Tips & Tricks for Travelling with a Toddler!

Travelling with kids especially those under 5 years of age can be nightmarish for most parents. If you travel frequently with the kids while they are infants, they might learn to enjoy the journey. I travelled only a couple of times with my baby and whene
ver we did, we travelled by car and mostly with family so I had support! [So thankful for that!]

So in September, I decided to visit my sister and nieces in Delhi. It was Raghav’s first flight and also the first time it was just him and I! I was worried about how he would react to the flight and also how I would navigate the check in and security and my bags along with him. I wanted him to enjoy his experience! So I asked my mommy-friends for advice and also the mother-of-all [ the internet]  for ideas! I tried some ideas and they worked!  So having successfully completed the trip witho
ut much damage, here is my cheat-sheet for you!

Tip No. 1: Wear comfortable shoes. You are going to be walking with your trolley / bags and your kid! There will be times when you will have to carry your kid while navigating airport crowd. The last thing you want is a shoe-bite or ones that hurt after walking for 10 minutes! So wear a comfortable pair like these!

Tip No. 2: Pack a change of clothing for you and your child in your cabin luggage. Incase your check-in baggage is lost or delayed, you will have something comfortable to change into once you reach your destination.

 

Tip No. 3: Take a picture of your kid once you reach the airport. God-forbid, but should you lose him / her in the crowd you should know what he is exactly wearing, right down to every detail. You can share the picture with the authorities and the crowd so that they know what they are looking for! This will help them identify your child faster!

Tip No. 4: Make sure your kid is wearing an ID with your contact details, flight no etc. The ID card can be the one he wears to school or you could print something special at home that has your contact information, flight details, allergy information etc. This way, anyone who finds him / her unattended know how to reach you.

Tip No. 5: Pack a backpack of their toys / books / puzzles / colouring sheets, crayons etc. and let them carry it. This ensures that they develop a sense of responsibility for their own things. Make sure that these are the things that he / she plays with on a daily basis and can identify them.  Also make sure that the bag isn’t to heavy for him / her to carry! This will help them pass time in the flight and keep them entertained for atleast an hour!

Here are some of my favorites!

Bag: http://amzn.to/2gLFK6F

Puzzles: http://amzn.to/2gLDc8A

Colouring sketchpens: http://amzn.to/2hny0Xt

Colouring books: http://amzn.to/2gDgOJx

Magic Slate: http://amzn.to/2h2Sq59

 

Tip No. 6:  Domestic Flights allow a bottle of water. For other flights take his favourite sipper and fill it from a water fountain after security. This way you can keep them hydrated and not depend on the flight attendant! Also carry your child’s favourite dry snack like cookies, crackers or fruits. This will be beneficial if your toddler is a fussy eater and who likes airplane food anyway!

Tip No. 7: Their goodie-bag is going to lose its novelty faster than you would like! So load some of their favourite songs or rhymes / videos / apps on your phone as a back up.

Tip No. 8: Carry a book / magazine / newspaper for yourself! Once your kid takes over you phone, consider it gone for the rest of your flight! So a magazine or a book may come handy! This is my all time favourite!

These helped my quite a bit!  If you use any other tricks and hacks, let me know!

You can watch the video for these tips here!