1. GET THEM THEIR OWN SEAT // if you're traveling with a kid over 1 on a flight that 8+ hours & you're able to, get them their own seat. having the extra room is amazing on such a long flight, especially when it's a crowded one.
2. USE A CARSEAT // cedar does really well in his car seat, so we were able to strap his carseat (not all carseats are airplane certified, we use this diono) to his seat & buckle him in & he was pumped. we've held cedar on every other flight except for the time we moved to madrid & when i flew back to the states for a trip, & it's been ok but he's a wiggly guy & won't fall asleep if we're holding him, where in his carseat he falls asleep almost immediately. buying him his own seat was definitely worth it.
4. TOYS // i pack a small bag inside my carryon of toys that i know cedar loves to play with, mostly little animals & cars, & i'll give cedar one here or there, so that he continues to be interested & excited with the toys, rather than handing them over all at once so he gets over them really quick. also, my biiiig trick with cedar & keeping him entertained are stickers. i rarely give him stickers when we're at home, but he loves them & is endlessly entertained when he gets them so they are perfect for flights & layovers.
5. IPAD // i'm a big fan of movies/tv shows for traveling, i know not everyone agrees with me on this, but like i said before, i want my kid to stay happy so that we both don't end up crying during the whole flight! so i load up my ipad with movies & tv shows for him to watch on the flight, which also help him fall asleep. happy baby, happy mom.
6. COMFORT ITEMS // cedar is obsessed with his aden & anais blankets, so i pack a smaller one in my cary on along with whatever stuffed animal he chooses to bring, & about 3 pacifiers just in case he looses one. these are the three things that cedar has everday when he goes to sleep & they all have an extreme calming affect on him, which is really great. also, having your child suck on something (paci, bottle, whatever) helps their ears for landing & take-off, so it's like a win-win.
7. BABY SLING // i make sure to bring my wildbird babysling with me when traveling because it is the most helpful item. i have never liked gate checking my stroller, so i either always have cedar holding one of our hands while we walk through the airport or i put him in my sling. the sling is especially helpful when it's just me & cedar, this way i can pull our carryon that i strap the carseat onto, sling him on my hip & not have to worry about him running away. it is a necessity for me.
8. DIAPER BAG // i like to keep all of cedars diapers, pack of wipes & cream in a smaller drawstring pouch. doing this has made life sooo much easier. no more digging through my bag trying to find everything i need, i just grab this little bag & i'm set. plus it keeps my bag nicely organized.
9. GET THE WIGGLES OUT // on long flights with layovers i will throw cedar into my sling & get over to our next gate as quickly as possible, once there i'll let him out & let him get his wiggles out. i'll follow behind him while he runs around & tires himself out before having to get back onto another plane.
10. STAY CALM // this is like the ultimate tip for life, but i swear by this, especially when traveling. i'm a big believer that babies totally react to the vibes their parents are put off which can be really difficult when in stressful situations..like traveling. the hardest part for me was during our layover, trying to make it to from one gate to the next, with enough time to hopefully let cedar run around & get a couple of snacks. i had to constantly remind myself to stay calm to make it easier for everyone involved :)
check out this post to see what i have in my carry-on !
love this post! you are a great traveler and cedar is becoming one also....i love all the tips and the pics are fantastic!
ReplyDeletethanks! hopefully he stays a good traveler :)
DeleteYou're a great mommy, love u
ReplyDeletelove you!
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