17 flights (one-way flights; separate legs of flights not counted separately) with children:
10 with just Nathan
5 with Nathan and Isaac
2 with Isaac, Nathan and Toby
Three of those flights I made with Nathan by myself
One of those flights my mom and I took Nathan and Isaac without Jimmy.
Driving:
St. Louis to Virginia (2-day drive, 8-9 hours each day): 3
Virginia to St. Louis: 4
Many, many trips of 2+ hours in CA, VA and MO
Hotels:
We've lost count how many times we've stayed in hotels with our children!
10 with just Nathan
5 with Nathan and Isaac
2 with Isaac, Nathan and Toby
Three of those flights I made with Nathan by myself
One of those flights my mom and I took Nathan and Isaac without Jimmy.
Driving:
St. Louis to Virginia (2-day drive, 8-9 hours each day): 3
Virginia to St. Louis: 4
Many, many trips of 2+ hours in CA, VA and MO
Hotels:
We've lost count how many times we've stayed in hotels with our children!
That said, we have some suggestions for traveling with children! In case you're wondering, this list was born during our most recent drive from VA to MO.
Flying:
1. Bring food and empty water bottles to fill at water fountains behind security.
2. Bring new toys for each flying day.
3. Get bulkhead seats if possible (space for kids to play on the floor).
4. Bring suckers for when the plane is taking off and landing (my boys have never had problems with their ears, however).
5. You don't have to board when they call for children. Decide if yours actually could use more time running around the airport.
6. Layovers can be a great time for children to get out some energy. We have found this is really only useful if you're going on a long trip and can get a relatively short layover.
7. Flying with a small baby is actually easy, especially if you can nurse a lot. Our babies have always slept a lot on the flight because they're being held!
8. Baby carriers, while freeing up your hands, are not allowed to be worn during take-off and landing.
9. Know that if you're going to gate check your stroller you will have to fold it down so it can pass through the x-ray machine.
10. Wear shoes that can be put on and removed quickly.
Staying in a hotel:
1. Pay slightly more for a larger room at a hotel with a good continental breakfast. We have also loved the hotel rooms that are actually two-room suites.
2. Make a fort for sleeping for a larger child who is still in a crib. If you're in one of those larger rooms, chances are there's a sofa. In that case, take off the cushions and prop them up against the front of the sofa to keep the child from falling out. Push the coffee table or some other table in front of them so they don't get pushed over. Line the de-cushioned sofa with blankets so it's soft and voila! A fort :) Our boys have LOVED them.
3. If possible, and if you've been in the car a lot, get to the hotel early enough to swim and get out some of that energy.
4. Instead of trying to schlep everyone to a restaurant or just get fast food, get good take-out. We realized that since we could just get drinks at the hotel or drink the water we brought with us, it really wasn't that much more expensive than if we went to the restaurant, and that way we ate much healthier food and didn't have to worry about having the children in a restaurant.
Driving:
1. Ahead of time, look for restaurants you know your family likes and find them along your route. We like places where our children can play, like McDonald's or Chick-Fil-A.
2. Have new toys or activities for each day of driving.
Do YOU have any suggestions?
Flying:
1. Bring food and empty water bottles to fill at water fountains behind security.
2. Bring new toys for each flying day.
3. Get bulkhead seats if possible (space for kids to play on the floor).
4. Bring suckers for when the plane is taking off and landing (my boys have never had problems with their ears, however).
5. You don't have to board when they call for children. Decide if yours actually could use more time running around the airport.
6. Layovers can be a great time for children to get out some energy. We have found this is really only useful if you're going on a long trip and can get a relatively short layover.
7. Flying with a small baby is actually easy, especially if you can nurse a lot. Our babies have always slept a lot on the flight because they're being held!
8. Baby carriers, while freeing up your hands, are not allowed to be worn during take-off and landing.
9. Know that if you're going to gate check your stroller you will have to fold it down so it can pass through the x-ray machine.
10. Wear shoes that can be put on and removed quickly.
Staying in a hotel:
1. Pay slightly more for a larger room at a hotel with a good continental breakfast. We have also loved the hotel rooms that are actually two-room suites.
2. Make a fort for sleeping for a larger child who is still in a crib. If you're in one of those larger rooms, chances are there's a sofa. In that case, take off the cushions and prop them up against the front of the sofa to keep the child from falling out. Push the coffee table or some other table in front of them so they don't get pushed over. Line the de-cushioned sofa with blankets so it's soft and voila! A fort :) Our boys have LOVED them.
3. If possible, and if you've been in the car a lot, get to the hotel early enough to swim and get out some of that energy.
4. Instead of trying to schlep everyone to a restaurant or just get fast food, get good take-out. We realized that since we could just get drinks at the hotel or drink the water we brought with us, it really wasn't that much more expensive than if we went to the restaurant, and that way we ate much healthier food and didn't have to worry about having the children in a restaurant.
Driving:
1. Ahead of time, look for restaurants you know your family likes and find them along your route. We like places where our children can play, like McDonald's or Chick-Fil-A.
2. Have new toys or activities for each day of driving.
Do YOU have any suggestions?
3 comments:
thanks for the helpful list! we have stumbled across some of these on our own (like, look for mcdonald's play places along your driving route and baby carriers are great except you have to take the baby in and out a lot in the airport). we'll travel for the first time with two lap babies (mistake?) at christmas, clear across the country with a layover in Salt Lake, and i'm bracing myself!
thanks! If you're stroller's big enough (our double BOB), you don't have to break it down to go through security. They just wheel it through where they take wheel chairs.
Also, the get sick bag on an airplane makes a great puppet. We decorate them & then play. You can also play a version of peek-a-boo by dropping an object in there and then having a toddler find it. It's nice because it's one more thing to play with and one less thing to pack.
Emily,
Good idea about the puppet! That's great! And we've never tried to travel with our double stroller, but that's also a relief if we ever need to :)
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