8 good tips on how to survive flying and traveling with little babies<

We have experience with long flights, several transfers, but we also completed a few short flights. Some parents boast that their two-year-old has flown a hundred times. I don't think it's necessary, especially with regard to nature. We fly more for practical reasons - moving with the family or moving around Europe to more distant countries when, for time reasons, we cannot afford to travel around the country.

1. Ticket for a child

Babies under the age of two have a ticket almost free of charge, the price is around 10% of the price of an adult. Some companies also offer discounted prices for children under 12, but most children pay the same price as parents after their second birthday. The fact is that the baby does not have its own seat, has a lower limit for the weight of the luggage and is not covered by the hand luggage option. The baby is sitting / lying on the parent's lap… So at least that was the original idea. We all know that a walking child does not sit for more than a minute. Over the age of two, a child definitely needs his country seat.

2. Hand luggage: food and drink

Although the number of small bags and backpacks is limited, we have not yet been stopped because of five bags in two adults and a baby. We have important things in one thing - passports, wallets, phones, chargers, a computer, a magazine.

Another is clothes for a child. Replacement T-shirts, night sweatshirt, several gates, a hat, it depends on when and where you fly and from where. And if you're a fanatic like us, you use cloth diapers for 10-hour years. Of course, because of these long years, we also bought biodegradable paper diapers. In addition, our son tends to have diarrhea on the planes, so with a "plastic bag" there is no need to wash diapers in the meantime for transfers.

Another large backpack is full of food. The food usually takes up at least one or two more plastic bags. It depends where and how long we fly. Liquids must not be taken on airplanes for a few years, but if you have a baby or small children, you can take baby food. We once had a delicious homemade beef broth in a jar. Otherwise, we don't actually take fluids.

We take with us two to three empty plastic bottles, which we will fill inside the airport after the inspection. Today, perhaps at all airports, they have drinking water in vending machines next to the "gate". So if you also quickly finish your matonka in the check queue, be sure to keep the bottle!

When I was (visibly) pregnant, but even then with a small child, I always go back to the "kitchen" during the flight, where the flight attendants prepare snacks. Either I refill my own empty bottle, or I immediately take an unopened bottle from local supplies. But why else would a ticket cost 10,000? In addition to empty bottles at the airport, we also smuggle apples, pears, carrots, cucumbers, bananas, oranges, kohlrabi, tomatoes, buns, cutlets, boiled potatoes, boiled eggs, boiled meat… I have a feeling that there are no limits to your imagination.

My husband once flew from Tibet to Bohemia via Saudi Arabia, and his mother packed him about a pound of boiled pork, which he had for lunch while waiting for the transfer. No one has ever asked us about food in bags, and if so, we have a baby! He will not eat the fujtajbly they give away on the plane.

3. So that the flight doesn't hurt

I consider breastfeeding during take-off, landing and at any time during the flight to be essential for flying with little babies for at least two years! Little babies, even though they are with their mother, do not know what is happening and do not feel well. Above all, it's the pressure in the ears, the constant sounds of the engine, the foreign smells, the turbulence and simply a different situation than what he's used to.

Breastfeeding, like chewing in adults, helps to relieve pressure in the ears. In addition, breastfeeding gives the baby a sense of security, but this is familiar information. It is best to program the child to fall asleep during takeoff. Ideal for a two-hour holiday to Spain or Greece! He sucks in everything new at the airport, you can't sleep with excitement. While sitting on the plane and waiting for departure, he gets some milk to help with takeoff, and for the next two hours, parents can enjoy the flight. When the baby wakes up five minutes before landing, he still likes to relieve his mother of the hum in his head.

I consider it a pretty good performance when I barely slept several times during the night, my son on my lap, my shirt up, and I barely narrowed my eyes. The next morning we continue with the transfer, when the son is asleep, quite balanced with the time shift, but I still have 4 hours to sit and not sleep.

4. Safety first

If you are flying with a baby under the age of two that does not have its own seat, you will usually receive a special seat belt, which you put on an eyelet on your own and then fasten around the baby's waist. The flight attendants will chase you an hour before takeoff so that the child is already restrained. Yes, flight attendants usually don't have children of their own yet, and they don't know that young children are constantly moving!

It happened to us several times that we did not receive this belt. It's a fatal mistake, a de facto violation of security rules. We should remind ourselves! But we don't do it. If the plane crashed, we're all probably sure anyway. The same rules apply for tethering babies as for adults. During takeoff, landing and turbulence. Our reality? In fact, only when the son examines the belts and fastens and opens them in various ways. The flight attendants pass and check here and there, but the ten seconds of pretense can survive.

5. Baby cot

Companies provide the possibility of renting a cot for babies. You must reserve a seat at the beginning of the row, at the toilets. A crib that is up to 70 cm and 9 kilograms of babies snaps on the wall in front of you. She was no longer enough for our six-month-old son. It's nice to have plenty of space and a crib, but since you're sitting in the bathroom, the baby, you too, won't sleep. On the second flight we had a crib on the ground and it was full of toys, food, airline tickets and diapers.

You can also take a car seat with you on the plane. We do not have this experience. I assume that the full price of the ticket must be paid, because the seat takes up one whole seat. At the same time, I do not think that 10 hours in a seat is pleasant, and moreover, it has already been confirmed that children should not spend more time in car seats than is necessary, for health reasons.

6. Other accessories

Last time, his son had a motorcycle with him. Such a plastic motorcycle, which today's small children have full garages. He enjoyed riding at airports and in the aisles of the plane, people smiled at him and some took pictures without permission. I also consider similar supplements to be very important. The child's own toys will facilitate difficult moves. When traveling with children, people generally smile at you more, ask more if you don't need something, and in small villages they like to talk.

7. Vaccination

Some Czech friends believe that it is not possible to leave the republic or Europe without a vaccinated child. On the contrary. It doesn't occur to anyone at the border to ask for a vaccination card. Worldwide, mandatory, recommended and optional vaccinations are different, of course always with regard to the local situation. There are a few exceptions where vaccination is mandatory. These are a few countries, mainly African, that require one or two different vaccinations when entering the country. You can find a more or less updated list here.

The vast majority of vaccinations are recommended. The disease is probably widespread in that country and it is possible that you will not encounter it while traveling. It is often jaundice, typhoid or rabies. If I go to Central Africa, I will probably consider some vaccinations, in Europe or North America I would not have this problem.

Sometimes you move or pass through a country where various diseases are widespread. Of course, vaccinating or not vaccinating is always at the personal discretion. But a few hours in "dangerous" territory is not a reason to stuff a lot of chemistry into yourself or a child. In most cases, careful personal hygiene is enough.

8. Other diseases

We all have diarrhea on the road. Usually we rest one day and we don't deal with it much. But in children, diarrhea can become a serious problem, even at home. In this "disease", the body loses a lot of water very quickly and easily, and due to problems with food intake, it cannot receive the necessary nutrients. This cannot be underestimated for children who are small and need enough food and water. These are mainly children who do not yet know, or speak little, so they cannot describe exactly what they need.

Diseases and accidents can happen to us and our children anytime and anywhere. Not only in the Andes, Bangladesh or Siberia. I don't think that due to a false feeling of security, it is necessary to stay with a baby or a small child only in our village. I consider breastfeeding to be essential for flying with children, and a lot of own food and drink for older children (empty bottles). It's great when kids feel safe with their parents and have the opportunity to discover the world.