Traveling With Your Minime

IMG_20160608_124647Jocelyn was 8 months old when she took her first airplane flight.  From that day forward, she has been a little traveler.  We rarely leave her behind with her grandparents.  Why?  I love sharing experiences with her.  Also, the worry associated with leaving her behind is often more stressful that taking her with us.  So for most trips the “mini-fashionista” joins us.

How can you make traveling with your minime enjoyable?

  1. If old enough, provide their child with their own luggage.  This teaches them responsibility and they learn how to travel.  Jocelyn has her own luggage and tote.  They are just her size and her favorite color.  She is responsible for them (under our oversight) as we travel.
  2. Take along your child’s creature comforts and favorite items.  Jocelyn has a travel pillow and blanket. We have given Jocelyn a tablet loaded with movies, Caleb & Sophia videos, coloring books, educational games, puzzles, and pictures.  It is wifi only and we do not have to pay for internet services. No more dropping markers and crayons everywhere.  Her tablet does it all. We’ve even provided her with pink headphones!
  3. Travel with necessary children’s medications.  30 minutes before flight we give Jocelyn a decongestant to fight against cabin pressure in the aircraft.  I always keep Children’s fever reducer/pain reliever and allergy medications on hand.
  4. Pick up Earplanes at the airport before boarding your flight. They relieve pain caused my cabin pressure. 
  5. When traveling by plane, we fly in the mornings.  Jocelyn will nap on the plane and wake up refreshed for the day.
  6. When taking road trips, we leave in the evenings after Jocelyn’s bedtime routine.  She usually falls asleep within the hour. My husband and I take turns driving through the night.  Jocelyn sleeps the entire time, and wakes up refreshed once we reach our destination. A happy child makes for a happy vacation.
  7. If you child is still using a stroller, I recommend getting an inexpensive lightweight stroller. *Strollers travel free on airlines by TSA guidelines.
  8. If you travel often, leave your heavy high end car seats at home. Airline employees often toss carseats!  This poor treatment often damages your child’s seat. I recommend selecting an inexpensive carseat. *Carseats travel free on airlines by TSA guidelines. 
  9. Before your flight, ask for “family boarding” or “pre-boarding.  Traveling with small kids often slows even the speediest of travelers down, and it is helpful to have a few extra minutes to get a child settled before the flight.  We often fly with Southwest Airlines who provides family boarding.
  10. Consider renting a home instead of a hotel. Children like to run and play which can disturb other hotel guests. We use AirBnB (Air Bed n Breakfast) to locate and rent a home for the duration of our trip. We have more privacy, feel as if we live in our destination city, and Jocelyn is free to play. Try it for yourself! Please use our link to AirBnB to recieve $30 off your first rental.PhotoGrid_1469854951050Happy Vacationing to You!
Follow:
Share:

6 Comments

  1. July 30, 2016 / 8:37 pm

    What a great post! I travel with my almost two year old all the time and this is definitely a challenging age for plane rides! Thanks for the recommendation on Earplanes! Will have to get that before our next flight in two weeks!!

    • August 1, 2016 / 6:11 am

      They really help if the little one will keep them in their ears. Jocelyn didn’t want to keep them in on the flight out, but decided to on the return flight. The Earplanes, decongestant, and pain reliever kept her earache away.

    • August 3, 2016 / 1:48 am

      Thank you so much! I’m trying. I hope when she looks back on her childhood she knows that we loved her and did everything we possibly could to ensure that she’s happy, healthy, and capable.

  2. Angelle Marix
    August 4, 2016 / 9:44 am

    These are great tips. I have four little ones so these will be perfect for our next trip. And, your little girl is gorgeous.

    Xoxo,
    Angelle
    http://www.dashingdarlin.com

    • August 7, 2016 / 8:26 am

      Thank you so much! I love this little one more than life itself as I’m sure most parents do. With 4 little ones you’ll really like Air Bed n Breakfast. It’s less stressful being in a house wother kids….and you have more space!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *