10 Things I’ve learned from Travelling with Kids

Travelling with kids ain’t glamorous. Someone always throws up on the departure lounge floor, or spills yoghurt all over your lap on the plane. And don’t get me started on the perils of packing with a toddler!

traveling with kids photo

But given that we’ve ticked off more than 70 flights and visited some fifteen countries since our kids came along less than five years ago, it can’t be all that bad! In fact travelling with kids is a lot of fun.

You just have to learn to travel differently. And of course you will make mistakes along the way….and there will be a few surprises coming your way too.

So after nearly five years of travelling with kids, here are ten of the most valuable lessons I have learned.

1. Airports make kids crazy

My mum and dad used to call it ‘airport fever’. You know that unseen impish spirit that possesses your children as soon as you step through the airport doors, and causes them to do snow angels on the departure lounge floor, then chase each other around shrieking at the tops of their voices?

I know that on arrival at the airport I have at least two “you won’t be coming on holiday with us if you don’t start behaving” threats in me. I have to say though, things have vastly improved since we introduced Trunki races down the corridors – it just means I’m exhausted by the time we get on the plane from pulling it!

2. Toddlers make terrible packers

The first time I tried packing with my small kids I naively thought we could turn it into a fun game. “See if you can go and find your toothbrush” etc.

But no.

As soon as you involve toddlers in the packing, you are setting yourself up for hours of frustration and run the risk of leaving all the important things behind.

Take it from me – small kids have a habit of removing all the essential items from your suitcase, and replacing them with small plastic toys and random kitchen utensils when you’re not looking. My advice? Pack when the kids aren’t around. Or lock the door.

3. People will make it very obvious you are not welcome

Anyone who has walked on to a plane for a long haul flight carrying a small baby will know that look. The one that says “You better not be sitting near me” and “You’d better keep that baby quiet”.

Our first long-haul flight with a baby was an overnight flight from Singapore to London, with our then 12-week old daughter.

The man behind us muttered “for God’s sake” and immediately demanded to be moved to a seat where he ‘wouldn’t be disturbed by a screaming baby’. Charming.

My daughter slept for nine hours and made hardly a peep, which is more than can be said for aforementioned man’s snoring…

I have since learned to mentally stick up my middle finger to these people and ignore the death stares. After all, you never have to see them again.

Click here to read more Tips for surviving your first flight with a baby

4. Air Pressure is not your friend

I’m not talking about babies screaming on take off and landing because they have sore ears – although any parent who has been in that situation will testify that it is stressful enough.

I’m talking about water bottles spraying all over the plane cabin (you know those ones with the pop-up straws) and  fruit pouches exploding all over your jeans.

I have learnt to unscrew water bottles at the lid before popping up the straw, and under no circumstances take a fruit pouch on a plane again.

5. Kids meals on planes suck

Who am I kidding – all airplane food sucks.

But even when I remember to book a kids meal ahead of time, there is rarely anything on the plate that they will eat. Apart from the chocolate – because it’s always a good idea to give kids a chocolate when they’re stuck in a seat in a confined space for twelve hours, right?

The only solution is to feed the kids before you get on the plane (we often arrive at the airport super early nowadays to do this) and carry lots of snacks in your hand luggage.

6. Children spill things. And wet themselves. And throw up.

Yes, we’ve had all three things happen in the space of a three-hour flight from Phuket to Hong Kong. Oh wait, I missed the leaking nappy too.

First my son’s nappy leaked, then he threw up all over me, then my daughter fell asleep on my husband’s lap, knocked his beer over and then wet herself (yes, all over his lap much to my amusement).

My son went through his change of clothes as well as his sister’s, and so was wearing flowery leggings when we walked through the airport. My daughter then didn’t have a change of clothes until we got to our suitcases.

 I had to do my best to wipe down my vomit-covered jumper with a wet wipe, and my husband had to walk through immigration with a large wet patch on his jeans, looking like he’d wet himself.

Oh the glamorous life of a travelling parent!

7. The iPad was sent from the Gods

No matter what your religious beliefs, you have to admit that someone up there was looking out for us travelling mums when they gave Steve Jobs the idea for the iPad.

I salute my parents who travelled the world with three children in the days before the iPad (in the day before the individual seat-back screens even).

Say what you want about the evils of too much screen time for small children. On the plane, the iPad is a Godsend for everyone. End of story.

Click here to read our articles on the Best iPad apps for Toddlers and the Best iPad Apps for pre-schoolers.

8. Jetlag with kids is a Killer

I have always suffered badly from jetlag. At least I thought I did, until I had kids. Then I realized jetlag on your own is childsplay compared to jetlag with kids.

Here’s the scenario: you lie awake in bed willing yourself to go to sleep all night. You finally fall asleep at 3am, when – you guessed it – one of the kids decides it’s time to get up and play.

You struggle through with them for the next two hours until they fall asleep again… and then the other kid decides to wake up.

That is jetlag with kids. It’s miserable. There’s no other word for it.

Click here to read our top tips for surviving jet lag wiht kids

9. Compromise is King

When things don’t go to plan on holiday, it can be a nightmare. You look forward to your trip for so long, and then when it all goes wrong you feel like you are wasting precious holiday time being stressed and getting agitated.

We soon learned when travelling with kids that you need to adjust your expectations, and learn to compromise.

The time my daughter screamed til she was sick all over the hotel curtains when we tried to leave her with a babysitter? We ordered room service, and the following evening arranged to all go out for dinner together to a child-friendly restaurant instead.

Adventure holidays may go out the window for a while, but it doesn’t have to be for long.

My kids are only two and four, but we have taken them bamboo rafting in China, riding water buffalo in Vietnam and walking along jungle canopies in Borneo. As long as we combine some pool or beach time, or find a playground at some point during the day, we can usually keep everybody happy.

10. House Rules don’t apply on holiday

In the same way that it’s okay for mum to have a glass of wine at lunchtime every day on holiday (it is, right?), most of the kids’ rules go out the window when we’re travelling.

They stay up way past their usual bedtime, it’s fine if they want to eat pancakes with maple syrup for breakfast every morning, and they can watch the iPad for an hour in the morning while I have a well deserved lie in.

Who cares? You’re on holiday! Relax!

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Travelling with kids

17 thoughts on “10 Things I’ve learned from Travelling with Kids”

  1. I love these Marianne – honestly couldn’t put a better list together!!!!
    Only thing I would add, no matter how many experiences we are giving them, the amazing places we take them, sites of major importance, amazing rides, games, beaches, adventures – I will still get “I’m Bored”…. seriously!!!!

    Reply
    • Thanks Keri! I know -I sometimes have days on holiday when I think we’ve had a great family day doing loads of really cool things – and then there will be a sulk because we didn’t go to a playground! Really?!

      Reply
  2. Love this! I’ve just entered the world of family travel. We took our boy abroad at 2months old and have plenty more trips booked for this year. I’ve got all of this fun to look forward to!

    Reply
  3. Love this article! And so very true, especially the looks you get on a plane & the house rules don’t apply, I’m with you all the way 🙂

    Reply
    • Thanks Maria! Ha, it’s funny how everyone can relate to ‘that look’ – yep we’ve all been there!

      Reply
  4. Wow reading this makes me glad my boy is 14! I never had more than one little one at a time and I was not mentally tough enough to travel much until they got older; at least not to anywhere but the beach. This is a great article that really speaks to the things we go through as parents.

    Reply
  5. So, I was just telling somebody else about how Customs is the guaranteed location for a breakdown. Always. And I do know those looks all too well. I wish people appreciated publicly that we are traveling with kids instead of sheltering them at home in front of a television.

    Reply
    • He he – I don’t think a breakdown in Customs is a bad thing – it might help you get through quicker! I know someone who said her mum used to deliberately make her cry when they approached customs so that they would get waved through!

      Reply
  6. Haha, what an honest read! It’s funny how ones misfortunes can be entertaining for someone else (sorry that I had a good laugh with it). It’s good tho you really show reality and that no matter what, you keep traveling with your kids!!

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  7. I think you have to create new rules when you are on vacation. No rules doesn’t work. But new, holiday rules are great.

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  8. Thanks Bron! Exactly – just make life easier for yourself! what an honest read! It’s funny how one’s misfortunes can be entertaining for someone else

    Reply
  9. Wow, you really had some bad luck with your children’s’ body fluids in the air. Honestly could not think of a worse place to have a puddle of puke on your lap. But, as with all holiday horror stories, I’m sure it is now just a funny story to remember.

    Reply

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