a North Dakotan girl through and through, wife, mother and die hard Catholic.

Since Fulton was born in May 2020 he’s gone on about 40+ different flights and Peter born in July 2021 he’s been on 8+ so far! We are by all means not experts but I’d like to think we got a thing or two down by now! I’ve travel with Fulton by myself, with Fulton and Mason and with Fulton, Peter and Mason. It can be hard, exhausting to keep those littles moods up, manage all the things during a day full of travel! This is not the end all be all of tips and tricks but hopefully can leave you a little more confident and a little less daunting and stressful!

no 1. Pack lightly but comfortably…

with whatever that may need to fit your families needs to make the trip smoother for everyone! less you pack less you have carry around and in/out of the airport! If that extra book, toy, snack, etc will make the travel day a little less stressful and keep the peace…we just bring it!

no. 2 Utilize Airline offers…

Anything for your child (2 years old + under) and their free check goods! Anything outside of a luggage is free for you to regular check or gate check. (e.g stroller, pack n play, car seat, etc)! This such a lifesaver when it comes to flying with littles! We usually regular counter check everything but gate check our stroller for for the airport. Makes the load much lighter, our stroller holds three + had a large under basket to carry our diaper bag, personal item, drinks, or anything we may need! We personally choose not to bring our carseat on board (you will have to purchase a seat for your infant/child) to strap our kids in since we like to allow them to be able to move more freely in the seat/row even though they travel well in their carseats! Do what is best your child traveling wise just keep in mind that if you have a layover you will have to carry/transport that carseat(s) to our next gate for your connection!

no. 3 Pack lots of snacks + drinks

packing tons of snacks that you know that they like for your little(s) to munch on! Our boys personally don’t drink juice usually just water or milk but to keep Fulton hydrated during travel days will something will fill his water bottle with 80% water and 20% organic juice to give it a little flavor and we know it won’t go bad like milk on those longer travel days! For those that are bringing infants TSA allows any milk (formula or breastmilk) to be brought for free and it can be over the 2/3 oz unlike other liquids that are carry-on’s. They will have to open any bottles to make sure the liquid is safe for security purposes so just a heads up!

no. 4 Don’t be afraid to ask for help!

Whether it’s airport workers or flight attendants and I’ve always found that especially because we have the kids they are more eager and willing to help make us comfortable (and give us extra snacks) on the flight! We also mention to the flight attendant once everyone boards and there if a seat row with an extra seat than what we have to move if possible!

no. 5 Remember your child is a child.

At some point they most likely will fuss or cry for whatever reason but you have to go into it with confidence that YOU are child’s parent and do whatever you may need to do in order to help them feel comfortable and forget about others around you that may judge (I’ve never encountered this personally with judgement or comments on a plane most people want to help and make you comfortable and supported). Your baby only knows how to communicate with you in so many ways and one of those ways is by crying/fussing. You got this! Just take a deep breath and asses the situation to the best of your abilities!

no. 6 CONQUER TSA DON’T LET IT CONQUER YOU.

TSA is the worst with traveling with a kid because they pull out every little thing from their diaper bag and check every possible place in your stroller that takes extra time just to get through at times all the while you can’t pack your other stuff up because you can’t put your child back in their stroller (🙃🤦🏼‍♀️) BUT I like to try and pull out and get whatever I may need to before getting in line/waiting in line to help speed the process of loading bins faster or if you’re able to travel with you spouse dedicate jobs then conquer and divide! Make sure you pull out our wipes and any liquids for your little one(s)!

no. 7 Take advantage of layovers

If it’s not possible to avoid layovers with certain trips get the most of them! get refueled, let the littles un, crawl and get all their wiggles out if possible! If normal nap time so happens to fall over a layover we have a portable sound machine and get the kids to fall asleep in the stroller with the sun visor down and blanket over it for any distracting light that may wake them up! When it comes time to board we personally like to board right away since it give us to get throw the aisle people free and get settled in our seats before we take off but I know some parents like getting on at the last call/group to their littles wiggle as much as possible!

no. 8 Enjoy the process and have confidence in your abilities as a parent!

Whether its flying by yourself with your little (which can be rough at times) or with your spouse with your babe(s)! Soak in those first trips where everything is new and exciting to them while you create memories! It can be tiring and long days on airports or maybe the road but its worth it all!

There is it! A few of my tops tips for traveling with little ones! You got this + I am rooting you on every step of the way!