The Joy of Flying With Kids

A busy day stresses me out. Meeting a deadline stresses me out. Having to clean my house in a short period of time stresses me out, but nothing makes me crazy like a six hour flight on the airplane by myself with the two redheads. Make that 9 or 10 hours of craziness--I didn't include the getting to or from the airport, sitting at the gate, and keeping Abby from cutting her fingers off at the baggage claim carousel. A l o n g day of traveling seriously stresses me out.

In three days, I'll get on a plane with my girls to go to Pittsburgh to begin the Midwest Extravaganza. As I've been thinking about getting ready (notice I did not actually say that I am getting ready) for our trip, I decided to write down all the helpful things I've learned as a seasoned traveler with children.

1. When I travel by myself, Nate can get a pass from the ticketing agent to come through security with me and sit at the gate with us. An extra set of hands to help get shoes off and on, strollers unloaded and up on the belt, jackets off, and everything back on is awesome! Going through security and hanging out at the gate exhausts me before we even step foot on the plane. A helper is nice:)

2. I don't know what did before we bought our own carseat bags! For several years, our carseats were checked in just a clear plastic bag, but then we found the carseat bag. It is AWESOME! We bought an Eddie Bauer bag at Target for $25. When I looked them up, they are up to $76 on Amazon. Target has other kinds that are just as good, but not as expensive. Click here to find out more. These bags not only better protect your carseat, but they give you more space to pack stuff! We packed diapers, wipes, jackets, and all the bulky stuff that was a pain to pack in the suitcase. The bags even have a shoulder strap for easy transport. I am a huge fan of these:)

3. DO NOT sit in close proximity to other families with children. When we fly, we often make friends with the other families at the gate while we are waiting to board the plane. Some parents think that it's a good idea to keep all the kids together and sit close together on the airplane. I strongly disagree. If there's a little kid in front of or behind us, guess what Jenna and Abby are doing the whole time? Playing, being loud, and distracting everyone around them. I have been known to get up and move seats (on Southwest's open seating) if there are other kids directly around us. Mean? Maybe, but it makes for a much more enjoyable trip.

4. Do not attempt to give your children Benadryl on the airplane if you haven't tried it at home first. I do not drug my kids on the airplane. I don't give them Benadryl or anything else in hopes that they will sleep. However, we did have a Benadryl incident that made one particular trip a nightmare. I flew to Detroit with Jenna by myself when she was just over one. I had the bright idea of booking an overnight flight, thinking that she would sleep. And she probably would have, if I hadn't given her Benadryl for her cold that she had. You see, I had never tried Benadryl before with Jenna and assumed that the medicine would help with her cold as well as make her a little drowsy. A bonus, right? NO! There is this tiny statement at the bottom of the label that reads, (I have this memorized and will never forget it) "may cause excitability in some children." Yep, Jenna partied all night on the plane while the rest of the adults tried to sleep. I was exhausted by the time we got to Detroit:)

5. Some airports have family bathrooms. I am in love with these particular airports. Chicago-Midway is one of these airports and I always choose a connecting flight there simply because I can take my kids, stuff, and all our craziness into one room without disturbing anyone else.

6. I always bring my own plastic trash bags for the airplane. The flight attendants don't come around enough to pick up all the trash that we accumulate. This way, I can keep our little area clean:)

That's all I can think of right now. If you have any other suggestions, I'd love to hear them!