Preparation is Key | [back]
Flying can be frustrating, overwhelming, and time-consuming. Add an infant or toddler to the mix and air travel can be intimidating! The media is full of stories of frantic parents, screaming babies and toddlers who are thrown off flights due to tantrums.
One thing you can now do to make your trip a little...lighter. Is have some of your supplies delivered to you. Whether it's diapers, formula or any of the other products they offer companies will deliver to your hotel room in the United States and abroad. Our two favorite companies that offer this service is www.babiestravellite.com and www.jetsetbabies.com . What a concept, who needs to lug a big bag of diapers in your suitcase?!
Flying with children does require extra preparation. Airlines are budget conscious and customer service is basic and limited. Do not look to them for advice, assistance, or undtanding. If parents are not prepared, a simple flight can easily turn into a huge nightmare.
Here are some basic steps required when traveling with your infant or toddler from Anya Clowers, RN, of JetWithKids.com:
- Purchase a seat for EVERY passenger for safety. It is NOT safe to fly with children held on your lap. Please read http://www.jetwithkids.com/book_freeChapter.html so that you are able to make an informed decision regarding your child's safety.
- Use a car seat or CARES harness to buckle them in for safety. The CARES harness is for children 22-44lbs. An infant under 22lbs. should be in a rear facing car seat. The car seat must be FAA approved- labeled by a sticker stating that the seat has been approved for use on an airplane.
- Know the TSA rules about what is allowed through security as far as liquids and food (formula, breast milk, bottles, juice, etc.). These rules change often so check the day before you fly!
Passports | [back]
- Documentation is your responsibility- infants and toddlers DO need passports for international travel, and a notarized letter is required for solo parent international trips.
- Apply EARLY for passports. Yes, the infant photo is quickly outdated. Infant passports are good for 5 years. (Anya's 3 year old has his 6 month old infant photo on his passport.)
- Utilize services that will deliver baby supplies to your destination to eliminate luggage and a luggage service to deliver at least one bag containing the most important items. Do not count on checked baggage – the airlines have a bad record of losing or delaying luggage!
- Pack your (hands free) carry-on to cover the flight PLUS delays, hunger, canceled flights, sick kids, and medical emergencies.
- Arrive early and book long connections. Always allow extra time for traffic, long lines, and life with a child! The recommended check in time from the airline is not valid for families.
- Take a deep breath; go to www.JetWithKids.com/blog to follow Anya's travels as she reviews products and services as well as keeps parents up to date with regulations.
- Consider health issues: teething, fevers, ear pain while descending, motion sickness, etc. All of these issues are covered in Jet With Kids as well as tips on how to keep your child healthy before and during the flight!
Involve Children In Trip Planning | [back]
You spend time researching your vacation, scouring the Internet for ideas. If during this time your child hasn't any idea what's ahead except the destination, it should be no surprise that he or she can become overwhelmed by the journey. "Grandma's House" or "Hawaii" or "Disney World" or "a fun airplane ride" are good reasons to get excited for travel, but not enough to make the trip itself fun.
After you have decided on a destination, explain to your child where you will be going and what he can expect from your trip. Will it be a direct flight or one with multiple layovers or plane changes? What sort of a place will you be staying in upon arrival? As Genevieve S. Brown writes in her article about traveling with young grandchildren: "Children are at their best when they know what to expect and surprises are at a minimum."
Let your child pick a book and a travel toy for his own carry-on, and for kiddos 3 and up, have them pull their own bag. Having responsibility for part of the trip and helping pack makes it your child's trip too, not just something he or she is dragged along on.
Resources:
Prepare Children For Air Travel | [back]
There is more to flying with toddlers than keeping them entertained and hoping for good behavior on the plane: there are long lines at busy airports, security checkpoint(s), boarding the plane, sitting in confined space that shakes and makes noise, not to mention puts sometimes incredible pressure on little ones' ears, and travel etiquette issues like not kicking the seats in front... all things that don't get addressed in the usual checklists.
Most children have temper fits on planes for one of two reasons, if not a combination of both:
(1) They are confused and scared as a result of being unfamiliar with airport/airplane environments
- or -
(2) They are ill equipped for air travel: not allowed to move around before being expected to sit for hours in a confined space, given sugar snacks or juice to 'calm' them (?!!), not having distracting quiet toys/books/activities to entertain them.
How to mitigate these potential pitfalls?
* If possible, Take your child to the airport on a day you're not flying and show her what the people are doing: standing in lines, going through security (the loud metal doorway and the requirement that my toddler walk through it alone was terrifying to her until she did it once), etc. There is a great article at the Partnership For Learning about this very option: http://www.partnershipforlearning.org/article.asp?ArticleID=1612
* Buy the Shae by Air DVD Toolkit™ or one of the few books/media available that SHOW children what goes on at the airport. Give them something to relate to. Most TSA agents, flight attendants and airport personnel recognize that traveling children are often ill prepared for the journey and for the most part are respectful of that fact, and quite helpful. But traveling families have a responsibility to prepare themselves and their children for likely delays, long lines, the need to be flexible. Children - even toddlers! - have the capacity to understand what to expect and what is expected of them, and with that the ability to be respectful, Good Little Travelers.
Resources:
Things to Pack that you don't think of until it's too late | [back]
- Pack your young child's pillowcase to use in unfamiliar hotel rooms. It makes the bed seem more familiar and takes up much less space than a teddy bear.
- If you're little one is using a bottle, don't forget to bring along a bottle brush. Some good ones have nipple brushes that screw into the bottom of the brush. That way you have both, and washclothes don't do the same job.
Baby Gear Rental Agencies | [back]
United States
—Alaska—
Anchorage and Eagle River area
Tiny Tourist
www.tinytouristalaska.com or 1-907-696-2821
—Arizona—
Phoenix, Scottsdale & area
Anything for Baby, Inc.
www.anythingforbaby.com or 1-877-515-9783.
My Baby Equipment Rentals
www.mybabyequipmentrentals.com or 1-866-789-7180
—California—
Lake Tahoe
Baby’s Away
www.babysaway.com or 1-800-446-9030
Los Angeles and Santa Monica
The Traveling Baby Co.
www.thetravelingbabyco.com or 1-800-304-4866
Orange County (Disneyland)
Travel Needs for Kids
www.travelneedsforkids.com or 1-877-722-7066
San Francisco
Little Luggage
www.littleluggage.com or 1-877-FLY-BABY
Rockabye Baby
www.rockabyebabyrentals.com or 1-866-475-6825
San Diego
San Diego Travel Baby
www.sandiegotravelbaby.com or 1-877-738-7382
Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara Baby Company
www.sbbabyco.com or 1-877-240-1360
—Colorado—
Colorado Springs
Travelin’ Tikes
www.travelin-tikes.com or 1-866-495-9789
Denver Area and Boulder
Baby Stay
www.babystay.com or 1-877-635-9885
Telluride and Ouray
Traveling Lite
www.travelinglite.biz or 1-888-662-8687
—Florida—
Orlando and Disneyworld
A Baby’s Best Friend
www.abbf.com or info@abbf.com
—Florida—
Tampa Bay
Baby on the Go
www.babyonthego.biz or 1-866-502-0777
Visiting Baby, Inc.
www.visitingbaby.com or 1-727-784-3333
—Georgia—
Atlanta
Baby’s Away
www.babysaway.com or 1-800-282-8315
—Hawaii—
Big Island
Aloha Baby Rental
www.alohababyrental.net or 1-808-326-1700
Dorkel’s Snorkel & Baby Rental
www.dorkelsrental.com or 1-808-883-3675
Kauai
Ready Rentals
www.readyrentals.com or 1-800-599-8008
Maui
Akamai Mother’s Rentals
www.akamaimothers.com or 1-808-298-1336
Baby Furniture Rentals
www.pamelasaloharentals.com or 1-877-299-2229
—Illinois—
Chicago Metro Area
The Baby Rentals
www.thebabyrentals.com or 1-866-736-8572
—Massachusetts—
Cape Cod
Baby’s Away
www.babysaway.com or 1-508-481-4696
Northshore, Boston / New Hampshire
Basic Baby Rentals
www.basicbabyrentals.com or 1-978-375-4054
—Michigan—
Detroit and Ann Arbor
Baby Travels Equipment Rental
www.babytravels.com or 1-734-455-2526
Traverse City and Northern Michigan
Tiny Toes Travel
www.tinytoestravel.com or 1-231-357-4590
—Minnesota—
Minneapolis & St. Paul
Rockabye Rentals
http://www.rockabyerentals.com or 1-877-388-2229
—Nevada—
Las Vegas
Travel BaBees
http://travelbabees.com/lasvegas.html or 1-877-922-2337
—New Mexico—
Albuquerque
Travelin' Tots Rentals
www.travelintotsrentals.com or 1-505-237-1066
—New York—
Long Island area
Little Travelers
www.little-travelers.com or 1-631-207-1408
New York City
Baby’s Away
www.babysaway.com or 1-800-374-3403
Granny’s Rental, Inc.
www.grannysrental.com or 1-212-876-4310
—North Carolina—
Charlotte
Bring the Baby
www.bringthebaby.com or 1-866-301-2229
—Oregon—
Portland
Babies On the Go Rentals, Inc.
www.rent4baby.com or 1-888-677-2229
—Rhode Island and vicinity—
Charlestown
Away Wee Go
www.awayweegotori.com or 1-866-460-4993
—Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Connecticut—
Crumb Krunchers
www.crumbkrunchers.com or 1-877-2742
—Tennessee—
Nashville
Baby’s Away
www.babysaway.com or 1-800-227-8809
—Texas—
Austin
Baby’s Away
www.babysaway.com or 1-800-505-1734
Dallas
Bring the Baby
www.bringthebaby.com or 1-866-301-2229
Houston
Rockabye Baby
www.rockabyebabyrentals.com or 1-866-475-6825
—Washington—
Seattle
Crybaby Comforts
www.crybabycomforts.com or 1-425-260-4788
Tiny Tots Travel
www.tinytotstravel.com or 1-425-943-0099
Seattle & Surrounding Area
Travel BaBees
http://travelbabees.com/seattle.html or 1-206-935-0733
—Washington, D.C.—
Breezy Baby Travel
www.breezybaby.com or 1-301-807-2358
Africa
—South Africa—
Durban
The Travelling Baby
www.thetravellingbaby.co.za or +27 31 539 6914
Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban
Babylite
www.babylite.co.za or +27 (0)76 900 2630
Asia
—Japan—
Tokyo
Hoxon Baby
www.hoxon.co.jp/baby/ (Japanese only)
Australia
—Brisbane, Gold Coast & Sunshine Coast—
Little Noodles
www.littlenoodles.com.au or 0417-602-989
—Melbourne, Sydney & Adelaide—
Little Noodles
www.littlenoodles.com.au or 0412-241-989
Canada
—Alberta—
Calgary & Banff
One Tiny Suitcase
www.onetinysuitcase.ca or 1-403-208-1167
Little Traveller Rentals
www.littletraveller.ca or 1-877-242-4067
—Ontario—
Niagara Falls (Pelham)
Borrow Til Tomorrow
www.borrowtiltomorrow.com or 1-905-526-6712
Toronto
Wee Travel, Inc.
www.weetravel.ca or 1-416-737-1622
—British Columbia—
Vancouver & Toronto
Wee Travel, Inc.
www.weetravel.ca or 1-604-222-4722
Europe
—France—
Charente and Charente Maritimes
Travelling with Baby
www.travellingwithbaby.com or 0033-673-11-72-96
—Netherlands—
Amsterdam, Den Haag, Utrecht
BabyRent
www.babyrent.nl (Dutch Only)
—Spain—
Barcelona
Baby Travelling
www.babytravelling.com or 0034-670-73-18-35
Costa del Sol
Kidz to Go!
www.kidztogo.com or 0034-600-009-627
Southern Costa Blanca (south of Alicante)
Mother Goose Hire
www.mothergoosehire.com or 0034-966-730-431
—Switzerland—
Zurich
Kids Stuff Rentals
www.idarling.ch or 043-888-0021
—U.K.—
Travelling with Baby
www.travellingwithbaby.com or 44 (0) 127-722-4669
Tots 2 Go
www.tots2go.com or 0870-333-1255
London and surrounding areas
Baby 2 Go
www.baby2go.com or +441 (0) 208-655-8640.
Chelsea Baby Hire
www.chelseababyhire.com or 0208-789-9673
Mexico
—Cancun—
Cancun Valet
www.cancunvalet.com or 1-888-479-9095
Dress For Success | [back]
As small a consideration as it may seem, attire actually plays a big role in the whole flying adventure. Honor the journey, weight it with preparation, excitement and then dress for the occasion. That's not to say be fancy, but is to say: Match. Layer. Wear clean clothes that aren't ugly t-shirts. It's unconventional common sense advice, not commonly found on family travel websites, (which often focus on the comfort of the clothing) but from personal experience I can tell you that dressing yourself and your children in matching, comfortable, nice clothes (and by nice, I just mean lacking stains or holes) results in at least two positive results:
- Your fellow passengers' first impression of you, as with a job interview, is that you respect them, and the journey, and that you are not taking the experience lightly. People are far more apt to be patient and less likely to presume that your kiddos will be a detriment to their flight if the family looks respectable; and
- Your children will have visceral, tangible evidence that traveling by air is something special. When they are not dressed as if they it's just another day at daycare or preschool, and you are not dressed like the family is making a quick run to the supermarket, it sets a positive, exciting tone. This is an airplane trip! Whether it's the first or the 500th it is still thrilling. My daughter has been on countless planes now, and every time it's exciting - for both of us - and we dress for the journey.
Be Prepared | [back]
Another tip for the plane, is to always bring a change of clothes for children 5 and under in the carry bag. We all know what diapers can explode or leak, a little turbulence can create havoc on a clean pair of clothes, and sometime accidents happen…so be prepared. Keeping the extra set of of clothes in a zip lock bag is a good idea since you can replace them with the soiled outfit and keep it sealed shut. Also, if going to a warm destination bring a change of clothes. If your bags are delayed or your room is not ready, be ready to hit the pool so don’t forget to throw that bathing suit in the carry bag (good advice for parents too!!).
Snacks are king! Be sure to pack a snack bag of goodies. If you are traveling with more than one child, I always have a ziplock bag per child so you don’t have to worry about “sharing issues.” Not only will you save money since you won’t have to buy snacks at the airport, but it is a great back up plan if the plane is delayed. Also, Cheerios, popcorn and raisins are great for take off and landing on little ears and air pressure.
Load up on games when taking on a road trip! We know that kids don't exactly have a long attention span, so be prepared with some of the cool travel games out there. We carry great ones like the ever popular Doodle Board, fun sticker sets, car bingo all of which can be placed on your little one's Snack and Play Travel Tray (one of our best sellers). For more great ideas check out a site I love, www.momsminivan.com
Keep Moving! | [back]
Since most likely your family will experience long lines at check-in and security, requiring patience and stillness from your toddler, anticipate your child's need to move!
- If possible, let your child walk to the gate.
- Allow children to move around while waiting in the terminal.
- Take a walk and check out the terminal displays/posters.
- Have a look out the windows at the airplanes
- Fool around at the kiddie corner if the airport has one.
- Play“I Spy”. I am always amazed how many fun things there are to look at in the airport and on the plane.
Do not keep children contained in strollers, except when absolutely necessary (food lines?). It is foolish and impractical to expect a child to sit, sit, sit for hours on end without wanting - needing - to move around. Plus, exploring the airport and terminal waiting area before the flight gives parents new and different things to discuss with their child after boarding, but before the plane takes off, when he must, once again, sit still and wait patiently. Look out the window and ask, "Can you still see that yellow plane from where we're sitting? Do you think the airport we land at will have a shop that sells t-shirts also?" I'm always blown away by what my little girl notices when we're exploring that I missed.
Lodging Tips
[back]
Arriving at the hotel:
We all get excited when you walk into the hotel room for the first time, kids are no exception. Let them figure out where everything is and what bed they want to sleep in. Unless you have to unpack right away, it is fun to go exploring immediately. Check out the property, make your wish list of the things you want to do, go to the bar and get a milk or apple juice. If there is a kids program that you plan to use, stop by and introduce yourself (you might need to sign up for something). The excitement will be contagious! Then, go pack and unpack and get settled. Remember you are on vacation, so it is ok to relax.
Many properties will childproof your room if you call ahead - but it can't hurt to take some extra electrical outlet covers, corner bumpers and a night-light. You can also ask the hotel to remove all of the items from the minibar (or hide the key when you arrive) - those $7 cans of peanuts can add up. To kids, motels are as much fun as fancier places. Many have in-room ridges - the best place to stock up on snacks.
One-bedroom suites with rollaway beds are often cheaper than two connecting rooms, says our resident travel agent, Kimberly Wilson Wetty, and will give you more space to share.
Avoid Meltdowns!
[back]
The No. 1 rule at amusement parks: Don't try to do it all - you'll wind up with a hot, cranky, tired and disappointed crew. Think about what makes sense for the ages and interests of your kids, and then check a map to find the rides or shows you want to see - and all the bathrooms nearby. Buy tickets ahead of time if you can, and take advantage of express passes or other benefits of staying at an affiliated resort. And when you get inside, go left since most people veer to the right, then make a beeline for the back of the park and work your way forward.
Stick to Routines [back]
If your child always has a nap after lunch, arrange your day so there's time for one during your vacation too. Or if you allow dessert only after a certain number of greens are eaten, stick to it. (a bellyful of ice cream is a terrible thing to mix with a jostling ride on a kiddie coaster.) Little ones are comforted by routines, and the more they know what to expect, the more fun you'll have.
Tot-free Time [back]
You planned a fantastic family trip - you deserve a little break. As much fun as it is to see your child's face light up when he spots a dolphin, you could undoubtedly use some time away. If you think you will want a babysitter, always best to plan that in advance with your travel consultant or directly with the hotel. During prime vacation periods (school breaks, etc.), babysitters will go fast. Plan ahead if possible. Spontaneous is OK too! Just be sure to introduce yourself to Guest Services or the concierge! Utilize kids' clubs and babysitting services, we like www.sittercity.com, to take advantage of the spa or fine-dining meal of your own. Spend at least 15 minutes with your kids and the caregiver before you leave them, however, to make sure they're comfortable.
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