Traveling is stressful enough, but it’s even more stressful when traveling with young children. But don’t fret, we have a whole bunch of tips to make the trip easier for parents and more comfortable for children. In this episode, we’ll talk about the basics, starting with how best to plan your travel, and engaging your children in the process. From babies to toddlers to school-age children to teens, we have ideas about how to choose your destination so that your vacation is great for the whole family, and where to stay to maximize comfort and flexibility. Plus how best to schedule your flights. We’ll also discuss the importance of preparing children for travel, and how to take your children through security screening with less hassle.
We’ll continue this discussion in our next episode, part 2, including addressing the dreaded nightmare scenario: your child crying on the plane.
This episode written by Dr. Dean Blumberg and Dr. Lena Rothstein.
We thank Amy Zide from the UC Davis Child Life and Creative Arts Therapy Department at UC Davis Children's Hospital for reviewing this topic, although Drs. Dean and Lena take responsibility for any errors or misinformation.
Supplemental material:

* Healthy Children Family Friendly Flying

* Healthy Children Flying with Baby

* Zero to Three Survival Strategies for Traveling With Your Baby or Toddler

* Healthy Children Travel Safety Tips

* American Academy of Pediatrics Air Travel Tips

* Shivani Vora New York Times article How to Travel With Children (includes a nice list of what to pack for each child, and what should be in every parents' first aid kit)

* MomAboard Airport Nursing Rooms Locator for the US

* Mamava Pump & Nursing Finder

* US Department of State passport information and information for children under 16

Photo from Czech Airlines