06/25/2019
Traveling with a toddler can be daunting. Let’s be real. Most toddlers don’t want to be strapped in a car seat or on a plane for hours on end.
We recently took our annual summer trip to California to see family and friends and to say I was nervous about all of the flight time, car time, and time difference would be an understatement. I assume other first time moms would have similar anxieties, so I wanted to share a few tips and tricks I learned.
1: set your expectations low. You know your kid. If they don’t sit still for more than 5 minutes like mine, thinking you can rest on the plane while they sit is not a reasonable expectation. Be prepared to entertain and be on during travel. Take turns with a spouse or travel buddy if you can.
2: pack snacks. Lots of them. This kept my little one’s ears from popping during takeoff and landing and kept her entertained when she was getting restless. She particularly enjoyed having a low sugar, whole grain cereal to wiggle out of a spill proof container. This seriously kept her entertained for at least 30 minutes at a time.
3: give into screen time. We don’t watch TV in front of Everly and we don’t let her play with our phones or Ipads. I view it as an emergency only situation, and in my mind, being on a plane with a toddler is an emergency. I downloaded age appropriate toddler games, songs, and a couple of shows to keep her busy for a bit. She wasn’t honestly into the shows or songs, but loved looking at pics on the iPad!
4: rotate. When she got tired of 1 activity or toy, I offered another. I also planned ahead and bought a few cheap, new toys for the plane so she would be extra excited. This worked better than I expected.
These are my main takeaways from our recent trip. I hope y’all find it helpful and if you have any more suggestions or tips please share!
