Flying. With Baby.

I am not going to lie. 

Traveling with a small child is hard. 

I used to like traveling. I liked going to new and/or exotic places around the world. 

Now that I have a child? Not so much. I still travel quite a bit since our family and friends are scattered everywhere. My 14 month old already has 6 countries on 3 continents under his little belt and has logged some serious miles in the air. 

I am by no means an expert nor can I claim my little global ambassador is a smooth flier all the time (but we get a lot of positive feedback on flights regarding how well he does), but here are ten tips to make the journey a bit more bearable for all involved. 

1. Try to plan travel around child's schedule, specifically sleep times, as well as off-peak travel times (less busy = less stress for all parties). If I can, I always try to book our travels for overnight or at nap time. I might not sleep well when we take a red-eye, but he does and that makes it so much easier. Like I sleep much anyway...  

2. Let people help you. I remember my mother telling me this before one of my son's first flights. I am amazed at how kind and generous strangers are, from people helping me with all my luggage (it is almost always just my son and I traveling together and thus I have my hands full) to airport and airline staff letting me board early or skip waiting in a long line to someone volunteering to hold my son so I can eat or go to the bathroom with my hands free or entertaining him or saying a kind word to me.

3. Relax. Be kind. Be positive. Be patient. A good attitude helps a lot - you are in a better mood, your kiddo picks up on your mood, people around you notice it too and often respond appropriately... In fact, I often hear about these horror stories of people berating people with small kids while traveling, but I have yet to experience any horrible people. Maybe it is luck, maybe my happy kiddo won them over with his smiles, but I am a firm believer in you get what you give out. 

4. Plan your seat ahead of time. Sometimes, airlines will accommodate small kids in the bulkhead row. Some people like this extra legroom, but I actually prefer to be elsewhere since the seats are often not as wide (so even narrower than normal...), I would rather not be in the baby aisle (grrrrreat idea: group all the babies together so they cry in unison...), and I like access to my stuff at all times. Consequently, I look for a window seat elsewhere, ideally in a row of two (if the plane's seat layout is a 2-3-2 or something). A window seat often gives you a little more width, and with a small child, especially one that breastfeeds still, or likes to cuddle in your arms, that room is nice (side note: window seats also give you a little more privacy if you are breastfeeding). 

5. Be prepared for battle anything. Bring extra diapers (at least a whole days worth in your carry-on), food for the both of you, change of clothes for the both of you, wipes (feels good to wipe the grim off both of you after a long flight), a few new and favorite small toys, medicine, Aquaphor (so many uses including diaper rash), blankets (one for floor, one for snuggling), grocery bags to put soiled items in, etc. You never know what will happen, from a delay to blowout. But also be careful about overpacking, even in developing countries you can often find what you need. Additionally, I always use a backpack instead of a regular diaper bag when traveling - baby on front, pack on my back, and I still got my hands free. 

6. Dress comfortably and simply. My little guy wears PJs whenever he travels and I am dressed comfortably too (maybe not my PJs, but you get the idea). You want to keep your kiddo's attire easy to make going through security or changing a diaper in a dodgy bathroom easier. 

7. Let them burn energy before boarding - find an empty gate or quiet part of the airport and let them go! If you are worried about germs, wash them up before boarding. There are lots of germs on that plane anyway...it is a futile battle.  

8. If you nurse, nurse away. I let my little guy nurse on demand while traveling and it helped immensely. But then bring a water bottle and snacks for you to help you keep your supply up. 

9. Wear your baby. I know not all little ones like it - every now and then my son is one of them - but 4 out of 5 times he falls asleep when I wear him. It also give me two free hands to do whatever I need to do. 

10. You can plan as much as you can, but give yourself some slack. Give yourself lots of time to get from A to B, and allow for some flexibility in your plans (if the kid wants to sleep, let them sleep). 

What words of wisdom do you have for traveling with baby or tot? 

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