Flying with children
Recently we took a trip home to the PNW from Michigan. It’s a three hour drive to Detroit and a four hour flight from Detroit to Washington. I figured it would be easier having a nonstop flight versus a layover. Both routes put us at about seven to eight hours of travel regardless. And by ‘we,’ I mean myself and the four kiddos (12, 9, 2 and 3 months). No big deal, right? It honestly wasn’t so bad. My two year old was probably the most wild and in need of redirecting, but we made it in one lovingly messy piece.
A list of must haves when traveling with children!!
Each kiddo had their own back pack with the following staples: throw blanket, head phones and water bottles. My daughter has a tablet, my son has a cell phone and I shared my phone with my two year old to watch Netflix and Disney+. They also all wore comfy clothes and packed one set of extra clothes for those just in case moments. And let’s not forget a book for when the electronics die!
The twelve year old was pretty content with his phone, but I had him pack his neck pillow, an empty water bottle, pen and paper.
My nine year old also packed her neck pillow we got from the Dole Pineapple Plantation and she had her favorite stuffed animal.
Cam, my two year old, had cars, dinosaurs and his favorite dinosaur puppet that goes on your hand to try and keep him occupied. Thankfully, he loves his big sister and she is a tremendous help in keeping him busy.
Lastly the baby has the usual diaper bag (that I also stored Cams diapers in too). I use a regular Jansport back pack, rather than a typical “diaper bag,” that I have quite literally had for seventeen years! It has lasted that long and is that durable. I started using it when we had our second child because we needed a little more room. I ended up getting a double stroller for this trip and to just have on hand when I’m doing other solo adventures,. the car seat that clicks into stroller for made travel super easy. I also packed my baby Tula.
We had an amazing time seeing family and friends. For all of the solo parents out there, I want you to know it’s totally possible to make it happen. You might just need some extra planning and Tylenol but it’s so worth it. So don’t shy away from that trip just because you have a little or a whole gaggle of kiddos.
