While DiGregorio used to bring a standard stroller on trips, he now swears by the micro stroller from Pocket Airwhich opens in “two seconds” and is suitable for children 6 months to 5 years (up to 55 pounds). Other parents I spoke with shouted “game changer!” inflatable booster seats And bed bumperthat are compact enough to fit carry-on luggage, and hiking backpacks for toddlers for more outdoor activities.
Cinzia Reale-Castello, a Rutherford, New Jersey-based photo editor and mother to 4-year-old Leonora, also suggests hiding a “soft toy dupe” in your bag in case your child loses their most precious friend abroad , as happened with her. her daughter's beloved black cat. (Don't worry, she found the original in Rome.)
Involve children in research and planning
It's easy for parents who are always on the go to “drag their kids around without letting them know what's really going on,” Romeyn says. But the more children know, she notes, the better they behave. “Talk to your children about the upcoming journey, even if you think they are too young to understand,” she advises. “Tell them what it will be like to be on a plane, what sounds they will hear, what they will see and what you will do – like: 'We are going to sleep on the plane for two nights, but we will play in between and eat three meals.
Marilyn Lobos, an art teacher based in Lyndhurst, New Jersey, encourages her daughter Luna, 8, to look at maps with her, help her make rainy to-do lists and always ask yourself: “What can we do, see, eat and experience here that we can’t do at home or elsewhere?”
Involving children in the planning process is especially important among teens and preteens, says Chris Bergaust, a foreign service officer based in Washington, D.C., who has four exceptionally well-traveled children: Erik, 19, Joseph, 17 , Adam, 15 years old, and Ana, 12 years old. “Your teens will appreciate having a voice,” he says, “and they will stay more engaged and be less likely to complain if they have already engaged in an activity.”
The idea of showing your children the world is powerful, but the realities of parenting, especially for women, are far from going away once you hit the road.
Consider a combined trip
Tom Marchant, co-founder of a luxury travel agency based in London Black tomatorecently took her two daughters, Minnie, 6, and Coco, 3.5, on their first multi-destination trip. Although Iceland and Morocco may seem like an odd pairing, Marchant found the combination both exciting and rewarding – a way to show her daughters “two very different cultures, lifestyles, environments and topographies over the course of the same trip while having the right balance of adventure”. and time to relax.
Play with the seating system
When traveling with two parents and two children, Romeyn had some success in getting seats in different rows. “It might sound weird, but it was a lot easier for (my husband) to handle Indah and me to handle baby Mira and not let them get in the way or wake each other up,” she says. DiGregorio takes a different approach for his family of four by reserving the aisle and window seats in the same row and leaving the two middles empty. “Sometimes people come to the middle seats and we move towards them and give them passage,” he said. “But sometimes we get six seats for the four of us.”
Make peace with screens
Many parents told me they limit screen time at home, but still bring an iPad full of educational games and kids' shows when they travel. “Peppa Pig was our secret weapon,” says Bangkok-based employee Chris Schalkx. writer and photographerwhen he needed to keep his son Ollie, now 6, quiet on public transport or in a fancy restaurant. Just be sure to download videos for offline viewing before a trip, Bergaust adds, because WiFi can be sparse, connections are often dropped, and built-in screens don't exist on some plane models. He also advises turning off electronic devices 10 minutes before arriving at your destination, noting that this “gives kids a chance to reset and be less cranky.”
Spring for the VIP treatment
Some airport terminals have indoor play areas, others have designated security lines and check-in counters for families. “They're not clearly advertised, so you should always ask,” says DiGregorio. “They can save a lot of time and headaches.” He also recommends booking day rooms at a hotel or airport lounge for longer layovers (“it gives us a private place to sleep and use a home base”) and pre-arranging a drop-off service. VIP welcome and assistance directly via the airport or local tour operator when available. “Someone will be waiting for you when you get off the plane to accompany you through immigration and other formalities,” he says. “It takes the pain out of knowing where to go and what to do, and waiting in lines.”
Always have food on hand
Snacks on the plane are obvious, but feeding the animals that are our offspring is a 24/7 job. “Kids wake up and wait for breakfast, so be ready,” says Campbell Levy, founder of CO-based Evergreen and CEO of a public relations and marketing firm. Camp Storiesand father of three young boys: Wilder (6 years old), Lawless (4 years old) and Hawkins (2 years old). “Many hotels have larger refrigerators that you can put in your room—call ahead and ask for it,” he advises, noting that you can also request that it be stocked with simple ingredients like milk. “That’s assuming you can’t get a room with a kitchenette,” he says. “If you can, you obviously want to.”
Plan a cushion day to decompress
“While (travel) can be a chore for adults, time zone changes can be particularly disorienting for younger children,” Marchant says. Her best strategy for dealing with jet lag is to allow an extra day or two to acclimate to a new time zone. If you only have a few days left, stay closer to home. DiGregorio agrees, noting that his family primarily traveled to South America when their oldest daughter was very little because the time zones were similar to New York, making it easier for her to maintain her sleep schedule.
