5280 Traveling Mommy

It might seem obvious that you need to plan ahead when traveling with tiny people but if you are going on a long trip, seriously, plan ahead. Being the most organized mom on the block will really help with any stress related to traveling with kids. Write down a list of the things you need, do a test run of your packing, and run to the nearest Target and get stuff for your baby’s airplane bag; stickers, books, food, a water bottle, mini stuffed animals, blocks. If you still have time maybe even sign up for TSA Pre or Global Entry. For $100 you will have Global Entry that comes with TSA Pre on all flights for 5 years. If you are flying with little ones it makes the process just that much easier to get through security without making a scene.
My planning ahead looks like this…
After finishing all of the laundry I start compiling all of the items I will need on my trip in one room. I pack based on whether or not I am going somewhere with a washing machine. It’s just too hard to pack too ma…

If your child is like mine, you have considered canceling your trip altogether because they won’t stop running around screaming and you are scared to take this crazy person out in public, let alone shoved into a seat on a small plane where people are sure to judge you. Here’s the thing… they might just judge you but you will be surprised at who you meet on these planes. Many people have been there before and some people who don’t have kids will get it someday. Last flight we had a single guy that held our child and let him look out the window for over an hour and was cool with it because he had nieces. On another flight when we were heading back for Europe a ton of things went wrong and people around us were frustrated but all it took was one guy to tell us we were doing great to calm the lot down. That drink vouchers seemed to do the trick.
When you get to the gate and pick up your gate check tags for your stroller/car seat, ask the airline representative if you are going on a full fl…