Made Mindful mama Kim, shared with us her secrets to successful airplane travel. She regularly flies from Florida to Oregon to visit family, often alone with her 2 daughters. Here are her 4 S's for successful airplane travel with kids.
- Snacks - plan on bringing lots of snacks/meals for your trip. Don't rely on getting food in the airport just in case you are short on time. You could even plan on bringing a "special plane" snack and tray that is something your kids don't regularly get to enjoy but it is special for the plane.
- Screens - on your day of travel, you can be more lenient on screen time. Travel days are long, big days for kids so be patient. You can also plan on breaking up screen time with reading a book or looking out the window. (Pro tip: download the movie or show before the flight as airplane Wi-Fi can be unpredictable.)
- Sleep - the week leading up to the trip, try to be as consistent with naps and bedtime schedules. On the day of travel, have grace with yourself and your kids and recognize that their naps may not be ideal and that's ok. Try to recreate their sleep routine as much as possible for the flight (bedtime story, sleep sack, sound machine).
- Stickers - stickers are such a fun activity for kids. You can pick some up at the store before the flight. The best option is to get the reusable stickers so you can put them on the window or tray table, just make sure they remove easily.
Other airline tips from a flight attendant: Many flights are getting canceled or delayed due to staffing shortages. The most predictable flights are the first flights of the day. You can check your car seat and stroller for free on most airlines at the ticket counter before security or at the gate. Also, one great perk of flying with a baby is they are free as a lap child until their 2nd birthday!
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Made Mindful has published self paced digitalcourses for Pregnancy and Postpartum to support families in pregnancy, labor, delivery and when your babe has arrived.
Article by Carly Crowther
Carly and her husband are high school sweethearts and love their growing family. They have 2 siberian huskies and a baby with plans for more in the near future. Carly is passionate about encouraging women to have a positive and mindful birth experience after her joyous, unmedicated birth of her daughter. When she’s not a Birth Coach, she is a Flight Attendant. The family loves traveling, experiencing other cultures, hiking, music, cooking and volunteering in their community.