How We’re Preparing to Travel with a 3-month-old and 4-Year-Old

My Family is currently two weeks out from our first family vacation (not counting camping trips) since having kids. It’s actually our first trip since 2015! We didn’t even have a real honey moon as we were married in the fall of 2019 and had planned a honey moon in Mexico in early 2020 which of course didn’t happen. 

I don’t want to wait any longer for the kids to be older to make these memories when you truly don’t know what tomorrow may look like. So here’s everything we’re doing, and what we’re packing to try to make it as stress free as possible. 

The Flight

Small children can fly for free in a parents lap but we opted to purchase my three month a seat for a couple of reasons. The first one being her carseat, with such a short flight I’m hoping she will sleep in her comfortable familiar seat for at least a chunk of the flight. We will also be renting a car and I feel more comfortable having their own seats versus using ones from the rental company. 

As far as take off and landing I plan to nurse the baby to keep her calm and will offer my son a lollipop (sucking can help relieve ear pressure) or chewy snack and a new activity book to keep him distracted. I have sensitive ears that are usually bothered by pressure changes so I wouldn’t be surprised if my kiddos do too. 

This airline doesn’t have screens in the back of the seats for in flight entertainment but they offer an app to download ahead of time instead so we will be doing that, we will also likely be downloading some shows and movies on Netflix or YouTube for my four year old to watch on one of our phones during the flight (we’re a tablet free household) and will be packing him some colouring or sticker activities to do as well. 

Packing for the Airport

Each of us is allowed to bring one small personal bag as well as a diaper bag for the baby which should be enough to bring some diapers and wipes, a change of clothes for each kid, an extra shirt for me (for the inevitable spit up) and something to keep my son busy for such a short flight. We will also be bringing one carry on for items we really don’t want to lose if something happens to our checked bags (like medications, my breast pump, and my husbands c-pap machine). 

We are trying hard to pack pretty light with just two checked bags for the four of us. Our two bags are the maximum size allowed by the airline so thankfully baby and child clothes are small and don’t take up a whole lot of room but we may have to purchase diapers there in order to save space. 

With our airline an infant can check two support items and a child can check one, so we’ll be checking my sons carseat, a stroller, and a pack n play for her to sleep in in the hotel. This works out perfectly with her sitting in her carseat on the plane so we don’t have to pay to check an additional seat (baggage costs add up quick!). 

Packing for Vacation

With trying to limit our checked baggage to the baby items and two suitcases we’re planning to pack pretty light with versatile clothing items for each of us. We each have light rain jackets that pack down to about the size of a pop can, and we’ll each wear our running shoes and pack a pair of beach shoes. The kids (especially the baby) we will have to pack some extra clothes in case of messes and spit up. Thankfully their clothes are still pretty small so it’s easier to pack them extra. We’ll also pack a couple extra shirts for the adults for the same reason.

Some things we are planning to buy there such as diapers. We will pack enough for the flight and the first day or two and then pick up a box once we’re there. We’re also planning to buy some cheap beach towels (and use the hotel towels for showers) as well as some sand toys that we can either give away or donate before we head home.

Sleep Plan

Sleep is something I’m pretty worried about and not because of the baby! My son has never been a great sleeper away from home and tends to just go-go-go until he exhausts himself. We booked a room with two queen beds so he will have a bed to himself and we will pack a blanket and stuffed animal of his choice from home. If it comes to it, letting him watch something can help him stay still long enough to fall asleep. As much as we try to avoid screens near bedtime, sometimes you have to do what you’ve gotta do when it’s creeping up to midnight and the overtired four-year-old is still bouncing off the walls!

For baby girl we are bringing our pack and play from home. She’s a pretty good sleeper and can sleep pretty much anywhere so I’m hoping that continues on our trip (knock on wood). We plan to bring a sound machine from home to help drown out noises from big brother if he stays up late, or for when we’re up with her in the night while he sleeps. We are also bringing our Sense-U Breathing Monitor for peace of mind. We use this every night at home but it’s especially great for sleep in strange places as it also tracks temperature to help us dress her appropriately for sleep.

Transportation

One thing we decided early on is that making transportation simple was worth the extra cost. We’ve rented a mid-size SUV for the duration of our trip. We didn’t want to rely on taxis and public transport while juggling car seats (and having to install and uninstall each time), strollers, diaper bags etc. especially since we will have some day trips involving over an hour of driving. With this we’ll have room for our stroller and bags in the trunk.

We opted to bring our own car seats instead of using ones from the rental company just for peace of mind knowing they haven’t been in an accident or damaged in some way that would make them unsafe for use. It’s also just easier for us as we already know how to install them and that they are adjusted properly for our kiddos.

The stroller we are bringing is the Graco Ready2Grow Double Stroller. What I like about it is it’s a double stroller but still the same width as a single. Right now baby girl sits in her car seat in it at the back where we can easier see her and check on her. I prefer my son to walk as he’s a bit heavy for the front of the stroller which makes it a bit hard to steer but with this at least he has the option to sit and have a rest if he does get tired which lets us have a little more flexibility in the amount of walking we do for stroller friendly activities.

For non-stroller friendly outings we’ll also be bringing a baby carrier. It’s one of those baby items I rarely leave home without. If she’s ever fussy in the stroller there’s a good chance she’ll be more content being worn. It makes it so much easier to be out and about with a tiny baby. Another bonus of baby wearing: strangers are less likely to feel comfortable getting close to your baby if you’re wearing them versus in a stroller!

Keeping Expectations Realistic

It’s easy to want to make the most of your trip and pack the days full of tons of fun activities. But the reality is with kids that they may get tired, or just wake up on the wrong side of the bed that day. Trying to get everything done on a jam packed itinerary can make things stressful and frustrating. We have a few main things we want to do while we are there and then a list of “would be nice” activities. I’m hoping that by keeping expectations low for what we can accomplish, anything extra will feel like a nice surprise and everyone will stay in a better mood. There’s also nothing wrong with taking a day to reset and rest and maybe do something lowkey like hanging out at a park near your hotel.

What I’m Most Worried About

I think airport logistics is what’s worrying me the most. Sometimes no matter how much leg work you do to prepare you may be met with an airport employee telling you that you can’t do something you had planned on (like gate checking a stroller). We are also going to have a lot of bags and items and bodies to get safely too and from the airport which I’m not looking forward to.

Of course there’s always the worry of forgetting something important or not packing enough clothes (my son has a knack for getting completely filthy several times a day) but worst case we will be able to do some laundry or buy what we need if something is forgotten.

My last big worry is if either of my kids have a bad day and we can’t all enjoy some of the things we have planned. The whole purpose of this trip is for us to make some happy memories as a family and give my kiddos (more so my four-year-old on this trip) some fun experiences. At the end of the day though, even if there’s some tears I think we will all come away from this with some new cherished memories.

My Predictions:

• someone will cry during takeoff and landing
• the most difficult part will be getting through the airport with luggage, kids, car seats, and a stroller
• baby will have a massive blow out at the most inconvenient time
• baby will sleep through the first part of the flight and four-year-old will sleep near the end
• someone will make a mess in the rental car
• overall there will be challenging parts but in the end we will be glad we did it!

Every family travels differently, and I’m sure we will learn plenty on this trip! Our goal isn’t to have a picture perfect vacation, but to create opportunities for memories and experiences for us and our kids. If everything goes to plan, great! But if not we’ll come home with some funny stories and a little more confidence for the next trip.

I’ll be back after our trip to share what we got right and what I wish we did differently! 

Have you travelled or flown with your kids? I’d love to hear from you below what your best piece of advice is!