What did I learn from this trip? Preparation is key. I should have had more toys for the plane and waiting at all the airports. I should have brought his cough medicine that makes him sleepy so he’d have slept more on the planes. We should have flown an airline with in-flight entertainment or recorded Teletubbies on a laptop. I should have been more involved and asked my mother-in-law to give me the owner’s phone number or email address so I could outline that I needed a proper crib with rails and that I needed to stay in a house with baby gates. I should have asked to see pictures of the houses we were considering to rent. I should have also brought medicines with me, as well as had a car seat reserved at the airport. There were many things that we, naïve new parents, didn’t think of. To help you, I’ve come up with many strategies.
Strategies in the Airport with Infants, Babies & Toddlers:
- Make security checks fun—show no anxiety and have your children wave at the guards and say hello to them. If you are upset and anxious, they will be too.
- Don’t have a big stroller—lightweight, foldable umbrella strollers are easier going through security.
- Don’t carry a car seat, it’s just one more thing to lug through the airport or check in lieu of baggage.
- Put all lotions and creams, including diaper rash cream, into clear bags ahead of time. Take a small, travel size container.
- Be at the airport early—families with children take longer to go through security, expect your bags to be opened.
- Do not wear metal barrettes in your hair or belt buckles, or shoes with metal buckles as they make alarms go off.
- Wear no costume jewelry and have no costume jewelry or barrettes in your child’s hair.
- Wear shoes that are easy to slip on and slip off.
- Prepare ahead of time what you’ll say to your child(ren) if there are armed military present. Some airports now have a heavy presence. I always say, “Isn’t that nice, they are here to protect us, like the police.”
