Don’t!

OK, just kidding. We’ll be honest, traveling with kids can be quite the challenge and yes, sometimes it’s still rough even for experienced travelers. But after dozens and dozens of flights with our kids, and many talks with our friends who have kids, we’ve compiled a list of tips that just might spare you a headache on your next adventure! See below!

• CHEWABLE medicines – My friend who is a nurse recently reminded me that most children’s medicines come in a chewable form. This makes traveling much easier since the chewable medicines are a lot less messy than liquids and there’s no hassle with clean-up! My kids love the grape-flavored Tylenol.
• First aid – Pack more medicine/aid than you’d normally expect and items that you may need given the worst case scenario. My sister and I literally travel with an ENTIRE pharmacy. Earache drops (I can’t tell you how many ear infections we’ve had on trips), bug spray, cortisone cream, aloe, nausea medicine, band-aids – all of it!  Airports, hotels and resorts will charge you an arm and a leg for these items so bring them with you in a tote of small travel bottles and you won’t be sorry.  I once spent $32 on sunscreen at a fancy resort and $14 on hair spray! Sheesh.
• Wet wipes & sanitizer – I mean, these items go without saying now thanks to Covid, but we’ve added them here nonetheless! You really don’t want to think about how many people have touched that seatbelt or handrail.
• Busy activities – Bring mess free toys and activities such as magic ink, stickers, writing boards, screens and small action figures etc.  Avoid toys with a lot of parts that can roll away or go missing!
• Snacks, snacks and more snacks! – Get the good stuff to ensure that they’re super happy and keep a treat (or 10) in your back pocket when they inevitably hit their limit on the flight! My “go to” snacks are animal crackers, dried fruit, and yogurt bites (for the older kids) plus anything crunchy.
• Ice (for small children/teething toddlers). If you can get to a Starbucks/food place prior to takeoff for a cup of ice, little ones who are teething can chew the ice to avoid hurt ears!  Anything that requires a lot of chewing means that their little ears will have an easier time to pop and clear while up in the air. For babies, it’s best that they drink milk upon ascent and descent to help their ears clear while adjusting to the pressure changes.
• Reusable water bottle – Bring a reusable water bottle so kids drink enough water and don’t get dehydrated.  This is also a lifesaver if you need to rinse anything and can’t get to a sink during the flight.
• Extra clothes – Bring an extra change of clothes for your children and YOU (I once spent an entire flight sitting in apple-juice soaked pants…it’s not something I want to repeat!) and a clear bag to hold the soiled clothes.
• Birth certificates/passports – If your child is under 2, you’ll need to prove their age to ensure that you don’t have to pay for them (even if they’re super tiny!).