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I recently went on a trip with my two youngest children (5 and almost 1). This was my first time traveling alone with them.
I am a plannerโฆI like to pack well ahead of time. I like to know where things are. And I like to envision and talk through the trip so that I can be ahead of any potential issues. I made a plan for this trip and it worked out really well. All of that planning led me to these 5 hacks.
5 hacks for traveling alone with small kids
Hack #1 The Departureย
Managing gear is the hardest part of the trip. Getting from the car to check in is the most tedious part. With two kids, two car seats, a huge 45 pound suitcase (whew, just made it under the “we charge more for that”ย weight), a diaper bag (carry on), kid backpack, and a stroller, just getting inside could take 10 minutes (trust me on this).
If you are traveling with car seats, stroller and luggage, I strongly recommend that you get cargo hooks and attach them to the stroller so nothing falls when youโre one-handed. I got mine at Home Depot for $5 each. I have 3 of themโฆbest $15 ever spent. I used all 3 on this trip and they really do come in handy. I wore the baby, held my 5 year old’s hand and was able to push the stroller with the other hand, even with both car seats attached to it and both bags hanging from it.
Bonus: When I am not using the hooks for travel, I leave them hooked to to the stroller handle so that my 5 year old can hold them when walking next to me. It keeps him close, but he gets to be semi-independent.
Hack #2 The Kids
If you are a nut like me and need to be able to touch/see/hear your kids at all times, then being able to corral them and keep them close to you is imperative. But obviously still having the ability to move, be hands free, and do stuff {like carry your Starbucks!}. I found it to be easiest when I was able to wear the baby on my body {I used my Ergo Baby carrier because its more like a backpack than the others and it distributes the weight evenly} and put the big boy in the stroller. This was after I checked my luggage and the car seats (which check for free FYI!) Once we were free of the gear, I hung the diaper bag from my magic hooks and stuffed the back pack under the stroller. I felt in control at this point!
Bonus: If youโre nursing make sure you wear an easy access nursing shirt for the plane. Fumbling around with a jacket or a blanket is not conducive to small spaces with a potential stranger sitting next to you (who might not like kids or boobs). Just Sayin.
Hack #3 Entertainment
Flying with kids is not easy, especially little kids. I need to have as much โstuffโ for them on the plane as possible. We need to avoid the “Iโm bored, Iโm hungry,” and meltdown stage as much as possible. I packed lots of snacks, a device, headphones, pencils & colored pencils, pad of paper, coloring book and mini games for my older older. For the baby I had snacks, teethers, my teething necklace, and my phone charged for some Big Block Sing Song {you know you are singing it right now!}.
To avoid any issues with liquids, I bought a water bottle from Starbucks and filled the sippy with it after the security checkpoint.ย The plane issued snacks are always a hit, so ask for more, they donโt mind. It keeps kiddos happy!
Bonus: The tray tables always make me cringe, so we now use Serenity Tray Table Organizers to store all of the kids “stuff”. They keep the kids hands off the tray table and all of their stuff right within reach for them.
Hack #4 The Arrival
So, remember all that stuff? {2 kids, 2 car seats, a huge 45 pound suitcase, a diaper bag, a back pack and a stroller?} What are you going to do with all that while waiting for your luggage at baggage claim? How are you going to identify your bag quickly so you donโt have to be distracted from everything else? Let me tell you, knowing which bag is yours is critical!
My solution to this problem is super simple and you probably already do itโฆI tagged my bag with a bright, colorful scarf. This made it so easy to identify when we were at baggage claim. Best piece of advice when traveling with this much stuff- try to only use one suitcase! I hooked everything up with my trusty cargo hooks again and we were on our way {to Starbucks again}. I also use a Cincha Travel Belt to keep my back pack attached to my luggage.
Hack #5 The other stuff
Security Hacks:ย
- Take out all devices
- Take your shoes off
- Be prepared to get your hands swabbed, the stroller wiped down and for it to take 15 minutes for them to go through your diaper bag (not complaining, I totally get it).
ย This is the โlearn the hard wayโ stuff. I did mess up in my planning.ย There are 2 things that I would changeโฆ
- Wear a back pack (instead of a regular diaper bag) There are more pockets, and a water bottle holder. Plus, it would be easier to maneuver because of the fact that it is a backpack and not a shoulder bag
- Travel in slip on shoes. Um yea. I wore lace up sneakers. Oopsโฆ.had to deal with that at security.
Do you have any travel hacks with littles? Iโd love to hear them!
