Tips on Flying with a Toddler (and what to buy) to Help you Keep your Sanity
- Jennifer Evans
- Aug 18, 2024
- 9 min read
When I mention the trips we go on with our toddler, people look at me like deer in headlights wondering how (and why) we decide to take him on such wild adventures. Bringing a toddler on a vacation definitely makes it less “relaxing” but it adds so much joy watching them soak in the world around them.
People also ask me why I spend so much money on a trip that he’ll never remember and I have two solid answers for that:
It’s not only about your toddler. You, as a parent, deserve to make priceless memories and there’s just something about watching your baby or toddler discover the world that’s truly magical. You only have one chance to take advantage of your child being that age (until you have another one) so embrace it!
While a toddler may not have vivid memories about a specific situation, he/she will always have an engrained reaction to how it made them feel. I truly believe if we travel with our toddler enough times, it’ll release positive endorphins that he’ll want to continue releasing once he’s older and it’ll spark a life full of adventure! Obviously as a first time parent, I don’t have any “scientific” evidence of this, but I’ve got a strong feeling about this one.
Disclaimer: Adult only trips are still extremely important and encouraged! These are just tips when you want and/or need to take your toddler along for the ride.
The first step in a lot of family trips is a flight to your destination. Flights can be daunting, especially if you aren’t a fan of them as an adult.
But here are 10 tips to help try and make your experience run smoother:
Tip #1: Consider bringing a travel companion
Bringing a travel companion needs to be talked about more because it’s truly made a whirlwind of difference in our travels!
My youngest brother is 11 years younger than me and is 17 years old. During our most recent trek to Canada, we brought my brother with us. Our original intention was because we wanted to have a couple date nights (which we did, and it was perfect), but my brother was also able to help with the flying part of it, too.
Having an extra set of hands through security, having an extra person to chase our toddler around in the terminal, and having an extra person to pass our toddler off to in the air lowered our stress levels tremendously and having my brother with us gave them a beautiful opportunity for some uncle/nephew bonding time.
While we’ve only done this once so far, we absolutely plan on doing it again soon.
Tip #2: Choose Flights Carefully
One thing to consider when choosing a flight is the time of day.
In the past, we’ve had good luck booking night flights since the flight attendants dim the cabin lights and we were able to simply put our son to sleep for the night during the time he’d normally go to sleep at home anyways. Now, you also risk your toddler fighting their sleep (which ours could win a gold medal at). And having a screaming toddler on a night flight can be even worse than having a screaming toddler on a day flight. But evaluate your toddler’s sleeping schedule and how deeply/quickly they sleep and make your decision from there.
The other thing to consider when choosing a flight is whether or not it’s a nonstop flight. Nonstop flights are usually the smoothest way to go since you don’t have to worry about transitioning. However, if you’re going on a longer flight, there can be some really great perks for having a layover (as long as it’s a longer one that won't have you sprinting through airports). Breaking up your flight so you can eat, relax, reset your bag if you need to, and (most importantly) let your toddler run around and get some energy out could set you up for success for the 2nd leg of your flight.
Tip #3: Choose seats early
At the earliest possible time, be sure to choose your seats.
Back in the day, it was easy to go up to the ticket counter right before your flight and request that your family sit together. However, especially post-COVID, airlines are coming up with more and more restrictions and this is much harder to do. I’ve heard stories about families going up to the ticket counter before a flight requesting that their seats be put together and they’ve been denied - leaving one adult primarily responsible for the toddler.
And considering we were just talking about adding a set of hands in the form of a travel companion, losing a set of hands has the potential to make things a lot harder. To avoid this entire situation from happening, be sure to choose your seats early and wisely so you’re able to sit together and have as much support as possible.
Another thing to consider when choosing seats is whether or not you have a window seat. Having a window seat has a lot of perks when you have a toddler because it serves as its own form of entertainment.
You can talk to your toddler about what they see out the window and you can even purchase these toys that suction cup onto the airplane window so they have something new to play with.
We still have these toys and have now put them on our window at home and our toddler is still obsessed with spinning them!
Tip #4: Pack wisely
This topic could honestly be an entire article by itself. There are so many tips when it comes to packing with a toddler when flying.
The first tip is to have a “go bag.” Have a go bag like this where you’re able to pack diapers, wipes, snacks, and a change of clothes handy and ready to go. There is nothing that makes a toddler louder quicker than them being hungry, tired, or needing a diaper change.
When they start getting loud, that’s NOT the time to be digging through your luggage looking for the right supplies so having it handy can prevent a fussy toddler from turning into an angry one.
If you’re worried about your “go bag” taking away a piece of luggage you get for free, check out this newly released backpack that's my newest obsession! It’s made to be a carry-on but literally fits as much as a regular suitcase does!
It has buckles to sinch it down tight in case it doesn’t “quite” fit in the baggage sizer at the airport. It also unzips all the way so you don’t destroy all your luggage trying to reach something at the very bottom like you would with a regular backpack. It has several outer pockets including a protected one between your back and the backpack that’s great for things like your passport or other important documentation.
I’ve flown from the United States, through Canada, to Portugal, to Morocco, and back and this bag remained a carry-on the entire time!
Tip #5: Bring old and new toys (even use technology if needed)
Bringing some of your toddlers favorite toys can be a great way to occupy them - but also a huge risk if you lose them.
But bringing new toys gives them the opportunity to see, feel, and play with something they’ve never seen before which could create a longer distraction period.
And no matter what your views on screen time are or how much screen time your toddler gets at home, allowing them to have it on the airplane can make a huge success in the amount of stress you feel on the flight.
Giving them an outlet to zone out and even watch something educational doesn’t just help them relax, but it gives you an opportunity to let your guard down as well.
We found headphones similar to these that we love for our toddler and they plug right into your phone or tablet so you can simply download an episode or movie of your choosing, plug in the headphones, and let them rest.
Tip #6: Give yourself plenty of time at the airport
There is nothing worse than sprinting through the airport because you’re running late. Well, there’s one thing I guess. Sprinting through the airport because you’re running late with a toddler.
People tend to dread going to the airport because of how much stress it can cause but if you simply give yourself plenty of time, you can actually relax and do whatever you want while you wait.
Most airports have restaurants, shops, and even play areas for kids. I know it’s insanely expensive to eat and shop at an airport but there’s nothing wrong with a packed lunch and window shopping only.
Killing time will always be a better option than rushing and especially since you don’t really know what the lines look like until you get there, you’d rather be safe than sorry.
Tip #7: Be smart with your car seat and stroller
Something that can cause a huge damper to your trip is a broken car seat or stroller. The baggage carriers at the airport aren’t known for being typically gentle with luggage so it’s important to take preventative steps to make sure your stroller and car seat arrive safely.
Being stuck at the arriving airport because you don’t have a functional car seat for your toddler sounds like a horrible way to start a trip.
Before I go into the products we recommend, remember that items such as strollers and car seats (and we even got away with this hiking backpack) typically fly for free on most airlines.
With that being said, don’t hesitate to go through security with your car seat and/or stroller in its functional capacity with your child sitting inside of it.
We never pull our protective bags out until we’re getting ready to board the plane. Sometimes, you’re actually able to go through security quicker this way especially if you’re flying international and have to deal with customs. But it’s also easier to bring the stroller through the airport wheeling it rather than carrying it on your back.
For your car seat, I highly recommend this padded car seat carrier. It fits most car seat brands whether it’s for infants or toddlers and there’s usually plenty of space to throw in some extra “stuff” you don’t want to carry like diapers or toys.
It also has large backpack straps and a place to add a luggage tag with your contact information on it. When it’s not in use, it folds up into a manageable size for storage and/or transportation.
For your stroller, this massive stroller bag is seriously the best. It folds into this tiny little bag when you aren’t using it and I couldn’t believe how huge it was by the time we opened it up all the way.
This bag has a million ways to carry it and even has a drawstring attached to it to keep dirt and other unwanted things out of the bag.
Tip #8: Burn them out prior to getting on the airplane
I’ve always wondered why the airline staff encourages families to board first… I want to keep my toddler out of the airplane for as long as possible.
While boarding begins, this is the best time to burn your toddler out as much as possible.
Let them run, play games with them, even chase them. Boarding is such a chaotic time for airports anyways - what’s one more toddler going to do?
This is also the best time to make sure all diapers are clean, all bellies are full, and your toddlers are ready to go.
Tip #9: Talk to the flight attendants
We had a flight attendant completely save the day.
On our son’s first trip out of the country, we had such a smooth flight on the way out there. It was at night, they dimmed the lights, and he was out cold.
On the way back however, we’re pretty sure he had a tooth coming in which is a recipe for disaster whether you’re in an airplane or not.
We tried TV, we tried getting him to go to sleep, we tried toys, and nothing made him happy. Finally, a flight attendant came up to us with her arms out and said “let’s give mommy and daddy a break.”
She let him see different things on the airplane and he even came back with some snacks.
We also like giving the flight attendants $5 Starbuck's gift cards which makes their day - but also makes them aware of our family and our toddler and they are anxious to help anyway they can! It's truly a win-win and I wish we started doing this sooner.
Tip #10: Enter with patience
As I just mentioned, sometimes you can do EVERYTHING right and still have a hard experience.
Other times, you could make mistakes and have everything go smoothly.
There are some factors you can control and other factors you can’t and you just have to enter with patience and take each hurdle as it is - a hurdle.
You can still have an incredible trip, see the world, and watch your toddler soak up their surroundings.
Conclusion
Watching your toddler travel and enjoy the same things you do is truly a feeling like no other. While traveling through an airport with your kids can seem like an overwhelming and unpleasant experience, you can improve your chances for success if you follow these ten steps. Toddlers are simply little humans wanting to learn, touch, feel, and process everything around them and it’s our job as parents to guide them into doing that safely and hopefully keeping the ruckus down to a minimum as much as possible.
Happy Travels!
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