the Cheerios out on the tray table.
13. Failure to Ask for the Help You Need
Especially if you’re traveling alone with young children, ask the flight attendants and your fellow passengers for the help you need. You might be surprised at how willing they are to lend a hand.
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