Flying alone with two children is not as frightening or stressful as once imagines as long as you are prepared. My thoughts on Thursday – since we survived our first flight as a Mom and two children under three, we can now conquer the world. Here are my Tips for Flying Alone with Two Children.
I think the fact that Annabelle is a seasoned little traveler helped immensely. She knew what to expect and what was expected of her. She was so cute strutting around wearing her backpack filled with activities and snacks at the gate. Then, while on the plane, as she buckled her own seat belt and set up her iPad. The flight attendants and people sitting around us were so impressed with her good behavior and independence.
There were a few moments when I was soaked in sweat – pushing a stroller while carrying a 12lbs baby on my front and a 12lbs backpack on my back is not easy. I made the mistake of trekking out of my way through the airport to find the nursing pod I had heard about. I could’ve just fed Ailey at the gate, but I wanted to try out the pod. The nursing pod in the Atlanta airport is worth the walk and very convenient.
Tips for Flying Alone with Two Children
Don’t be afraid to ask the flight attendants for help. There was one very nice stewardess who walked Annabelle up and down the aisle when she was hysterical a few years ago.
Request an empty row on the plane (if available) or to sit at the back of the plane if you are worried about bothering passengers around you.
Bring snacks, toys, electronics, a change of clothes, hand sanitizer, and anything else you think you might need in a backpack on the plane.
When Ailey started yelling on the flight because she needed to burp and at the same time Annabelle said she felt like she was going to throw up… for a minute I was scared that our happy little ship was sinking. But the moment passed, and after some tears were shed, everything was fine again with my two girls.
The gate attendant was very accommodating when she saw I was flying alone with two children and put us in an empty row. Thank you Delta! The benefits of a row to ourselves was more than I expected, since I had a trouble finding a way to cover myself while nursing Ailey on the plane. I nursed her on take-off, during the flight, and then on the descent. I found it difficult to nurse Ailey while wearing her in the Solly wrap, so I took her out of it for the entire flight.
Nonetheless, we survived our first flight alone. I know each time we travel alone will be different, so our flight home could be a disaster. There were a couple of people who reached out to assist me with the stroller at security and again when I deplaned, so thank you to them!
So glad it was a success!
Aww, so glad it went well! When Beckett was 7 months old, Josh went to Michigan for 2 weeks and I had to stay behind for 1 of the weeks. The original plan was for B to stay with me, but I panicked and decided I couldn’t fly alone with a baby. But Josh did it instead and everything went so well. I look back and laugh now at how easy flying with a baby is vs. flying with a toddler, but you live and learn, lol.
Yay! So glad it went better than expected!
So glad it went well! We flew to Florida last week and there were like 30 little kids on the flight going to Disney and it was an almost silent plane ride. I was so impressed!