Tales from the Tarmac

Traveling with a toddler suffering an ear infection is bad enough, but when Tim, his wife, and two small kids arrived only 45 minutes before an early morning flight, the airline wouldn't let them board. "We were on stand-by for every flight from Dallas to Boston for the rest of the day, bouncing from gate to gate to gate 'til we got on the 8 PM flight. Spending an entire day in an airport with a sick child equals living hell. Especially, when no one from the airport would be of assistance," he says.

The Lesson

It may not be easy but this tip is very simple: leave plenty of time. Traveling with kids is hard enough, let's not make it that more difficult.

Speaking of timing, here are a few more tips to keep you sane:

Jacqui, an Iowa mom of two, suggests, "Feed and change Baby last thing before getting in the car or on a plane. This will give you the longest amount of sleep time for Baby in the car. Also, if we will be traveling a long distance that will take many hours, we travel at bedtime or at least around supper time. That way the kids (this works with kids who are a little older too) will sleep for much of the trip."

Deanna, mom of a preschooler, agrees. "When I flew with [my son], I made sure to plan travel during natural nap/feeding times to ensure he was already comfy and quiet before we boarded."