mommy tips Archives – The Salty Mamas

Nervous about flying with a toddler? Wondering how to entertain a toddler on a plane? Or worse, how to deal with people on a plane when your toddler cries? DON’T BE! With some airplane prep, prayer and a dash of luck, you can make it to your final destination stress free!

When Cole was a baby, we went on a lot of trips. Before he was a year, he’d flown to Seattle, New York, Baltimore, and Hawaii twice. And generally, it went really well. Then we had Evie, and when she was about 4 months old we decided to try a flight as a family of four. But after a 45 minute flight to Reno, we swore off air travel. It wasn’t for us. We would drive, we would cruise, but there was no way in hell we were getting back on a plane.

Until now.

As a family of 5.

Going across an ocean.

It was time to get strategic. This isn’t a simple toss a baby in an Ergo, bounce and provide snacks type of production. And lots of the tips for road tripping with kids is applicable, but a plane has all. Those. Other. People. So here are plane specific tips for traveling with kids.

Taking two kids to Costco? It can be kind of crazy, sure. But with these tips for taking kids to Costco, you’ll be in and out in no time. (Maybe with a giant bear you didn’t need, but that’s besides the point). Read on for our best tips for shopping at Costco with kids!

It seems that every other weekend or so, my husband gets it in his head that we NEED something from Costco. A part of me seizes up inside because carts and samples and hot dogs and toys and clothes and so many things for the kids to ask for and so many places for them to get lost! Another part of me knows that I CANNOT send my husband alone because he will come home with a new TV, 96 beers, a giant tool chest, a squatty potty 2-pack and a gallon of potato salad. He will spend $800 and will not get the paper towels we were going for in the first place.

One might think, take a page from Jaymi’s playbook! Divide and conquer!! Check things off your list, girl! And I admit, that sounds good. But somewhere along the line we got into the habit of just being together all weekend. Even if that means five of us strolling through Costco trying not to lose each other. And for me, after five days of braving the day to day parenting alone, I want to attach to Chad like a barnacle and have him there to help deal with any tantrums, freakouts, blowouts, accidents, or injuries.

So most Saturdays, after our family breakfast, we drive through the car wash (another family favorite) and then head to Costco with two kids (or more) in tow. We’ve gotten it down to a bit of a science, so here’s what works for us – including a couple tips for shopping at Costco with kids that I KNOW you’ll love!!

How to Entertain a Toddler on a Plane

How to Survive a Family Trip to Costco