When we had Preston the tip we got from our more experienced parent friends about flight travel was to do it while he was still between 3 and 10 months old. It sounds young, but stick with me…there are some pretty good reasons.
- Kiddos still sleep a ton at this point
- You’ve gotten them at least the first set of immunization shots (you are doing that…right?)
- They’re not that mobile yet which leads into…
- They don’t get bored from sitting in one place (relative to after they can walk I am told)
- Kid doesn’t need a ticket as a lap baby (International flights may require some taxes and fees)
- You can ask for a seat that has access to a baby bassinet. They may charge you some nominal fee for this, but it’s so worth to be able to put kiddo down for a bit during the flight so you can do stuff…like eat…really fast. It’s also convenient to give them a place to sleep. Note that most bassinets have weight/size restrictions that will vary from airline to airline (so check!)
- If you’re breast feeding, the baby’s food supply comes with no cleaning or extra luggage!
Will it still be stressful? You bet. But your other options are:
- Don’t go out
- Only go for drives
- Wait for kiddo to grow up
So go for it. Don’t be too worried and please ignore the haters when they see you with the kid. Just focus on the fact that you’re about to spend some quality time with you little one. You can always make the first move and offer some good will to your neighbors =) Happy Traveling!
