10 MUST-HAVES FOR AIRTRAVEL WITH A TODDLER
I remember flying with 1yo Leonardo from New York to Saint-Petersburg all by myself last summer, and freaking out about the trip in advance. By now Leo is 2 years and 3 months old, we did 3 solo overseas trips together, and to be honest I simply love traveling with him. One reason for it is his easy-going personality, but another reason is a thorogh planning of our airtravels. For example, I always look for direct overnight flights knowing that at least half of the flight he might be sleeping (and he does). But then there are still those awake-hours when two of you are strangled to your tiny economy seat – so how to make those hours more bearable, if not fun? I put a list of 10 must-have that help us to enjoy travel time together:
- iPad with pre-downloaded cartoons: Did you know about “ss” trick to download videos from YouTube? If not, here it is: Find the cartoon you you would like to download, in the web address line replace “https://www.” with “ss”, and hit Enter. It will open a new tab with an option to download the video. Ta-daaa!
- Over-ear headphones: Because if your LO uses an iPad chances are a stewardess will ask you to use headphones, but the in-ear ones provided by the airline are simply too big (and harmful) for your LO.
- Coloring books: I love the ones you can “color” w/ water-filled brush or the ones with paint pallet included
- New toy of medium size: Big toy is too cumbersome to travel with, while little ones tend to get lost once being dropped on the floor. You can choose and buy one together at the airport.
- Blanket: I like bringing my own, it makes his nap time more cosy & home-like.
- Socks: Because you would want to remove your LO’s shoes for the long flight but usually it’s too cold on the plane to be barefoot.
- Hoodie: Same as above – it tends to get chilly during long flights, and having a layer that you can easily add or remove is a plus. I also cover his head when he sleeps to protect him from AC drafts.
- Change of clothes: In case of messy accidents, ya’ know.
- Snacks: smth yummy but nutritious. for Leo I always have nuts and raisins with me, or organic energy bars.
- Pre-cooked favorite meal: I personally don’t like airplane food myself, and I don’t count on my LO to like it either, so for long flights I bring his favorite meal (rice with veggies or pasta) Also, this way you don’t depend on the timing they have for serving food.
Many of my favorite travel items (and pretty much everything else!) can be found here: https://www.amazon.com/shop/dreamingofleonardo
What are your must-haves when you travel with your kids?
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