Traveling with children can often mean drama and surprises – often of the unpleasant type.
First, there’s navigating them into the car, getting to the airport on time, handling all the luggage, wait patiently in lines, bathroom breaks, more waiting, and then getting settled on the plane.
Your best weapon against airport drama is to plan ahead. Here are some tips on getting young children through airports painlessly:
Put the family weight scale to use. You will have lots of bags to deal with, so be sure to weigh them in advance so that you won’t get caught with overweight bags. It’s a good idea to carry an extra duffle bag inside your suitcase for such circumstances. You can quickly move items into the new bag and to check-in or carry-on.
Let each child carry his/her own bag. Having travelled since childhood, I recall that my mother always had each child carry his or her bags. Managing a family of five children, this made things a lot easier and more organized. Another option is to have a porter – if you can afford it, the convenience is worth the extra dollars.
Consider the baby carrier. Brangelina use these all the time. One twin on the chest, a kid at each side. Bring the stroller, too. The bags of older kids can be put in them and an older child can push it around, saving you a little extra work.
Plan transportation in advance. You may decide to book an airport shuttle, taxi, or arrange for a neighbor to drive you. Otherwise, you could also consider booking the night before your flight at the airport hotel. Hotels usually offer a free shuttles to the airport and settling at the hotel the night before could ease a lot of the usual last minute stress. If you decide to drive yourselves, park as close to the airport as you can for your own convenience but also ask at the airport if there is a cheaper long-term parking lot.
Each parent should have a job. One of you should take charge of handling the luggage, labeling bags, and taking the lead in directing where everyone should go. The other parent can then concentrate on child safety, and keeping each child busy to avoid crying and fighting.
Vacation time with the children is a wonderful way to experience family life. But with any vacation there is always stress along the way. Planning in advance can spell the difference between arriving at a resort with frazzled nerves, or walking in looking forward to what’s next.
Neal writes for Briefcases Direct, a website that offers luxury briefcases direct from the manufacturer. Neal lives in NYC with his wife Becka and three children. He is a seasoned traveler with plenty of family travel experience. When he gets enough free time from his family life, Neal enjoys writing travel articles and hitting the road in search of new travel adventures.