Parents on vacation know that traveling with young children takes almost double the preparation of a regular adult-only trip. To help in this regard, we have interviewed numerous branded travel agencies and parents to compile 12 tips for traveling with young children that are sure to make the journey easier for you and those around you. You can also reach out to IAS services to assist with planning out your travel plan completely, in order to guarantee a hassle-free trip!
1. Use a Car Seat on Road Trips
Reserve a car seat for your child when booking a rental car to ensure availability. We recommend that you use child seats for 4 to 7-year-olds to keep them safe until they fit the standard seat belts. Children have a common habit of fidgeting around and unless they’re safely buckled in, it can be a huge health hazard.
2. Travel with Basic Hygiene Items for Young Children
A diaper bag ready with all the essentials can save you from a lot of problems while traveling with your toddler. Do not forget to add zip lock bags to hold different items and the extra set of clothes for emergencies. Keeping backups does always come in handy, you never know when your children might need a fresh change of clothes and a quick cleanup.
3. Plan Activities That Are Silent and Keep Your Child Engaged
Entertaining small children on an airplane is a challenge as you have to be careful of other passengers and cannot stop for a break. Activities like coloring books, assembling magnetic cutouts, and sticker books can keep toddlers busy for a long time and keep them from fussing. Surprising them with any new or forgotten toy can also be a helpful tactic.
4. Encourage Children to Bring Their Belongings
If they are able to, young children can enjoy carrying a small baby carrier or backpack around the airport. Encourage children aged 3 or above to bring their toys and clothes in a children’s wheeled suitcase. This can be a useful way to lighten your load and time make your children feel excited about the trip at the same.
5. Prepare Your Baby Ready for New Sights and People
We recommend showing children photos of family members or pets before arriving to make them more comfortable with strangers. With children over the age of 3 you may want to help them plan their trip, so be sure to share brochures and photos of the destination with them.
6. Stay Flexible
Last but not the least, when faced with travel problems, keep calm and continue with your plans. If one of your strategies does not work, then be ready to try another one. Children are extremely unpredictable but don’t fret. Their behavior and positivity will help create happy and lasting memories of their first family vacation.
7. Take Advantage of Pre-boarding
You might think it is a good idea to board at the exact time so that you do not have to spend a lot of time on the plane with your toddler. On the contrary, it is better that you take advantage of pre-boarding and introduce your child to the atmosphere of the plane so your journey is less stressful.
8. Check the Baby Kit Door
Most airlines do not allow passengers to bring bulky items for the kids like strollers or car seats. Simply request the door verification tags from your airline’s door attendant. Attach a tag to each item and drop it at the bottom of the walkway.
Make sure you fold the strollers before boarding. Gate-registered items will generally be waiting for you at the same location as your destination when you disembark. Sometimes, however, they have to be recovered from baggage claims.
Please check with the airline before your flight regarding their gate control policy.
9. Comfortable Dressing
As much you would like to dress your kid in a presentable dress while traveling however, you must think about the convenience and ease of your child. Dress them in clothes that they are comfortable in and are easy to change if needed. It is important to dress them in layers in case you are visiting cold areas and the layers also help with drastic temperature changes aboard the plane.
10. Visit the Airport Restroom Before Your Flight
Ideally, you want to get on the plane with a baby in dry diapers. So make sure you go to the airport restroom one last time before stepping off the walkway.
11. Protect Ears While Flying
Using baby suckers or chewing edibles can help your baby with ear pains that come with the changes in pressure during flight. Try bringing a milk bottle to give them during flights so they stay at ease during flight. Remember baby milk is not included in 3.4-ounce liquid allowed to take on flights. If your baby is still not prepared to take bottles then you can use pacifiers or Sippy cups for them. Cookies can also be helpful for older toddlers
Ear plugs are also a great way to get rid of ear pain during flights. Use the ear plugs before take off to reduce pressure and pain. You can easily use ear plugs with babies that are one year and above. Other than these small tips, you can also consult your pediatrician to get a recommendation on ear drops to relieve ear pain during flight.
12. Sometimes it is better to ignore people
If you are not lucky enough, your baby might cry and fuss no matter what you do during the flight. You can fulfill all the demands but your baby might simply not be comfortable with flying yet. In this scenario, it is important that you focus on your baby instead of all other people complaining despite all your efforts to calm your baby. You just need to try all the methods to calm your baby in any way you can and ignore all other things. The flight will end soon and you will be ready to enjoy your visit to the destination you were headed to.
These are a few tips that you might want to follow for easy traveling with your baby. Hope these tips will help you and your baby in making your travel plan free of complaining and fussing.
Kim Marks 
Nina Smith