How many people can you fit in an airplane bathroom?
Barely one, right? Recently, I worked some mom magic. I fit myself, one adult female, and my twin almost two-year-old boys in an airplane bathroom. How did I get in this position, you ask? Well, my sons and I were generously offered a chance to go visit my best friend in Colorado for 10 days. It took me two days to say yes, because the thought of being on a plane with two small boys was daunting, to say the least!
But I decided I could handle it since I would be staying with my best friend and her family, coupled by the fact I was able to make arrangements that I wouldn’t be on the plane alone with my boys. I learned a lot from this experience, and here I share five things I learned to help the traveling experience be more enjoyable for everyone.
- Timing of flight and layovers is key! What is the one thing you hope for the most when traveling with little ones on a plane? That they sleep! If possible, do your best to get the longest flight around nap or bedtime. Make sure they are in comfortable clothes and have their loveys for comfort. Layovers while flying may seem like a bad thing, but if planned for properly, they can actually help you a lot! During the layover, allow your little one to run as much as possible. The layover also gives them a new place to see, new people to look at, and a place to grab some warm food.
- Have a travel partner. Whether traveling with one child or five, having another adult with you is so helpful. This will come in handy when you need to use the restroom, when you are starting to lose your patience, when you need someone to run to get food, and when you need help entertaining the kids. There is comfort in knowing you aren’t doing anything alone. Traveling is no different.
- Bring back-ups, and back-ups for the back-ups. When you start to pack your carry on, which is essentially your diaper bag, know that is it going to very full! Your bag will be filled with food, toys, change of clothes for the kids, medicine, diapers, wipes, travel information, wallet, etc. As a mom, you always pack extra clothes for your kids, but what about you? Pack yourself at least an extra pair of pants and shirt. Why do I suggest this? I learned that my boys throw up during landings, and getting young toddlers to aim into a bag is not always do-able. Most of it landed on me!
- New toys. Buy a few small new toys, or hide a couple of their toys for a month so they seem new. Once you are on the plane, pull out a new toy and your child will be very excited and occupied for at least a couple of minutes. I went to the dollar section in department stores and found fun toys and activity books for the boys. I put them their own backpack, giving them a sense of independence. I also put most of the airplane toys away once we arrived to our destination so they would still be “new” for the plane ride home.
- Don’t forget to pack your smile and sense of humor. Traveling with a small child is bound to bring lots of excitement. Some of that excitement will be easy to laugh at, while other times you will have to look hard to find the humor. Finding the funny, no matter how stressful, will make the trip a more positive experience for all. Don’t forget your smile either! You will be near someone who probably didn’t plan on a tiny human as part of their itinerary. Talking to your aisle mate, getting your little one to interact and smile at the other passengers, and being understanding of the other passengers are all ways to help everyone get through the trip and still enjoy it.
Here are a few of my final tips: I bought diapers and wipes online and had them shipped to my friend’s house. This saved a lot of space in my suitcase. My friend also pulled off some mom magic of her own and arranged to have two pack and plays, car seats, and high chairs at her house waiting for our arrival. As for strollers, I have twins so I needed a double stroller. I went online and found connectors for umbrella strollers, so I bought two single umbrella strollers and used those nifty clips for an instant double stroller!
