Love a Little Travel (with children)
Travel is one of my biggest loves and that didn’t change having children. I was very nervous that would change when children came along but I have pushed through and tried to travel with them as much as possible. I spent so much of my life traveling and I want to continue my love of exploring the world, experiencing new cultures and showing them this love also. With all great loves they never really leave us and I just have to make it work as best I can with my little ones.
Travel with children can be tough, I am not going to lie, however, I have to make it work or else I don’t think I would be able to enjoy my life fully. Sounds dramatic but it was everything to me prior to children. With everything in life, things change and of course, my life changed with children. I still love every minuet I get to spend travelling but I definitely don’t have as much time, money or the urge to travel like before.
I managed a lot with my first son, with over 56 flights in the first few years both locally and overseas and I have to say it was a dream with him. It is obviously much easier with just one child and he is a pretty well-behaved boy. Now with a daughter too I have definitely slowed down. Having said that we still did a lot with her the first two years of her life, numerous overseas trips and local trips but it was nothing like before.
For the many reasons now, I am happy to take it a bit slower and enjoy time for us as a family to grow. I am enjoying being home more and settled after so much of my life travelling.
After a few months break from travel last year, this year we all embarked on a trip to France for two and a half months. I was very excited to I go back to the place I had spent so much of my adult life and the place I loved. Despite all the excitement, I was dreading the flight with children.
I was mentally preparing for it for some time. I think I was nervous, as my daughter is not the easiest 2 year old and does not sleep well. I also found out I was pregnant with my 3rd child not long before, so all of this made me a little more apprehensive than I have been before flying.
The flight was exhausting although it wasn’t anywhere near as bad as I had expected. I do think being prepared and organised did help. I had prepared the children for month’s prior to leaving that also helped our trip.
Little hints for long-haul flights with children
If you can afford business class tickets then do it as the children can lay flat and they sleep more. We have been lucky enough to fly once with my husband's job as a family and it was so much easier as they can lie flat to go to sleep and we all got a pretty normal nights sleep. (But back to reality that doesn’t always happen so most flights for us as a family are economy and you need to plan your journey to suit your needs).
Try to do a night flight if a long haul overseas flight -they might just sleep more which is a lifesaver.
Try to have an overnight stop if going a long way if you think it will help you. I have done both and I enjoyed the rest in-between flights although it can be good to just get there. Some people prefer going straight through.
Choose your seats so you are together as a family or so you can have spare seats next to you if possible. This helps when they sleep.
Give the children dinner before the flight although you will usually get dinner on the flight, it is often too late on night flights.
Take a few small extras of important things like nappies and spare clothes just in case of accidents.
If you have a baby and travel it is a great idea to invest in a sling. Any sling you like will be great. You can have the baby in the sling walking on and off flights that will allow you to have free hands for other children, tickets, passports, and money.
Carry on baggage with children for long-haul flights
I take a few of the children’s favourite snacks in my bag. You generally get plenty of food and snacks on the flight but you never know when you may need them. We generally use them after the flight in immigration lines, car rides or taxis.
Pyjamas- great for the children to get changed into for a comfortable sleep and then you have the clothes to put back on before you arrive that have (hopefully) been kept clean.
Spare clothes for all of the family or at least a few key pieces for accidents- (this has happened to me a few times and they have come in very handy). If you have pyjamas these can act as a spare set if luggage space is tight.
Plenty of nappies and wipes
Pawpaw cream for my lips and anything else that needs some love. I get dehydrated when flying so I’m always looking for creams for my hands, face, and lips on the flight.
Natural remedies and any other medications you may need to help children when sick or if they need calming down. I always do this for emergencies and haven’t needed it yet but might one day.
I take some vitamin C and Electrolytes. Planes are notorious for spreading germs and you often hear of people getting sick after flights. I try to keep very well hydrated and take plenty of vitamins to boost my immune system.
My mum swears by saline nose spray to keep bugs away on fights.
Extra water. I take my water bottle and the children’s to fill up during the flight so I always have some handy for when we need it.
Travel pillow- either the blow-up or cushion type. These come in handy when you are stuck in a position with a child on your lap and you can still manage a bit of sleep or a nap with this pillow.
I take a DVD player or iPad with the children’s favourite movies or music ready for times of need. They have great movies, TV, and music on most planes system but you never know when and what you might need them.
Someone suggested that we wrap some little presents for the children and give them one to open every few hours to occupy them. This was a hit with mine. We brought little cars, dolls, colouring books, sticker books, blocks, games, cards, favourite characters and gimmicky things we saw in the shops. (Nothing too noisy obviously) and nothing too expensive.
We brought a plane pal, a blow-up cushion that acts like a bed or footrest to help children sleep better and put their feet up. It sits between the seat and the back chair. It was easy enough to use by simply inflating and deflating. I would practice a few times at home first as it does take a little practice to get them used to it. We found they worked well and were easy enough to climb over if you needed. Some airlines don’t allow them but they have a complete list of airlines that will allow them on the website. You can have a look at the link below for more information. https://www.planepal.com.au/pages/our-story
How to pack for a big trip with children.
How to organise carry on luggage.
I am conscious of what I take and try not to take too much luggage although my bags are usually pretty full.
For carry on cabin luggage, we all have one bag each.
I carry the passports and money in a little shoulder bag for easy access and then I have a small case with wheels.
The children each have a small case and my husband will have either a backpack or a small case.
The children carry their favourite toys and water bottles in their bags.
I have little cases with wheels that they wheel along and love the ease of this. I carry the presents, medications, my personal items and some nappies.
Packing for children
I use pack eze bags for the children’s clothes and they are the BEST! They are little cube colour coded bags for packing, they help to separate the children’s clothes into sections.
I separate their clothes for example, one for t-shirts, shorts, trousers, dresses, jumpers, socks, underwear and swimwear. Once they are all put in the little bags they all fit really well in the suitcase or bag. I then add nappies, wipes, shoes and anything else I may need around them. They have changed my life as far as ease of travel with children. It is so easy to access the clothes each day and then put them back in the bags. With the packing cubes, everything fits so well in the luggage. There is no need to pack and unpack and live in a mess. Everything is kept organised and neat and I just love using them. After you wash the clothes you can easily put the clothes back in the bags ready to go. Things stay pretty well ironed in them also. Give them a try. We have one set for my daughter and one for my son and all of their clothes in the pack ease bags fit into the one suitcase or bag which is handy. These are the best invention ever for travellers.
I try not to take too much of anything (although at times guilty of way too much) as I always wash when away with children. I do take enough not to worry about running out however we generally wash regularly having children so there is no need to over pack. I often pack everything and then cull just before we leave for the trip.
When going away for long trips, I take a warm jacket and/or rain jacket for the children with some clothes for layering. You never know what the weather will do so it is reassuring having a good variety. With shoes, I always take a pair of closed in comfortable shoes and some summer sandals.
Packing tips for parents
I use the pack eze for some of my smaller items, which make it much easier to find and have the larger dresses, and items put on the top. Having the children’s clothes neat and compact makes life so much for my packing and travel.
Car journeys with children
We always have snacks and back up toys, books, DVD player or iPad and plan the journey around children’s sleeps. I drive as much as possible while they are sleeping. Use GPS to avoid traffic and pray for a good run.
The all-important food and travel
I usually go to a supermarket, shops or market when I arrive or the day after and see what food the country has and what the children might like to eat. We eat out more when traveling and I love them to try new things, we might have some nights at home and some out. It is handy to have a kitchen where you stay if it’s long term with children as you can cook some nights and do breakfast if they are hungry early. A kitchen is also handy if you have bottles to clean or fussy eaters so you need to prepare things in advance. If I am in a hotel I will still buy snacks and use the bar fridge if I need. I carry a few little children’s knives, forks, and spoons that come in handy for children’s snacks and yogurt if staying in a hotel.
Jet lag with children
Jet lag can affect us all but I try to get the children into a routine as quickly as possible. Night flights help so they sleep initially and then are usually so tired again by the time you reach the destination. Try to keep them awake until at least close to their bedtime in the country. If you arrive early and have all day to stay awake then you can nap the children.
With a baby, I would nap them every few hours for 40 minutes or there about so they don’t get into a deep sleep and think it is night time. I do this all day and try to put them to bed as close to 7 pm local time as possible.
For children, do the best you can and if they still nap give them a short one even in a car or pram so they don’t go into a deep sleep and wake them after a set time. Try to keep them busy and outdoors if you possible.
You all need to get outside into sunlight as much as possible in the day and try to keep them awake before bedtime so they are so tired by the evening. I usually take them out and keep them busy the first few days and then give them dinner and bath and hope for the best with the night. If they wake in the night I try to settle them back as quickly as I can.
Good luck with your trip and I would love to hear any of your travel tips. I am always picking up new ideas from other travellers Xxxoo
Packing Cube Links
https://www.kmart.com.au/product/3-packing-cubes/1875824
https://www.ezpacking.com/collections/all/products/large-cube