DO'S AND DON'TS WHEN TRAVELING WITH KIDS
All my family members live in different parts of the world, therefore I tend to travel a lot.
My oldest brother, Edmond, lives in Bogota, Colombia, along with his wife and three kids. My older sister, Lili, lives in Tel Aviv, Israel, with her husband and three kids. And my parents also live in Tel Aviv, at least for most of the year, but they come to Miami a lot to visit us, and tend to stay for long periods of time.
As time has passed I have gotten accustomed to planning, packing and traveling with the kids; sometimes I have to hop on a 13 hour flight to get to Israel.
That's why I considered writing this post, and giving out my suggestions on how to travel with kids.
DO start out by planning the trip with the kids in mind - Try to choose flight times and connections to accommodate your child's needs as best as possible. For example, when we fly to Israel we usually depart Miami early evening via NY, connect for a couple of hours, and then take a late night flight that arrives in Tel Aviv the next day. All that action is a sure recipe to get the kids tired, which will help them fall asleep quickly and for a long time, normally for most of the flight's duration.
DO take anything that give the kids a sense of security - Regardless if you are traveling by car or plane, It's always a good idea to take with you anything that will make your kid or baby feel safe and at home. For example, I always take their blankets, the ones they sleep at night, and for Jack I also take his stuffed bunny.
DON'T give them sugar - Sugar makes the kids very hyper, you don't want a hyper child on a car or a plane, trust me. Avoid giving them chocolate or candy that are high in sugar and go for healthier snacks like raisins, fruit, veggie chips, etc.
DO take good entertainment - Take with you anything that will entertain your child on the trip, I always take their iPads and let them choose a few toys to take along as well, the key is to distract them as much as possible, and avoid boredom at all costs.
DON'T forget to take extras - It's very common to get delayed on a trip, so never forget to take extra diapers, wipes, milk, or anything that your child might need on an extended period of time.
This summer, on our way to Israel, we got delayed over 10 hours in JFK, so it's better to be over prepared than sorry.
DO get them prepared - It's good to talk to them in advance and tell them all about the trip you will be taking. Not only will they be very excited, but you will also avoid taking them by surprise and out of their comfort zone, which can go south very quick.
