After 130+ flights with Scout, I like to think I’m pretty well-versed in getting a toddler into and out of an airplane without inflicting mass trauma to ourselves and everyone around us. Well, most of the time, anyway. You can’t avoid hard travel days, especially when you travel with kids, but I wanted to share five must-haves for traveling with babies and toddlers that have made all the difference for us.
A Portable Sound Machine
We have the Hushh portable sound machine and it is a godsend. It’s small and lightweight, and it comes with a ring attachment that fits over your stroller handle/car seat handle. Sound wise, it’s pretty bare: it has two white noise patterns and a beachy waves sound. Scout has slept every night of her life to the sound of white noise, so it works out perfectly for us. Am I being dramatic if I say it has saved our sanity on multiple occasions? Scout has napped in too many planes/cars/strollers to count with the help of the Hushh.
The Perfect “In-Between” Stroller
The perfect “in-between” stroller. Here’s what I mean by “in-between” = large enough to haul the crap you needs, small enough to carry on if needed. The one we have actually folds small enough to fit in the overhead bin of most large airplanes! Our favorite in-between stroller is a Besrey (I’ve linked it in case it restocks, but it’s sold out now and I can’t find it anywhere but Walmart).
We also have the Joovy Balloon in bright yellow. It doesn’t fold nearly as small as the Besrey does (though still compact, it definitely more resembles a traditional stroller when folded), but I love that the handlebar reverses so you can push while looking at your child or looking away. I bought this stroller specifically for our upcoming Disney World trip because (1) I’m not trying to chase a 2.5 year old through August heat in Orlando, no sirree, and (2) in a sea of black strollers, the yellow will stand out and hopefully no one will nip our ride.
We bring a stroller on almost every trip we take, even if we won’t be using it at our final destination. If your layover gets tight and you have to run, if your flight is delayed and you need to make some laps, or if your kid wants to nap and needs a cozy space, a stroller is always great to have handy,
Kindle Fire
I’m sure I’ll catch some shit about this from the Mommy Police, but we love the Kindle Fire when we’re traveling. Originally, Scout just liked to watch Wizard of Oz and Sister Act; now, she loves the counting games! We bought ABC Mouse (the “mouse game” in our house) and the Duplo Lego app (worth every cent of $39). It’s so cool to watch her build towers and trains without worrying which piece we’ll forget under the seats.
*word of warning for ABC Mouse, though: most of the games require an internet connection, so unless you want to pay for Wifi on the Fire, I’d steer them more toward the Lego game.
Slip-on Window Shades
Listen, I don’t know about y’all, but my kid is a puller. I remember watching cartoon once about a mouse who pulled on a string and pulled and pulled and pulled and it eventually unraveled a sweater. idk if any of that is right, but it’s scarred into my brain and that’s exactly who Scout is. I say that to tell you that magnetic shades and suction shades end up in the floorboard within five minutes of leaving the driveway. These shades slide over the entire window and they’re amazing for road trips.
A Flexible Version of Your Routine
Kids thrive on routine. They like knowing what they’re doing and when they’re doing it, and generally speaking, travel throws all of that off. We’re waking them up earlier, they are walking more than they normally do, their naptimes are early, late, or nonexistent. They may not eat at the same times and they might not be eating their comfort foods. An airport is a pinball machine of sensory overload, even for an adult.
I try to squeeze in a nap when we travel. Whether it’s on the flight (much more likely when she was a baby) or pushing her around in a stroller during a layover, I’ve found that some sleep is always better than no sleep. I bring a gallon Ziploc of easy snacks that I know she likes (Uncrustables, Goldfish, Peter Rabbit pouches) in case she gets into a funk and doesn’t want to eat the meal on the plane or in the airport. She’s outgrown the tiny hotel cribs, so she’s often either sharing a bed with us or we built a fortress in a pullout bed. I even pack her pillow from home.
I say all of this because (at least for us) trying to keep some semblance of normalcy makes all the difference for Scout. If we just throw caution to the wind and fly willy-nilly, shit falls apart fast. BUT … you have to roll with the punches when it falls apart anyway. Refusing to nap, no matter how luxe the accommodations.
please see Exhibit 1 below: my child in a DFW Admirals Club lounge, en route to Mexico, with two blankets, a pillow, her baby doll, a water cup, a footrest, and Wizard of Oz, in a quiet area with the aforementioned travel sound machine … and still no nap.
We had to really breathe and adapt on this one. Scout’s been flying almost her entire life (these flights were numbers 134-137 for her, I think), but traveling is just hard sometimes. Adults have bad travel days. It stands to reason that kids would too. Get some coffee (or wine, if you wanna! #airportrules), take a breath, and remember that your kid’s struggles are not an indictment on your parenting.
Sometimes, no matter how much mayonnaise you got, you can’t make chicken salad out of chicken shit.
Bonus – TSA Precheck
Even if you only fly once a year, TSA Precheck is the best money I’ve spent on a travel hack. To be honest, now that I’m finishing the post, this probably should have been number one. You can wear your child in a carrier through the entire experience, you can leave on your shoes, keep your laptop/liquids in the bag, and the line is so, so, soooo much shorter. You just dump your bag/stroller on the conveyor belt and move through. It’s $85 and is valid for five years, and some credit cards cover the cost!
There you have it: my five major must-haves for traveling with babies and toddlers. Please keep in mind, kids are so, so different, and this is just a list of things that have worked for us over the last 2.5 years.
Did I miss anything ? I’d love to make updates if someone has a great suggestion!
xo, tyler
