Traveling with children can be a joyful journey or end up in a promise to never take a 10 hours night flight. Luckily, or not.. I’ve experienced both therefor I can be objective and share my insights with traveling mums.
First and above all, you cannot put your child in a specific category after X amount of flights because — oh the blissful joy of motherhood you can never know what to expect. Sure after a number of years traveling with your kids you can somewhat predict and plan in consequences but overall you'll be playing Russian roulette.
Be prepared, try to get as much rest as you can the day prior to your travel dates ! There is no need to bring an army of toys - they'll play with anything but the toys you so carefully choose. Plus it takes so much space in your carryon and space will be become something so rare when traveling with kids no matter how well you think you're packing skills have improved over the years.
Most of our flights where above 8 hours whenever we flew. We also did major driving but nothing above 9 hours. You see, I would not become one parent who stop living aka traveling because I had a baby. I choose to do everything I used to, with a +1. Of course I don't go out the way I used too and spend my days in the same schedule I once had but none of this was important to me. Traveling, visiting new places, staying at the beach all day, shopping — yes shopping ! and going on adventures weren't going to stop because I became a mother.
In many ways I have let her “control” or preferably take directions in how our days were going. I also believe we should listen to our kids and allow them to make choices but that is an other pending post for the future..
Our first flight was trans pacific, she was not even 4 months yet and I flew alone with her with one overly packed luggage, one pram, my baby sling and two carryons — if you would have seen the amount of diapers I brought with me on the flight you would laugh real hard ! Ah first timers !!
For the longest part of the journey I sat next to a beautiful African woman —whom was a mother of 5 with her husband sitting by her side. To my right, a newly grad paediatrician from Switzerland, a very kind woman. Was I blessed or what ?! Especially when you're a breastfeeding mother, flying alone for the first time with your new baby you wish you're sitting next to females passengers. At least, I did. They were really kind and help as much as they could, although my little Phee was wonderful. She slept most of the flight and I was able to somewhat get some shuteye too — I rarely sleep on the plane. What worked for me was the baby sling, it is so much easier to operate, on, off the plane and to manoeuvre the stroller too. We had a stop over in Germany for 6hours so I needed to have my pram checked at the gate. It is a little bit of a struggle going through security but again with a baby carrier everything is doable.
Overall, I think everything went very well. I would definitely recommend to traveling mums who will change timezones to co-sleeping with your little ones — at least the first few nights. It helps a lot making them feel safe and use to the new environment. I also find that renting homes — through Airbnb are much more efficient then staying at hotels. The cost is usually lower or the same based on your taste. I prefer staying in a home because you can cook you're own food and receive people over, as a host. They have amazing houses and worldwide too ! It is also much cleaner then hotels..
Now lets get to the good stuff.. Our “bad” flight. Thankfully, with all the trips we have done (approx 10 flights) there was only one where I struggled — so far. I cannot press enough on the fact that it doesn't matter how many time you had good ones, one day it will be you the parent on the plane with the crying child that everyone is either looking down upon or if you're lucky in your misery you'll see plenty of kind, sympathetic look with a half smile.
Truth be told, when you're dealing with a crying baby at 40 000 ft your last concerned should be other people.. But we all do, deep down because we once where adults without kids.
There was nothing I could have done to suit her, she was uncomfortable, it was night time and all she wanted is lay by my side, stretch and nurse — as we did every nights prior to this flight. For 10 hours I tried everything. She slept here and there at top 30minutes without waking up and when she did, she cried and cried some more. I felt so sorry for her. And I think people on the plane started to feel sorry for me too.
From this experience I learn to never fly economy class at night. We had night flights where we flew business and she was fine as we slept laying down next to each other — I guess she became used to the good seats haha I don't blame her ! So, if our flights are above 8hrs we try and fly business otherwise we will cut the trip in two flights as per the way we came to Canada most recently. We flew to France, overnighted in the hotel at the airport and flew the next afternoon to our final destination, it was a piece of cake and I enjoyed eating as many macarons as I could during our short stay in beautiful CDG. She was so thrilled to play and run around in our hotel room. It made all the difference ! We arrived to Canada not very jet lagged. The transition was much more smooth.
To conclude traveling with children is not an easy task but if it is the lifestyle you've chosen you'll make the sacrifice needed. The memories she and I will cherish will be forever and filled with funny interesting trips visiting new countries. I personally love to travel with my little one, much more entertaining then to be alone. I went into motherhood with the following mentality: I was not going to have a baby to have her babysat or cared for by someone else I was going to take her everywhere I was. My husband and I have agreed to take romantic trips when she's all grownup and can take care of her self, we have done plenty before hand. We all have our own ways and none is better then the other because whats good for me and my daughter isn't necessarily suitable for others.
Beezeemum
Be prepared, try to get as much rest as you can the day prior to your travel dates ! There is no need to bring an army of toys - they'll play with anything but the toys you so carefully choose. Plus it takes so much space in your carryon and space will be become something so rare when traveling with kids no matter how well you think you're packing skills have improved over the years.
Most of our flights where above 8 hours whenever we flew. We also did major driving but nothing above 9 hours. You see, I would not become one parent who stop living aka traveling because I had a baby. I choose to do everything I used to, with a +1. Of course I don't go out the way I used too and spend my days in the same schedule I once had but none of this was important to me. Traveling, visiting new places, staying at the beach all day, shopping — yes shopping ! and going on adventures weren't going to stop because I became a mother.
In many ways I have let her “control” or preferably take directions in how our days were going. I also believe we should listen to our kids and allow them to make choices but that is an other pending post for the future..
Our first flight was trans pacific, she was not even 4 months yet and I flew alone with her with one overly packed luggage, one pram, my baby sling and two carryons — if you would have seen the amount of diapers I brought with me on the flight you would laugh real hard ! Ah first timers !!
For the longest part of the journey I sat next to a beautiful African woman —whom was a mother of 5 with her husband sitting by her side. To my right, a newly grad paediatrician from Switzerland, a very kind woman. Was I blessed or what ?! Especially when you're a breastfeeding mother, flying alone for the first time with your new baby you wish you're sitting next to females passengers. At least, I did. They were really kind and help as much as they could, although my little Phee was wonderful. She slept most of the flight and I was able to somewhat get some shuteye too — I rarely sleep on the plane. What worked for me was the baby sling, it is so much easier to operate, on, off the plane and to manoeuvre the stroller too. We had a stop over in Germany for 6hours so I needed to have my pram checked at the gate. It is a little bit of a struggle going through security but again with a baby carrier everything is doable.
Overall, I think everything went very well. I would definitely recommend to traveling mums who will change timezones to co-sleeping with your little ones — at least the first few nights. It helps a lot making them feel safe and use to the new environment. I also find that renting homes — through Airbnb are much more efficient then staying at hotels. The cost is usually lower or the same based on your taste. I prefer staying in a home because you can cook you're own food and receive people over, as a host. They have amazing houses and worldwide too ! It is also much cleaner then hotels..
Now lets get to the good stuff.. Our “bad” flight. Thankfully, with all the trips we have done (approx 10 flights) there was only one where I struggled — so far. I cannot press enough on the fact that it doesn't matter how many time you had good ones, one day it will be you the parent on the plane with the crying child that everyone is either looking down upon or if you're lucky in your misery you'll see plenty of kind, sympathetic look with a half smile.
Truth be told, when you're dealing with a crying baby at 40 000 ft your last concerned should be other people.. But we all do, deep down because we once where adults without kids.
There was nothing I could have done to suit her, she was uncomfortable, it was night time and all she wanted is lay by my side, stretch and nurse — as we did every nights prior to this flight. For 10 hours I tried everything. She slept here and there at top 30minutes without waking up and when she did, she cried and cried some more. I felt so sorry for her. And I think people on the plane started to feel sorry for me too.
From this experience I learn to never fly economy class at night. We had night flights where we flew business and she was fine as we slept laying down next to each other — I guess she became used to the good seats haha I don't blame her ! So, if our flights are above 8hrs we try and fly business otherwise we will cut the trip in two flights as per the way we came to Canada most recently. We flew to France, overnighted in the hotel at the airport and flew the next afternoon to our final destination, it was a piece of cake and I enjoyed eating as many macarons as I could during our short stay in beautiful CDG. She was so thrilled to play and run around in our hotel room. It made all the difference ! We arrived to Canada not very jet lagged. The transition was much more smooth.
To conclude traveling with children is not an easy task but if it is the lifestyle you've chosen you'll make the sacrifice needed. The memories she and I will cherish will be forever and filled with funny interesting trips visiting new countries. I personally love to travel with my little one, much more entertaining then to be alone. I went into motherhood with the following mentality: I was not going to have a baby to have her babysat or cared for by someone else I was going to take her everywhere I was. My husband and I have agreed to take romantic trips when she's all grownup and can take care of her self, we have done plenty before hand. We all have our own ways and none is better then the other because whats good for me and my daughter isn't necessarily suitable for others.
Beezeemum