I was thinking of writing a LONG list of tips to be able to make this journey pleasant but I realized I will just bore my readers so I just made Infographics (hooray!)
Here are the main tips (based from experience and from attending a talk at The Parenting Emporium on Baby Travels):
- Pack a few days before your travel. Keep a running list to make sure you don't forget anything (refer to the infographics).
- Use clothes organizers (tip from my mother) so you don't have to hunt around to find a pair of little socks.
- Don't forget to bring these very important documents:
- Passport
- Child's birth certificate
- Printout of TSA Guidelines for carrying water or breastmilk above 100 ml.
- Delegate tasks with your companions.
- Who will carry the baby
- Who will be in charge of filling out forms
- Who will carry the diaper bag, etc.
And of course, here are the essentials for survival - I organized them per category (just click to zoom):
Lastly, don't mind judgments from strangers. If you need to lift the floodgates on screen time to keep your little one sitting still for the whole flight, that’s fine. If your baby throws a tantrum, you do what you need to do. Just survive the next few hours, expect nothing of strangers, and maybe someone will surprise you with some kind words or even a helping hand with a bag, you never know. If you like, you can prepare loot bags for the people sitting near you (fill them with chocolates and ear plugs so they don't hate you too much just in case your baby gets too wild or something).
Do you have additional tips or tricks? Do let me know. Thanks!
