Top 11 Essential Tips for Mums Traveling Alone With Kids

Traveling alone with kids could be a daunting task. It does not just require flight tickets to be booked and woosh you are gone. It needs to be carefully planned well in advance. While you are traveling alone with your child, you can quickly become overwhelmed with thoughts and questions about what to bring, what to do, how to deal with unwanted tantrums, or how you’ll even make it the airport with only two adult hands to spare. From what to pack to how to get there, I am sure you would agree it’s rife with potential worries.

With the right kind of preparation and planning, you can easily ace that incredibly long journey to your dream destination. Here are some tips from my traveling experience (With two kids together) that will help you worry less and enjoy your journey with your little ones.

 Planning is the most essential of all when you are going to travel alone with your kids. Have an itinerary in place, and travel plans before you head out.

1. Choosing the flight- Research well in advance and choose a flight that doesn’t require you to have a layover. Unreasonable transit hours in between the journey can put your kids off. I had to suffer from this once and it was maddening while trying to hustle the kids from one terminal to another. If you are traveling within the country the flights are of shorter duration so taking a mid-morning or afternoon flight will suit your kid’s routine the best. In case you are off to an international destination book yourself on a night flight so that kids would doze off for the maximum part of the journey or might reach the destination by the time they wake up.
2. Choose your seat with extra bucks– Since my son was fully breastfed, we had taken a window seat and the middle one. It was easier for me to feed him while the takeoff and landings to ensure it was smooth for him. Don’t wait for the last moment to do the check-in. Do a prior check-in and have the seat of your choice booked in advance.
3. Take a light stroller or a carrier- This can be one of your best decision to travel along with a carrier or a stroller while traveling alone. I have had experience with both of these and it was the best thing I could have done. Strollers don’t count as baggage and you can easily check them at the ticket counter or the gate. Since I was traveling with kids, I had carried both of these. While my younger was safely tucked in a carrier that I was wearing and I had my hands free to push the stroller with my elder child in it. This helped me as I could use the stroller to keep my cabin luggage on it and even some things hands that I needed while at the airport.
4. Pack Light- If you are traveling to your hometown then remember you can buy anything that you might need from your destination. For example, if you need diapers, baby wipes or anything else especially for this trip get them delivered in advance to your destination address. This will ensure you are traveling light. We had done this and it was super comfortable for us.
5. Cabin Luggage- This needs to be planned and packed well so that you are prepared for any and every emergency. Considering the time, you would take to reach the destination keep a small pack of baby food and milk powder. Other items that you might need for the trip would be diapers, baby wipes, snacks, water, medicines, few chewable/suckable sweets(These helps in pressure change while landing and takeoff), change of clothes, a favorite toy, a small storybook if you have space you could carry 4-5 colors and a small sketchbook too if you have an older child along.
6. Have extra time on hand- When you are traveling alone, keep that extra hour even after you have checked in, and done with security checks. You need this extra hour to figure out tantrums if any, potty breaks, snack time, and just in case you need to breastfeed the baby you could use the specially designed feeding rooms at the airport. We loved how the Bangalore Airport is so well equipped for new moms.
7. Seek help- In most of the airlines, you would find that air hostess is more than happy to help. Should you need any assistance they will be your go-to people when flying alone with kids. I remember the time when I first traveled alone with my daughter when she was just 3 months old and I had to visit the restroom in flight. Handing over the child to air hostess was the best I could do and they managed her well. I guess they are trained for this too 😊
8. Snacks, snacks, and snacks- It’s best if you are carrying your food especially for small kids. You never know when your kids will have those hunger pangs and they become cranky. Don’t rely on food provided on an airplane for your children. Depending on the journey time from your own home to the airport to your destination, figure out the time, and plan food accordingly. The one who knows Bangalore would know it takes around 2 hours to reach the airport from your own house and then airport waiting time and actual flight journey. So, I had carried along with me proper desi aloo-cheese parathas for my daughter and me and baby food for my son. We also had kept a few dry fruits and biscuits to munch on.
9. Be prepared for the worst- I am sure we all plan things to the z but things tend to go wrong as well and we need to be prepared. And the best thing to stay prepared is to stay calm and take less stress. Remember, travel is an adventure. Even if it has a few speed bumps, the experience you’re giving your kids and to yourself is irreplaceable.
10. Keep your kids close- I am sure every mum would take care of this but it’s important enough to mention again. Know where your child is. Never let your child get out of sight. Especially when you are traveling with two kids’ attention tends to get divided. The best way to deal with this is to explain things to your kids in advance. And set a few rules they need to follow until you reach the destination. And also let some of your rules down like no screen time, no eating chocolates. While traveling some rules can be bent for a while so you can have peaceful and safe travel. To ensure my older, one stuck to me and was calm I gave her the iPad with some of her favorite stories and rhymes downloaded.
11. Give your contact information- Trust me this helps. From an early age teach your kids and ensure they learn your contact number. While on travel you should make a detailed note of your contact information and pin it to your child in some or the other way. Just in case if needed this comes in handy and proves helpful. Don’t be afraid to get creative, but in any case, make sure your child knows where to find this note.

Traveling is an enriching experience and more often than not, the journey is what makes it worth the effort. Thus, make the most of your travel plans with your children and explore away! Last but not least nothing opens children’s minds like new experiences, and you’ll get plenty of new experiences no matter where you travel. This post is a part of an amazing blog challenge #Speakeasywithruchindips hosted by two lovely ladies Ruchi and Dipika Thanks a lot for this prompt. I am quite happy it allowed me to pen down my lovely lone travel experience with my kids.

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