Flying with a toddler is like rolling a die, you don’t know what you are going to get. One flight, BB will be an angel and we are convinced we are rockstar parents and have it 100% figured out. The next flight she will be a nightmare and we walk off the plane humbled and in need of a stiff cocktail. The one thing that seems to effect her mood the most is how relaxed we are. Her dad can get a little high strung and easily stressed out when she fusses for a second, and when either of us show a moment of weakness she spirals downhill pretty quickly. When we stay calm and relaxed, she does the same.
A couple weekends ago, we flew to Boston to visit my sister. The flight out there was one of the worst we have had. We took a naptime flight and thought she would for sure fall asleep during the flight. Welp, she was wide awake the entire flight and by the end of it Blake and I were at eachother’s throats. Before we flew home at the end of the week, Blake and I said to eachother that we were not going to repeat that flight experience. We took a deep breath and kept our cool the whole flight home and things were 1000% better.
Every time we travel with BB I learn something new. We pick up a new trick from other parents or buy something new that is game changing. Maybe by the time she is 18 I will have it entirely figured out. But in the meantime, I will keep sharing what works for us along the way! Right now, these 5 things are live savers for our family and ESSENTIAL for travel with a toddler!
ps – I am finishing this post mid-flight on our way to Atlanta and it is one of those easy flight (so far!) so fingers crossed we make it back to the ground without any tantrums.
(1) Babyzen Yoyo
If you travel a lot, this stroller is a godsend. It is pricey but worth every.single.penny. It was actually designed by AirFrance with the intention of being a travel stroller. It folds up into a tiny backpack sized carryon and fits into the overhead bin. No gate checking required. It also fits down the aisle of the airplane, so you can roll it right up to your seat. We registered for the Uppa G Lux and we have honestly used it once, so sad. I plan to sell it because we will probably never use it. BB could not get comfortable in the Uppa umbrella stroller. But she loves the Babyzen.
Aside from how easy it makes traveling with a stroller, we use it at home too. Our everyday stroller we use around the city is the Bugaboo. I absolutely LOVE our bugaboo but it is kind of a hassle to get in and out of the car. So when we are not traveling, we keep the Babyzen Yoyo in the car at all time. That way, when we are driving somewhere, we don’t have to load our big Bugaboo in and out of the car. We have a lightweight stroller waiting for us in the trunk!
You can buy an infant attachment, but we bought this stroller when BB was past that stage so I can’t comment on whether it is worth it! During the infant phase, I am a big fan of babywearing. We did that through the airport until bb was about 18 months and she got too heavy. For tips on traveling with an infant/baby, see HERE!
(2) Suitcase for your tiny tot
This was a game changer for us. The first step in winning the travel game with your toddler is making them SO excited to get on an airplane. Around 18 month, we took her to Nordstrom and told her she was old enough to pack her own suitcase for the airplane. We let her pick out a suitcase and then when we got home we let her pack it with all her favorite toys. It has become a travel routine now that works so well for us. The day before we travel, we let her pack up her own suitcase.
It is also the perfect way to get out some toddler energy at the airport. As soon as we get through security, we take her out of the stroller and let her walk to our gate. She feels like such a big girl pushing her own suitcase through the airport. It gives me all the mama heart eyes watching her be so proud of herself :).
(3) Monkey snack pack + freeze dried fruit
Ok, this seems so small and random, but it is a godsend. We NEVER travel without it. We pack a few things of freeze dried fruit (mango and apple are good choices for travel, strawberry and blueberry tend to stain her hands, so we don’t bring those when we are traveling) in our carryon and when things get a little hairy on the airplane, we bring out the monkey snack pack. She loves it and it takes her FOREVER to reach her little hand into the snack pack and pull out a piece of food. The longer she can enjoy a snack on the plane, the longer she is happy and the longer mama can relax. Do yourself a favor and buy one.
(4) Cosco carseat
I love getting to know people I would never have met or interacted with if it weren’t for my blog. I love interacting with new people on the blog for many reasons, but top of my list has to be connecting with other moms and sharing tips + tricks. On our last trip to Boston, another mom reached out and told us the BEST tip! Up until this point, we have been lugging our super heavy and bulky carseat with us on our trips. And by “we” I mean my mule (husband) had been lugging it through the terminal. She recommended buying the $40 Cosco carseat that weights 1/2 what ours does and makes it sooooo much easier to get around the airport. Another perk, we won’t damage our nice carseat during the hussle and bussle of our trips. I honestly don’t know how we made it this long without figuring this out! PS – the next thing we plan to invest in is THIS travel cart for the carseat!
(5) Giraffe Lunchbox
Like I’ve mentioned, snacks are essential for this family to make it through a flight. Like her mama, BB is food driven, so one of her favorite snacks is an easy way to keep her in a bright and cherry mood. We try to pack as many healthy snacks as we can, so we aren’t loading her up on junk every time we fly. One of BB’s favorite snacks is an orange. She loves when I slice it into little triangles for her so she can hold onto the peel and bite into it like a “big girl,” which is now her favorite phrase. My sister got us this adorable little cooler/lunch box and it is the perfect size for travel. We pack it with her snacks + a bib + her water whenever we fly. It keeps everything cold, plus easily accessible during the flight.
Happy toddlers + happy travels! Good luck!
For more tips for traveling with your little ones, see HERE!
