So I packed up our whole two-bedroom unit in Bondi Beach, Sydney Australia, into two storage boxes and decided to go overseas for three months with a one-year-old baby, just 6months or less after some pretty crazy years in the world. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the borders being shut to the entire world, we hadn’t really been out much in the last two years at all. So for us, we were about to embark on the biggest adventure, thrill and shock of our lives. From barely leaving our Bondi apartment except for walking to the beach, and grabbing coffee, in between working from home we were now flying across the seas to London where we’d have to get used to catching public transport, always being on a commute, not really having our own home, totally nomads in Europe.
So off we went, with three suitcases to max capacity weight and four carry-on bags, nervous about what the Qantas Flight One staff might have to say about our luggage. By a small miracle, we made it on board with everything we had packed. That’s the beauty of travelling with a baby, you seem to get a whole lot of extra sympathy when flying. Somehow we also scored with our baby sleeping 11 plus hours of the 17-hour flight on the second leg of the journey. I think the best advice we were given was from the parents of two boys under three years old who somehow still were able to watch two movies throughout that flight. They told us that they had a 20mins on and 20mins off rule. So my husband adopted that immediately by saying “we’ll I’ve just done my 20mins”. So the flight ended up so much better than we thought (despite having to keep face masks on the entire time), however, I did come over-prepared with “travel toys” including sticker books, re-usable large sticker farm books, water colouring books and a puzzle book as well. The Farm Animals book and all the sticker books were the hit, with large reusable stickers. She was highly entertained by all these books (for most of the trip actually).
By a small miracle, we made it on board with everything we had packed. That’s the beauty of travelling with a baby, you seem to get a whole lot of extra sympathy when flying.
For take-off and landing, if you are a breastfeeding mother, it was excellent advice given to me that you should breastfeed during take-off and landing, which is totally possible at the age of under two as they are strapped in a seatbelt on your lap. The movement of their jaw releases the air pressure, comforts and distracts them from the changing air pressure as the plane rises or descends in the sky. If not, you could give them snacks, a water bottle, formula or anything safe that keeps their jaw moving (like a dummy).
Once we touched down we realised we survived and kissed the ground, mostly because we could take our masks off and we’d kept the baby alive.
So I guess the travel tips so far for anyone reading would be; Be flexible, do whatever it takes to get across the world on an air jet (it’s fine to watch unlimited wiggles or endless Netflix). Put your baby/ babies in a sleep sack or do whatever the usual sleep queues are on a plane to get them ready for bed. Buy toys that keep their attention, make them a gift for the flight, and just go with the fact that it’s only 24 hours of your life. You’ll survive, and mostly it’s worth it to get to Europe.
Buy toys that keep their attention, make them a gift for the flight, and just go with the fact that it’s only 24 hours of your life.
I can’t really imagine doing the next three months of travelling, doing two trips to France, two weeks on the coast of Italy and multiple long stays in England. I’m clearly jet lagged and need a pep talk that my baby will sleep in the pram on commutes to London and fall asleep at night, especially on daylight savings time where the sun sets at 10pm here. I need someone to tell me that she’ll not hate planes, trains and buses and we will be able to go a few months overseas without getting deathly ill. But we’d made it, and I can surely give you a few tips for flying across the world with a toddler from my big learning curve of the last 24 hours.
Things to take with you on a long-haul flight for 0-18months old:
- Any food, drink, yogurts or snacks that your baby loves. Usually, an aeroplane has an unlimited liquid amount for carry-on for your babies/toddlers. For instance, you could take as many snacks as you need to keep your baby happy for the flight. You can take formula, water, milk, creams, toothpaste, and moisturiser all over 100ml if you so desire. The amount of families queuing at the security family line with 10-15 bottles of liquid is not unusual at the airport. *Check with your flight provider for more specific guidelines on their website before flying.
- Your baby’s sleep gear. Everything you need to put them to sleep, including their sleep sack, comforter, pyjamas, toothbrush, books, and blanket for example. Try to do a mini version of your nightly sleep routine with your baby on the plane to send sleep signals. Also, know that every baby will eventually get tired and have to sleep – so do whatever you need to survive the flight if they look as though they’ll be awake for hours. You shouldn’t put extra pressure on yourselves to make them go to sleep.
- Activities for your toddler’s age. I bought multiple sticker books, that she’d never seen before. It was a Farm Animals with giant reusable stickers and a Wiggles sticker book with over 100 stickers that entertained her for most of her awake time on the plane. For you, It could be as simple as blank paper and little stickers. My toddler also had a little bag with mini wooden farm animals inside that she was taking in and out of the bag and then playing with them. Pencil and paper and colouring books were a big hit for a bit older toddlers on the flight. The aircraft usually has some screen entertainment for kids as well like games and tv shows, but download some of your toddler’s favourite shows on your phone if you know it will keep them occupied if they really “lose it”.
- A Travel stroller. I will sing the praises of the Yoyo Babyzen such a fantastic investment when heading overseas. The small size of the Yoyo Babyzen makes it possible to fit in overhead luggage and most airlines will allow you to carry it onto the flight meaning you can use it door to door without having to carry your baby from one gate to another. Your stroller will help you as it can be used from one airport to the next (even if it’s just as a trolley for all your bags). It folds out in a moment, packs away almost anywhere with a shoulder strap and you can use it to put your baby to sleep, especially if there is a stopover destination on your transit and they have nowhere to sleep. You’ll never look back if you’ve used a good travel stroller. I also have friends who have the Bugaboo travel stroller that they also love.
- Nappies, wipes and all the normal baby accessories, with about four changes of clothes in case your connecting flight gets cancelled or your bags don’t show up or they spill all the food on three of the outfits. Better to be prepared, you’ll stress less. Also, clothes that match the climate you are entering – as you may need a lighter t-shirt or something easy for your baby to sleep in.
- My time zone advice after travelling the world: It’s impossible not to stress at all, but try not to stress about the time change. Your baby may take up to a week to fully adjust to day and night sleep but in my experience, it only took a few days for the sleep to end up about the same as home if you’re following the same sleep queues and making sure they nap at a similar time as home. Have some grace – they’ll catch up like you.
If you have an older toddler, turning or over two years old, you’ll be really glad to have bought them their own seat for the flight (despite you crying over the cost of the seat). It means they’ll be much more comfortable and easier for you to entertain with their own drop-down table for drawing, room for them to sleep better, and luggage weight for all the extra things you buy overseas. You can even buy yourselves the Stokke Bedbox, a ride-on suitcase that turns into an inflight bed. You see them everywhere at the airport, so I can’t wait to use one of these on my next flight somewhere.
The activities with a toddler on a long-haul flight will certainly be more advanced and by the age of two, they most definitely understand a lot more of what you are saying and where you are going. My advice is to prepare them for the flight. Tell them you are going to have a long time on a flight, but try to make it a fun idea. Maybe like going in the car, it’s taking us somewhere for an exciting adventure. Even give them something to look forward to on the flight, like a gift or something special that will keep them excited. Take your headphones for them to listen to things on your phone. Get ready to be up and down the aisles a few times to get their energy out before they fall asleep.
What to take on Long-Haul flights for 18months –2 year olds+;
- The Stokke BedBox ride-on suitcase and inflight bed. An absolute life-changing suitcase that will allow your toddler to ride on in the airport, and sleep on the plane with a flat leg extension to the seat that feels like a bed for them.
- A few colouring books with pencils and crayons. Also, Water Colouring books, with a small brush you fill with water and the picture, appears as they paint. They are called “On the Go” by Melissa and Doug.
- Light carry-on books they know and love reading. This is one of my favourite collections for my toddler by Julia Donaldson.
- Book Boards or toys with developmentally appropriate tactile learning, like zippers, buttons, felt pieces, and puzzle bits to fit together. Things that will challenge them so they keep entertained for longer. My two-year-old is obsessed with opening and closing zippers and she will do this for 15mins straight sometimes.
- Small car toys to fit in your handbag.
- Small dollies and clothes to dress and undress, or put nappies on and wipe down.
- Snacks that take longer to eat, like rice crackers, healthy muffins, omelette slices, mandarins etc.
- Water bottles with lids to undo and redo (a really cheap option).
We are here in London, and how exciting it is to leave winter and enter Summer! We feel like the lucky ones. Lucky to have you on the journey, follow me for more stories about my trip.
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