I have taken 15 foreign trips in the past 5 years (thats 30 flights with at least one baby/infant/toddler/small child in tow) and boy have i learned so much from all my mistakes.
I generally found “nothing pacified my kids when they were babies or young toddlers” You just have to put up with them jumping on you for a few hours and look forward in your head to the holidays ahead.
Even a screen device didn’t pacified my toddlers until they were 23months as they didn’t have attention span for TV till then.
And toys, books or any other paraphernalia did not work until they were around 3 years old.
The most important items:
- The most recent discovery was the incredible asset of having “2 slim “crossover the body” hand bags” with several zip compartments on my person at all times. That way you are hands free for the babies demands at all times.
2. Memorise. Know where each item is cause you don’t want to be searching when you have a screamer, with strangers in close proximity.
3. Lollypops for ascending, to avoid screamers with ear problems. A soother will also work for some babies. I hate giving my kids lollies but hey it’s saved my sanity on a few occasions and I really wish I’d know about them when they were small (bad parenting moments I’m OK with in return for foreign travels)
4. Bottle of Dozol (paracetamol with sedative) again this has saved my sanity with sick tired cranky toddlers wish someone had told me about this before. I choose this over calpol for the flight.
5. Baby wipes
6. Tissues (you never know when you meet a paperless loo on your travels)
7. Changes of clothes or just bottoms, if possible toilet training accident imminent.
8. Small colouring books and crayons and markers
9. Sticker books. Deals do nice small ones
10. Device with kids shows downloaded on, from Netflix
(We use our old smart phones for this purpose)
11. Several story books
12. A biro and notebook or postits
13. Sunglasses for everyone
14. Its unlikely you will get a minute to read a book! But include a small book for yourself.
15. Chocolate, M&Ms, Smarties (whatever you have to resort to if it becomes that bad)
