How to Survive an International Flight With Baby and Toddler
One of the reasons the three month trip to Malaysia was, well, three months is because even before the kiddies came about, I wasn’t a fan of travel.
That includes regular and, unfortunately for work, frequent trips to Las Vegas, a less than two hour flight from SFO.
The thought of traveling for 20+ hours was and is still a huge barrier to wanting to leave the house: being cramped, uncomfortable, dried out for nearly a full solid day with fitful sleep and uncomfortable clothes is painful to think about.
Well, now add on an 11 month old and a 2 1/2 year old.
So, I tried to prepare by looking up a few other articles:
Some web sites I checked out:
The check list for traveling
Actually, the real check list belongs to my wife, but I’ve been planning for our trip.
1. Bring iPad for the 2 year old
I am adverse to her getting screen time. But I’ve seen it work and I’ve gotten her favorite videos, the ones that she watches over and over and over again (specifically Frozen and Monsters University).
It’s just 22+ hours. After that, she’ll have to quit cold turkey. But for the flight, I’m definitely bringing it.
2. Figure out snacks to bring
On the way over, we had litte jelly candies from Annie’s and granola bars and all kinds of other stuff like that. If I had been more on top of things, I might’ve bought some waxed meat from Chowrastra market. It’s flavorful, slices of dried meat that the toddler likes to eat. My preference is, if she has to snack, let it have more protein than sugars and grains.
3. Bring sanitation wipes
Overboard, but mostly for my own peace of mind. The toddler touches everything, especially those remotes that come with the seat. Then she picks at food with her hands. Rinse and repeat.
4. Bungee cords (the good kind)
With these long flights, we have to carry a ton of stuff. The bungee cords (I wrote about them in my post on what to bring to Penang) are helpful to strap as much as possible to the stroller when going through the airport. Yes, there are also those big baggage carts airports have on the sidewalks, and I love those as well. But once past security and baggage check-in, there’s still alot of carry-on bags that it would be nice to be able to strap on.
5. Sippy cups
The water on the plane comes in regular cups. But it’s still easier to just use a sippy cup with the toddler and even the baby. Especially when you want to encourage a long-lasting sucking motion when the airplane descends to clear their ears.
6. Flip flops
After walking around Penang in just my flip flop, I decided to take them on the plane. I’ll bring socks in case it gets cold but it’s much easier and more comfortable. Plus, I’ll be walking the toddler up and down the aisle once we’re in the air.
That’s all that I can come up with right now.