9 Tips and Tricks for Traveling with a Toddler
As many of you may now know, we recently moved from Atlanta, GA to Germany. And traveling with a toddler definitely took some preparation and patience. After requests on tips and tricks for traveling with a toddler I have come up with this list of 9 things I think will really help.
Now, because I feel like I need to let you all know. This isn't the first time we have flown with our son. I have even done it by myself twice. Shorter trips call for different preparation than longer ones but the ideas are still the same.
Also, every child is different and each one has different mannerisms and ways to make them happy. Please keep that in mind while reading this and try to use this as a general guide. What works for my son might not work for you.
Traveling with a Toddler
Lets first preface this by saying this list is for toddlers not babies. My son is 3 almost 4 and has been potty trained for sometime now. He can even hold it when asked for a short time.
This is important because I am not breastfeeding, nor do I have to worry about traveling with milk or formula. I also don't have to worry about changing stinky diapers.
Another thing I don't have to worry about is a stroller. We did bring a car seat and I will discuss that in the tips.
My son is old enough he had to have his own ticket so that also meant he got his own carry-on and personal item. This helps for all the things I suggest you pack!!
9 Tips and Tricks
1. Check your Car Seat
Unless you have a young baby with a carrier and aren't checking your stroller I would suggest checking the car seat with your luggage. The reason being is that is one less thing you have to carry around the airport all while trying to keep your child in check and navigate all the people. There is no cost to check it and you can claim it where baggage claim is once you deplane.
Now, I know some who have taken it. You can put the carseat on the plane and have your child sit in it like he would the car. Some parents prefer this but I found it to be more of a hinderance and our son was more comfortable sitting like he would at home in a chair.
2. Pre-downoad movies to your tablet/Ipad
I suggest doing this while at home still connected to WiFi. If you have a Netflix account they allow you to download certain shows and movies. We downloaded some of our sons favorites. They do have "rental" period before they are removed from your download history.
Obviously there are other ways to download movies such as the App Store or Amazon. But once you have them on your device and on the plane in airplane mode your child will still have something they enjoy.
We also got him his own headphones. Not only does this keep everyone else for hearing his movie/show but also helps with the noise of the plane on their little ears. We downloaded several options so that he could change his mind.
3. Pack a few toys
We packed a few small toys like cars and transformers. Things that were easy to pack and din't take up a lot of space or that he wouldn't need a lot of space to play. We didn't actually have to use them this time because our longest flight was overnight and he slept most of the flight.
But other children on the flight had some and I could see it was helping and I have brought them in the past.
4. Pack dry snacks
I know that you can't bring fluids onto the plane but dry snacks you can. I suggest bringing some of their favorites and comfort foods. We had granola bars, fruit snacks and cookies. Not my normal healthy foods but I knew I couldn't keep his fruit.
We did use the complimentary snacks offered on the plane but I know they don't always offer the same thing and sometimes my toddler just won't eat it.
5. Pack a change of clothes
This goes for not only for your toddler but for you as well. We all know accidents happen with toddlers and they don't always just spill on themselves. As parents we get messy sometimes too! If you are checking your luggage I suggest a spare change of clothes for the both of you in your carryon.
6. Pack essentials on your Carry-On
By this I mean what you need as a parent. I had all the regular necessities, phone charger, ID's, wallet etc. But I also packed baby wipes, hand sanitizer, tissues, pull-ups if your child still needs them, and medicine.
7. Be Prepared for the Security Check
Children under the age of 9 don't have to take off their shoes to go through security. But you, as a parent, do have to so I suggest easy on easy off type of shoes. I even wore leggings so I didn't have to take off my belt. Place all the liquids you are taking in clear plastic baggies and put them in your purse so they are easier to access when going through security.
Also as you check in and then go through security I would keep your ticket and ID readily available. I kept mine in my front pocket of my hoodie. But more than likely you will need to plan it all to go quickly and smoothly because your toddler isn't going to know what to do.
8. Wear Comfortable Clothing
And not just you but your child as well. If things go smoothly you will just have to worry about carrying everything by yourself and getting through security as quickly as possible. Worst case scenario you will have to carry or hold your child plus all your carry-ons. And prepare for the cold plane once up in the air.
9. Don't Stress!!
Flying alone is stressful, add to flying with a child. If you start stressing out it will only make your child upset. Then it starts to compound and makes everything worse. try to stay as calm as you can and show up early to go through all the security with your toddler. Also I would suggest going to the bathroom before boarding.
Overview
Basically just be as prepared as you can be. It will make your entire process easier for both you and your toddler. I hope you find this helpful. If you have other tips please share them!! And if you have specific topics you want to hear about in Germany let me know!!
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