Good Stuff: Traveling With Toddlers

Becky Worley, ace correspondent and mother of twins, featured Shae by Air and other parent travel tools on Good Morning America this week.



Items highlighted in this feature:

• Jet With Kids Book
• Shae by Air DVD Toolkit
• CARES Harness
• Trunki Kid's Rolling Suitcase
• Wikki Stix
• Portable DVD Player
• iTouch or iPad
• Handheld Games

Newsworthy Family Travel Articles

It must be springtime! With school nearing close and summer fast approaching, articles about traveling families abound. Here are some of our favorites:

• TSA: Traveling with Kids
• Mom's Minivan: Flying With Kids
• FAQs: Tips for Families Flying with Children
• GoodLittleTraveler: PREPARE Toddlers and Children to Fly
• Travel+Leisure: 6 Tips for Flying With Kids
• OneStepAhead: Tips For Flying With Children
• WomenOnTheirWay: Flying With Kids

5 Reasons to Travel With Small Children

Travel deals abound in this economy. If your family is in a position to take to the skies, there's no better time to do it!

But, you say, my children are so young!
Yes, I nod with understanding. This is precisely why you should go.



5 Reasons Why Parents Should Travel With Small Children:




"No matter what age your children are, it's a great time for taking them on travels near and far. ... Traveling with preschoolers is really fun – they are so wide-eyed and ready for adventure, with few, if any preconceptions. You already know what great ice-breakers kids are, they talk to anyone and see other small kids as potential playmates..." - Tips For Traveling With Preschoolers, TravelForKids.com


"Frankly after a 2.5 week trip (7 flights in late Sept.) with our 15 mo. old we decided that travelling with him we had more fun than we would have before he was born, despite twice the hassle and three times more gear." - Charis, responding to Surviving Long Plane Flights on the Berkeley Parents Network


"Children open a whole world of kindness from strangers that you might not experience traveling on your own. They also open your eyes to see things you might miss, the small nuances of how life differs in a foreign place, and how much it is the same. I watch more closely how people interact with their children and how they treat a stranger's child. Those interactions speaks volume about a culture and about the hope we have for the future." - Glennia, authoring Have Kid, Will Travel on The Silent "I" Blog


"Last summer my husband was invited to teach in Prague for two weeks. The deal included a two room apartment. So we all went. It worked out really really well. The whole trip made an incredible impression on [4-year-old] Allison and she is still talking about it quite a bit. ... I think when you travel with kids you are forced to engage in the local life in a non-tourist way in order to give your kid the much needed kid time in a local park, amusement park, etc." - Melanie, responding to Taking Kids To Europe on the Berkeley Parents Network


"For anyone out there holding back from traveling overseas because of kids, I say GO! Go today! Book your tickets because the experience is well worth it." - Marlynn at UrbanMamas.com, A tale of international travel with toddler in tow



Ready to go?
Resources for Traveling with Toddlers, Preschoolers & Kindergartners:

• GoNomad.com - Tips for Traveling Abroad with a Toddler

• ParentMap.com - Holiday travel with babies and toddlers

• "NZ, AUS, Fiji and US with newborn and toddler in tow" Blog - Top 10 Tips for Travelling with Young Children
  
  
• Jennifer Widom - Adventure Travel with Children Under Four: Proper Preparation and the Right Attitude
  

• SixInTheWorld.com - Top 6 Lists and Details: Overview of the Trip
  
  
• Khushi @ BloggerMoms.com - International Travel with Toddlers - The plane ride
  
  
• GoodLittleTraveler.com - Family Travel Resources: Family Travel Weblinks

• TimesOnline.co.uk - Gap family down to earth in Dorset
  

Toddler Travel Humor

While we're adamant about preparing kiddos for what to expect before they get on the plane, we couldn't resist this gem a friend alerted us to (thanks, Andy!). * Not recommended for purchase, but absolutely recommended for reading!

The Play Security Checkpoint is dubiously useful at best, but the buyer comments are priceless. Enjoy!

Why Traveling With Toddlers is a Very Good Thing

One parent friend of mine told me once that she and her husband weren't planning to take a family airplane trip until their then-2-year-old son was 6 - she was just too worried about what she imagined in her active son's potential bad behavior, packing and carrying all the necessary accoutrements that go with little ones, all the added details (and delays) that seem to go with traveling with toddlers. But after she had her second son and realized that if their family stuck to their no-planes-til-the-boys-are-6 plan, all told it would result in nearly a decade without a family trip! ... and she was ready to find some solutions to her dilemma.

It has been argued that traveling with children under three is a waste of time. I've heard all the excuses: that biggest of which is that babies and toddlers are too young to remember what it is they are seeing and experiencing. My response to that is the same as any child development specialist's with regards to a child's exposure to being read to: exposure is a VERY good thing. My daughter doesn't remember asking me to read Big, Runaway Bunny or Where The Wild Things Are every night two and three times when she was two. But she still loves for me to read to her, and is now a great reader herself.

I wanted my daughter Shae to want to travel. As she grows up, it is crucial that she understand that there are different ways of living, looking, building, believing, learning, contributing - and I want her to internalize this knowledge and act on it as a result of seeing it, not just reading about it. I am convinced that having a broader exposure to the world, domestically and internationally, results in better citizenship and commitment to one's community. What better way to appreciate what one has than by witnessing firsthand what others don't? What better way to understand that others do not think/problem solve/create in the same way as ourselves than by learning - even just a few words of - another language and realizing just in the sentence structure alone how differently the same idea can be expressed or considered?

Having this belief in broad exposure as a benefit, coupled with my own selfish desire as a world traveller not to give up exploring just because I was now a mother, I set out in not-so-subtle and less obvious ways to raise her as a Good Little Traveler. From map sheets in the crib and a biplane rocking chair to a wall papered with old saved National Geographic maps and multiple bookshelves overflowing with stories about exploring, adventuring, discovering, journeying. I also took her on the road almost from the time she was born. But one needn't be as interested as I am in travelling as a rule, just open to the idea.

I love this quote by Teresa Plowright at About.com, where she writes: "Travel is in many ways different from vacation: travel, for example, might be sightseeing in Paris, or exploring hill towns in Italy, or a road trip with plenty of stops and exploration along the way." She goes on to write: "Travel with a baby or toddler entails logistics, no question. But gear is so great, these days ... And travel with a baby can be extremely rewarding, especially in countries where people tend to dote on babies."

There are so, so many great reasons to take your infant / toddler / preschooler / kindergartner out into the world!

How To Fly Successfully With Small Children

Come June, most schools are out and many family vacations underway - and thus begins the season of negative family travel articles ... and (finally!) one very positive one.

It is a shame that flying families receive press only in cases of scandal or dread, especially when so many families do it right. This week about a dozen people emailed me from CNN.com the (alas, not-so-surprising) article headlined "Surviving a flight with your baby or toddler". Despite the great advice, I object on the grounds of semantics! Given that the article, like all the others, is essentially a checklist of what to consider and prepare for, it should instead be called Preparing for a flight with your baby or toddler.

Of course, back on the soapbox that started it all, missing from the equation as per usual is the part about preparing the kiddos for the flight. With babies, it's about parents knowing their child's propensity for motion sickness, sleep and eat schedule, etc. In situations with traveling infants, parents really only have themselves to prepare. But with toddlers, preschoolers, kindergartners - this is not the case. Small children are very capable of grasping new concepts and understanding boundaries. It is of paramount importance that in planning for the trip, the kiddos are included in the process:

• Go to the airport before your trip with your 3-year-old son who has never been on a plane. Watch the planes take off, notice people queuing up for security - tell him why these things are happening and how soon it will be his turn to stand in the line and board the plane, and take off into the sky. Let him get excited! and then ...
  
  
• Let your child help pack: if you're headed to the beach, ask your 2-year-old what she might want to wear at the ocean. She will answer bathing suit, and she can help you put it in the suitcase.
  
  
• Let children pull their own carry-on bag. It gives you a separate space to pack your child's extra pull-ups, change of clothes, etc. (that doesn't constitute an extra bag since your youngster has his or her own seat) and gives your kiddo a responsibility during the pre-flight process. For most children, having a "job" is a treat and a privilege (just ask a preschool or kindergarten teacher). A toddler who knows he has to get his bag to the airplane will be a little more focused than one whose only responsibility is to follow meekly along behind his parents (boring!).
  
  
• (You knew this was coming, if you know me at all) Buy the Shae by Air DVD Toolkit™ or one of the few books/media available that SHOW children what goes on at the airport. Give kids something to relate to. The security checkpoint alone was a source of major fear for my daughter when she was almost 2. The lound metal doorway with beeping lights and the expectation by serious people in uniforms that she walk through said doorway alone was enough on one trip to reduce her to tears. Couple that with wanding or the air puff room ... if a child doesn't know this is coming, and hasn't been prepared for it such that she isn't scared, parents are setting themselves up for trouble.
  
  Also, it is worth noting that my little one had been flying since infancy, but as children grow and change, things that were once unnoticed can suddenly become very important. So even if your child is flying for the 30th time, it is always worth a mention before and at the airport and on the plane what he or she can expect. That goes for the literal (long lines) and the behavioral: ie, those seatback tray tables (only a parent should open and close them), and the feet (not on the seat in front) as well. (All of these are reasons why the I'm A Good Little Traveler! Series was created, in particular the Shae by Air DVD Toolkit.)
  
  
• Dress for Success. I cannot stress this enough, despite the fact that it seems like an innocuous piece of advice. Keep reading, please.
  
  

I was so excited, given my recent post and published tip, that David Elliott's article entitled "What Not to Wear on the Plane" was recently published on CNN.com's Travel Section front page. Despite the negative title (what not vs. what to), the entire article was positive - and about respect: for fellow passengers, for airline and airport staff, and for the journey itself. One major point was that airline staff judge passengers and treat them according to that judgement. But passengers judge one another as well.

It follows, then, that if a family arrives on board respectably attired that the usual dread of the potential seatmates can be mitigated or even avoided. If I take care in preparing for the flight so far as to include how my daughter and I dress for it, fellow passengers' first impression of me (and we all know how important first impressions can be) is that I respect them, and the journey, and that I and my family are not taking the experience lightly.

People are far more apt to be patient and less likely to presume that my kiddo will be a detriment to their flight if the we appear respectable. More importantly, my daughter understands, not only because she is told, but also because it is evident in the extra care taken in getting dressed, that traveling by air is something special. When she is not dressed as if it's just another day at daycare or preschool, and I am not dressed like the family is making a quick run to the supermarket, it sets a positive, exciting tone. And children who are excited to be doing something are far more apt to listen and behave in order to continue doing it. This is an airplane trip! Whether it's the first or the 500th it is still thrilling. My daughter has been on countless planes now, and every time it's exciting - for both of us - and we dress for the journey.

One additional note about "dressing up" - one mom I know (thanks, Lexi!) took that advice literally when her son was a toddler. He was prone to taking off in the crowd, and she was used to having to chase him. Two things happened to make that tendency easier on the both of them: she dressed him up in costume, and he felt like a superhero. Superheroes don't run away, they stay and protect their mom! And if superheroes forget that they are superheroes, and get curious about something over there ... all his mom had to do was ask, "Have you seen Mr. Incredible?" Easily found, and easily persuaded to return to his mother's side.

Dress for Success on the Plane

When I made the first appointment with my daughter's new dentist, we received a lovely packet that included a checklist to prepare my daughter for what to expect and what was expected of her at the dentist's office. As I am a firm believer in just that type of preparation (it is never too early to teach children to be responsible for themselves insofar as they are capable), you can imagine how pleased I was ... especially in one of the more obscure line items: "Please have your child dress up for their first visit."

Having been in the business of preparing toddlers to travel for a few years now, that line item is near and dear to my heart. As small a consideration as it may seem, attire can actually play a big role in the whole flying adventure. Honor the journey, weight it with preparation, anticipation - and then dress for the occasion. That's not to say be fancy, but is to say: Match. Layer. Wear clean clothes that aren't ugly t-shirts. It's unconventional common sense advice, though not commonly found on family travel websites (which often focus on the comfort of the clothing). But comfort and decent attire are not mutually exclusive.

Just as Shae's dentist knows from experience, I can assure you that dressing yourself and your children in matching, comfortable, nice clothes (and by nice, I just mean lacking stains or holes) has at least two positive results:

1. Your fellow passengers' first impression of you (and we all know how important first impressions can be) is that you respect them, and the journey, and that you and your family are not taking the experience lightly. People are far more apt to be patient and less likely to presume that your kiddos will be a detriment to their flight if the parents and their kiddos appear respectable; and

2. Your children will understand, not only because they are told, but also because it is evident in the extra care taken in getting dressed, that traveling by air is something special. When they are not dressed as if it's just another day at daycare or preschool, and you are not dressed like the family is making a quick run to the supermarket, it sets a positive, exciting tone. And children who are excited to be doing something are far more apt to listen and behave in order to continue doing it. This is an airplane trip! Whether it's the first or the 500th it is still thrilling. My daughter has been on countless planes now, and every time it's exciting - for both of us - and we dress for the journey.

Update (12 June 2008): A recent article entitled "What Not To Wear On the Plane" by Christopher Elliott and featured on CNN.com further expounds on this subject.

Prepare Toddlers & Preschoolers to Fly with the Shae by Air DVD Toolkit

Children - even toddlers! - have the capacity to understand what to expect and what is expected of them, and with that the ability to be respectful, Good Little Travelers.

Most TSA agents, flight attendants and airport personnel recognize that traveling children are often ill-prepared for the journey and for the most part are mindful of that fact and quite helpful. But traveling families have a responsibility to prepare themselves and their children for likely delays, long lines, the need to be flexible.

There is more to flying with toddlers than keeping them entertained and hoping for good behavior on the plane: there are long lines at busy airports, security checkpoint(s), boarding the plane, sitting in confined space that shakes and makes noise, not to mention puts sometimes incredible pressure on little ones' ears, and travel etiquette issues like not kicking the seats in front... all things that don't get addressed in the usual checklists.

Children learn best when they can use a variety of senses. The Shae by Air DVD Toolkit™ includes a DVD movie: something visual children could recognize and emulate, shot at their height - to see a good example set, to hear the process explained in words that encourage, not frighten or bore them. The Picture Packing List allows children to do something - to be a part of the trip. Helping pack makes it the children's trip too, not just something they are dragged along on. What is a DVD Toolkit? It's more than just a movie! It's everything your child needs to prepare to travel.

Endorsed in Northwest Airlines' inflight magazine, NWA World Traveler, as well as USC Childcare Programs, TripConnect, Inside Motherhood, and more, Shae by Air was filmed from a child's perspective and everything is shot from their height and eye level.

The Shae by Air DVD Toolkit contains:

• Entertaining Live Action Movie introducing air travel to young children
• Fun Airplane Music Video
• Video Message to Parents for use of the video as a preparatory tool
• Shae by Air Picture Packing List for toddlers
• Two I'm a Good Little Traveler! Luggage Tags

By watching Shae by Air, and using the tools included with the movie, children will:

• Be comfortable and aware of boundaries and expectations before and during a trip
• Become familiar with travel environments, such as airport security and the airplane cabin
• Learn travel and social etiquette through peer role modeling
• Feel empowered with a sense of responsibility for themselves while traveling
• Look forward to their next big travel adventure!