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“There is a great big hunk of world and there is no fence around it” –Lady and the Tramp
It is no secret that one of my favorite pastimes is traveling. My parents always took me everywhere, my husband and I traveled before kids and we have continued the same lifestyle after kids as well. All parents know that traveling with kids can often be a harrowing experience but it does not have to be as long as you have the right attitude and have items to keep them entertained and to make your vacations easier.
So far, we have traveled by car and plane with both of our kids. The baby does not need much in the form of entertainment but our 4 year old definitely needs to be a little more occupied. We’ve done the cross country trek (NYC to SAN FRANCISCO) and are doing it again in November to LAX. The longest car ride we have done has been from NYC to Boston which is about a 4 hour ride without stops. Below I am going to share some of my tips and tricks for successful airplane travel and some of my must-have items to keep the kids happy! Traveling won’t always be happy go lucky, it is definitely worthwhile to make some awesome memories. Soon, I’ll post about how to survive long road trips
Tip #1: Keep a positive attitude
This is an obvious one but sometimes I think our negative thoughts may get the best of us. It’s easy to say “ugh, this trip is going to be horrible” “he or she will never behave on this long flight”, etc. Don’t underestimate your kids, they are resilient and adaptable but they follow our example. If you are an apprehensive traveler then they will be as well. Keep it positive and your experience will be so much better.
Tip #2: Start traveling early
Start taking your kids on trips early on. My son was 7 months on his first flight and my daughter a mere 2 months when we took her on her first flight. But I’m not just talking about airplane travel, take your kids to your nearest big city, take a road trip, ride a train to a neighboring town. Anything to get them out of their routine and teach them that going out is normal and not scary.
Tip #3: Have the right gear
When I was pregnant with baby #2 I was resistant to get a double stroller but I am so glad I did get it! The kids easily sleep in it, ride in it, and it has plenty of storage space for all of our stuff! Here is the one we own! I love the front and back as it easily fits through doors and elevators. I am not sure how the tandem stroller would be for ease of travel but this one has been amazing! It is the Chicco Cortina Together Double Stroller.
Tip #4: Purchase a comfortable bag.
I will be the first to admit that when pregnant with my first baby I fell into the designer diaper bag trap! My husband bought me a beautiful Marc Jacobs bag that I used for maybe two months. 
A regular school type backpack:
Tip #5: Keep the kids entertained
Simple items such as crayons, coloring books, snacks like goldfish, cookies, etc. Some of my personal favorites are crayola crayons, the imagine ink books, and Amazon kids tablet. We have used these various times during travel.
Coupon Parents 