Flying with Small Children

Flying with small children can be challenging, however with preparation, organization, and patience both you and your kids will survive. Before leaving for the airport go on-line and check out the web sites for the airports you will be traveling thru. Specifically look to see if they have any children play areas, where the family restrooms are located, and the family room areas in the private clubs if you are a member.

There are many tasks that must be done before boarding your flight. You need to check in, get your tickets, drop off your luggage, go thru security, and find your departure gate. When traveling with little one's you can also add potty breaks, diaper changes, sudden hunger that must be fed, and keeping your children safe.

Depending on the ages of your children talk to them about what to expect. Go thru everything from start to finish. If you live close enough to an airport you might even want to drive down there so they can see what the airport looks and sounds like. Airports are crowded and noisy. Many times the adults surrounding them are out of patience and grumpy. This type of environment can be frightening to some children. Lay your ground rules before going. If they know what is expected of them (and why) you will have a much easier time. If you have two or more kids and one is in the stroller make sure the other kids are holding onto the stroller as well as you walk thru the airport. Some rules are basic and that is okay. Determining rules beforehand will save you from having to constantly remind your kids what is expected of them, it will decrease your stress, and possibly help your sanity.

In 2006 I flew with my three year old from Portland, Oregon to Tokyo, then to Hong Kong in one day. A couple of days later we flew to China. I was worried about how not only would we survive the flights, but how would we survive the airports. I decided instead of a stroller I would try this chair like device that attached to my rolling carry-on luggage. That thing was great! I had parents stopping me asking where I got it, I had flight attendants stopping me so they could show other flight attendants. It was fabulous. With strollers you have to check them at the gate, with this device I actually could roll my daughter all the way onto the plane. She was also safety belted into the chair so I never had to worry about her safety. I knew she could not get up and wander away.

Talk to your children about the TSA screening process. The screeners wear uniforms and sometimes they are not that pleasant to be around; to a child that can be very frightening. Let your kids know that they will have to put their bag thru the screeners x-ray machine. Tell them that they will get their bag back. Prepare them that they may have to take off their shoes and send those thru the x-ray machine as well. Next tell them that they will need to walk thru the big doorway by themselves BUT you will be right behind them and that the both of you will not be far away from each other at all. Once everyone has gone past the screener you can gather up all your bags and be on your way.

If you are traveling with an infant be prepared to send all your baby equipment thru the x-ray machine. TSA wants to screen everything; strollers, baby carriers, car seats, etc. You will not be allowed to leave your infant in any type of carrier when going thru the screening process. I started traveling frequently right after 9-11. I have lost count how many times my daughter was asleep either in a carrier or the stroller and I had to wake her up to get all of our "stuff" thru the machine. The one time a screener decided to let me go thru with my sleeping daughter in my baby bjorn, we beeped. That carrier had metal snaps. Since we beeped we both got to be patted down. Looking back, it would have been easier just to have taken her out and done it the proper way. Once you make it past the TSA screening things usually become easier. If you are early enough you can feed your children, take them to the bathroom, change any diapers, and if you are lucky, play in one of the airport play areas.

When it is time to board you may have a decision ahead of you. Some airlines still allow pre-boarding for those with infants or small children. If you have a lot of stuff then pre-boarding is a fantastic idea. It is so much easier to drag in your luggage, car seats, and kids when you are not being rushed by other adults around you. The extra time during pre-boarding allows you to move slower getting to your seats, gives you extra time to get all your bags situated, and lets you sit together as a family discussing what will happen next. The other choice is to not rush on when boarding is announced. When it is time to board people seem to lose their common sense. The need to be first takes over. Let those crazy people go before you, let your child run around a couple more minutes to burn off some energy, be one of the last ones to board the plane. When you wait you will find that you do not have to deal with pushy people behind you and you won't have to just sit there in your airplane seat for 20 minutes while the entire plane boards. Sometimes the less time your kids have to sit still the better. The disadvantage of waiting however is if you have carry-on baggage that is to large to go under the seat in front of you, you might not be able to find an overhead bin near you.

With planning and patience you can survive the airport. Good luck!

DisneyMom