Last month I flew to Austin with my 3.5 year old and 8 month old. Both the departure and return flights were a four hour direct flight. I definitely spent more time preparing and thinking through our travel days than when both C and I are traveling with the kids. But it’s totally possible to do this by yourself and definitely worth it in my opinion. Below is everything I did that helped us have smooth and successful travel days.

Double Stroller

I’ve talked about the strollers we have here, but this particular stroller was purchased specifically for this trip and will be used when we travel for other trips later this year. Having both kids strapped in was great (as opposed to standing on a kickboard like we were normally doing with the Uppababy). We were able to move faster through the airport and it made our bathroom stop easier having both kids seated in a stroller. The other reason I bought it was that I needed a stroller I could easily open and close while wearing a baby. Not an easy task.

Checked Bags

Because I only have so many arms, if the luggage we had could be checked, we checked it. Normally we’d save some money by bringing our carry on luggage with us, but not this time. I wanted as little to schlep through the airport as possible. I also didn’t want to forget or lose any luggage, so everything that could get checked did.

So Many Snacks!

I buy special snacks for A whenever we fly. This time, I had even more on hand. Whenever we fly with our children, I create a day-of schedule in my Notes app that I can reference to see how we are doing with naps, feedings, snacks/meals, etc. This way I don’t risk losing all structure for the travel day. Snacks are definitely counted as part of an activity on the plane.

A tip on snacks: I will bring sliced apples in a stasher bag with a pouch of peanut butter in an effort to have at least some fresh food.

The Bathroom Trip

On both travel days we flew in the morning. We got through security and went and got our breakfast. After that, we made our trip to the bathroom. This is where A goes to the bathroom, G gets her diaper changed, and I will use the restroom as well. My goal with this bathroom trip is to empty everyone’s bladder so we do not have to use the airplane bathroom. Of course that is not always possible. But I will hold back on water for A on travel day (and offer him lots of water once we land) and do a double diaper on G. I’m happy to report that on both plane rides we never had to make a trip to the bathroom.

Where To Sit On The Plane

On both flights I chose the second to last row (only because the very back row was not available). I was also pleasantly surprised that on the flight back we had the entire row to ourselves which was amazing. The vibe in the back of the plane I find is usually less uptight and there is also a little more space for me to bounce G in the carrier if she was fussy.

New Toys

I bought a few new toys for both kids as well as some new coloring books for A. Of course these only last so long, but anything new and different is more interesting than something they play with all the time. And I always bring toys that are easy to disinfect mid-flight. They are bound to fall on the ground at some point, and I need to be able to easily wipe them down and then fully wash them with soap and water when we arrive to our destination.

Mental Preparation

I found myself getting very anxious in the two weeks leading up to this trip. I would play the day out in my mind over and over again trying to picture and prepare for any scenario that might happen. But then two days before we left I realized it’s only four hours on the plane. I can do (almost) anything for four hours. I knew when we landed in Austin and also back in Portland I had help that would be waiting for me. Both kids had been on several flights in the last few months, so they had some experience and I had a sense of how they would be and what they would need. And, even if they hadn’t traveled, the plane will eventually land and you’ll get to where you need to go. Going into both days with this mindset helped tremendously!