Our girl Hudson will be 5 in a couple of weeks and sweet little Owen is 2. Their passports have been stamped in over 15 countries and combined they have taken flight over 40 times. From quick one-hour flights to the Big Apple to 22-hour journeys to Singapore we have experienced many travel scenarios. The following are my top 5 travel tricks when the kids are in tow:
1.Fly early in the day or overnight. If you have a choice for daytime, it’s best to select a flight that departs around 9am. That way you aren’t up much earlier than usual and the little ones are at their freshest. If you are hauling over the ocean, the overnight flights can save you and your kids. If you are going overnight, once the flight departs most kids are able to drift off.
2.Bring a bag of tricks. Everyone knows the iPad can be a fabulous and easy tool for the airplane ride. That being said, our daughter wasn’t overly interested until more recently. We resorted to bringing a number of fresh toys/activities to surprise her with along the way. My rule was something new every 30 minutes. It could be as simple as a pack of gum (we always reach for PUR GUM because it’s aspartame free), a tiny windy toy or a mini notepad and fancy marker. I also make sure I bring extra wipes, healthy snacks and have had a good night sleep the night before so I can be totally on.
3.Call ahead to find out what kid-friendly products the hotel has for you. Some hotels are incredibly generous with their family focused amenities. We have stayed at The Four Seasons all over the world and they supply an array of kid friendly bath products, cribs and bedding, colouring activities, stuffies and diaper genies. It’s good to know what’s waiting for you at the other end to help with your packing.
4.Consider making use of the childcare service. Many boutique and luxe hotels have incredibly trusted professional childcare services available to guests. It is worth it to inquire, even if you just want to slip downstairs to the lobby and have dinner or a cocktail after you have put the kids down. We always stay to tuck the kids in but we have the sitter there early so they get to know each other before we sneak out once they are dreaming. We have met some of the most incredible people through this service. I keep reminding myself to tell my kids to consider a job like this when they are in University and need to make some extra money and be able to study while doing it.
5.Stash the crib in the walk-in or en suite. We often check with the hotel that we are booking to ensure the crib will fit in either the bathroom or the closet. It gives baby a dark quiet place to sleep and allows you to stay up past the kid’s bedtime and enjoy your room without having to tiptoe. This saves on having to get an entirely separate bedroom with a connecting door (not always easy).
Happy Travels.
Alison Heden xx
