Must Haves For A Long Plane Ride With Babies
Hello dear readers,
One of the most important parts of Pesach is spending time with family. At the seder nights, education is actually one of the foundations of the entire evening. The seder is about transmitting the story of the exodus across generations, from parent to child, and indeed the Four Sons in the Hagaddah are taken from verses in the Torah that describe four different reactions to when your child asks you about the exodus. Of course, spending time with family is always a great idea during vacations, and when people are off work or school for Pesach, it can be a great time to do things together. That can be staying at home and relaxing, or traveling to somewhere new, perhaps to a hotel for a kosher Passover vacation.
Of course, while everyone likes spending time at their vacation destination, whether that’s lounging by the pool or sightseeing in a new city, one thing that people tend not to like is the traveling itself, particularly the experience of flying. One part of flying that a lot of people don’t like is flying when there’s a cranky baby (or babies!) on board. Now, having raised three babies, I don’t know what all the fuss can be about; it’s not like I was planning for the plane ride to be the vacation itself! I’ve also flown with a baby in my day, and it’s always important to be prepared. I’ve had a few tricks back then, but now there are so many resources for how to be prepared when flying with a baby. Here are a few ideas, some of which I knew and some which are new to me, and might be helpful for first-time traveling parents out there!
- GET A SEAT. It is definitely more expensive to buy your baby a seat instead of keeping him on your lap throughout the flight. However, this might be a worthwhile expenditure, particularly for long flights. You alternate your baby on the laps of you and your spouse, but it might be easier for everyone involved if the baby has a place to sleep without being held, and then maybe you and your spouse can also catch a little shuteye in those uncomfortable airline seats.
- TO BRIBE OR NOT TO BRIBE, THAT IS THE QUESTION. Some people think it can be cute to give out little goody bags to neighboring passengers before takeoff, as a way of acquiring some goodwill before the flight. This can include little candies or earplugs, for example. On the other hand, some people think it can be tacky, and that no one should have to apologize for bringing a child on a plane since babies need to travel too. This wasn’t really a thing when I was traveling with my kids, but giving out little goody bags definitely sounds like the kind of thing I would have done.
- MEASURE TWICE, PACK ONCE. Make a list of all the things you need to bring for your baby: diapers, food, clothes, bottles, medication, toys, books, pacifiers. Now double it. Bring twice as much of it, if possible, since you don’t want to get stuck in a situation (like a missed connection!) where you’re low on these things. Trust me; you’ll thank me later.
Ready to take your baby on their first Passover vacation? Be sure to contact Leisure Time Tours to make sure you and your family have the perfect Passover Vacation!