5 Tips for Traveling with Kids: What I Learned During My First Vacation with Two Little Ones!

Traveling with children can feel like you are undertaking a mission where you aren't even certain what you will need for success. Preparing for this expedition is important; but, it is also important to not overthink, overpack, and stress! I am happy to report I just had a successful first flight and vacation with my two children (10 months old and 3 years old). I want to share tips that worked wonderfully as well as things I wished I did!

Please share your travel tips in the comments below to support The Motherhood is all our adventures!

1. Pack Smart

Kids need a ton of clothes - they are extremely messy and it is hard to predict the weather for your destination. I labeled ziplock bags to organize my children's clothes. After releasing the air out of the bags they packed so neatly! Also, having them labeled (Shirts, Pjs, Swimsuits) made it much easier to stay organized once we arrived at our destination.

Repack your entire baby bag! I am sure we all have a half eaten granola bar in the depths of our baby bag. Before traveling, take everything out and repack it with only the essentials. Having only what you need in your baby bag will make accessing items easier on the plane.

Have all your baby food, snacks, and formula (or breastmilk) easily accessible in your baby bag or in a separate ziplock bag. At security they will need to test these items; so, to reduce the amount of anxiety you feel digging through your bag or having your bag flagged for further investigation because you forgot a pouch of baby food it in, have it ready to go.

Bring doggy pee pads for diaper changes! Some areas in airports can be gross. If you are using the pee pad it is easy to throw it away!

Pack a reusable grocery bag in your suitcase. This will come in handy if you are headed to the beach or pool during your vacation!

2. Use Flight Time Wisely

Bring new toys or activities on the flight! Something exciting for your children to play with that they have never seen before. These activities should be simple and have limited pieces. Also, if you are using an ipad for your child, limit their screen time before the flight. This keeps the incentive and excitement alive while on your flight!

Book your flight early in the morning. This will make your morning long, but it is worth it. On our most recent trip our flight took off at 8am. We had to leave our house by 5am. I woke up at 4am and drank a cup of coffee on my own, got ready, finished packing a few things then woke up children up (such a relaxing way to start a wild day of travel!). The airport is slow in the mornings and we had no trouble with traffic or security delays. If you have an afternoon flight it is much more difficult to get ready with your children awake and wanting to be entertained. Also, if you have a small child who is on a nap schedule, the early morning flight makes it easier to play around with wake windows throughout the day to achieve a normal bedtime and hopefully they will be more likely to nap during the flight.

3. Airplane Seating

I prefer the back of the plane while flying. The very last row on a plane is typically empty because it is reserved for the flight attendants, this means you can lean your seat back without feeling guilty. You are close to the washrooms for diaper changes or toddler emergency pees! If you need to stand and rock with your crying baby the flight attendants (usually) will allow you to use their space in the back of the plane. And my favourite reason - if your child is crying, you do not have 200 people staring at you because they are all facing front and you are hidden in the back.

4. Bring Snacks

Snacks are life! You are allowed to bring all sorts of snacks for your kiddos on the plane. Choose snacks that are tidy, easy to open, and entertaining. Fruit pouches, cheese sticks, granola bars, puffs, crackers, or cookies are all fantastic flight snacks.

Bring more formula or breastmilk then you think you will need. This was my big oops! Our flight took longer to take off than anticipated and my son drank a ridiculous amount of formula and we were on that flight with no more milk for him. Dun dun dunnnn. Luckily it worked out; however, on our next flight I will be sure to pack more formula that I would normally bring for a 6 hour window.

5. Hotel Tips

My son is 10 months old and gets into everything. I wish I had brought some baby locks for the cabinets at the resort! You can purchase ones that will not damage the cabinets and are easy to pack. I highly suggest bringing these to make your life easier.

If you are dealing with time change on your trip bring tinfoil for the window of your child's bedroom. This will help them rest more effectively allowing them to acclimatize.

Most hotels and resorts have a pack and play for your baby. Reserve this early! And bring your own crib sheets (because sometimes the crib sheets at hotels are gross).

Traveling as a mom comes with its challenges, but with a bit of planning, it can be incredibly rewarding. Now, I’d love to hear from you! What are your top tips for traveling with kids? Share your wisdom with The Motherhood.