For this week’s Works for Me Wednesday, hosted by none other than Rocks in My Dryer I thought it might be nice to share some of my travel secrets. With the holidays fast approaching, many of you will be taking flight - I feel your unease and pain. But I’ve found when traveling, the key is to keep an open mind, go-with-the-flow kind of attitude as much as possible. Oh, and be prepared for everyone to throw as many obstacles as possible in your way. But now you’ll read my post and be oh so prepared! Good luck and safe and happy flying!

Airport delays, long flights with no food, and a small child - a volatile mix that can bring even the most patient of us to our knees. There’s no doubt that traveling with small children is tough, especially over the holidays. Having lived in Hawaii with parents both in Calfornia and in Central Canada expecting regular visits, and now living in the Northeast with the same expectations, we travel a lot. And most of the time it’s just me and my son traveling together. My little guy has a lot of air miles! From the age of five months to four years old we’ve flown literally dozens of times.

I think the key to peaceful travel is adequate advance preparation. To that end, here’s a list of useful tips. Keep in mind that what you do will vary depending on the age of your child and adjust accordingly.

1. Pack your bags - When we travel, I carry a LOT of items - thankfully I have a strong back and a big, big bag. My son and I both have a carry-on bag since my son is old enough to have his own ticket, but even before that my one bag for myself was large and crammed full. I plan out a variety of activities so that we can rotate every twenty minutes or so - a good assortment such as play-doh (the little one ounce cups), colouring book, books to read, DVDs and movies (because you’re gonna need a break!), small toy cars (or small dolls), stickers, a music player with their favorite music. When my son was 13 months, I bought him his first Matchbox car for the plane - of course I watched him like a hawk, but it was a good flight at what I think is the most difficult age. When planning activities, remember that you’ll be right there for the duration of the flight, so I think it’s okay to bend the rules concerning age limits for your child.

2. Snacks - I take a wide array of snacks because the ability to get food is unpredictable at best. Plus it takes some time for the child to pick their treat. Small finger foods, like the 100 calorie snack sacks are awesome for this - but watch the sugar levels. Also carry an empty cup for the flight attendants to fill with beverages.

3. Reward them - Wrap a small gift, or get some toys in eggs from the quarter vending machines (or if you can, get some Kinder Surprise - chocolate eggs with a surprise inside) and give these to your child as a reward on multi-leg trips. The best time is just after the plane has landed but before you get to the gate - even the grown-ups are impatient while the plane is taxiing and it gives you a chance to get organized while they’re occupied. The incentive to get a surprise is a good one for my son to behave.

4. If you’re traveling in twos, request an aisle and window seat, leaving the middle open - If the flight doesn’t fill up, chances are you’ll have to the row to yourself. Too many times, I’ve not done this and ended up with someone sitting beside me in the aisle - me at 5 10 in the middle and Jaden with the window seat (that’s another tip - the window seat for your child). It makes for an uncomfortable flight - and surprisingly even if there’s room on the plane most people sitting next to you will not move to another empty seat to give you room. At first, I wasn’t sure of the ethics of this, but in this case? To heck with ethics!

5. Pack a few other surprises - Not just the incentive treat I already mentioned, I always go to the dollar store and buy new colouring books, new crayons, or a new toy to surprise my child.

6. Don’t forget the essentials - A favourite blanket and cuddly toy, two changes of clothes, pajamas, diapers if you need, hand wipes or hand sanitizer (which is also good to clean the tray tables before your child starts to eat off them!).

7. Current airline rules - You need to check your airline for the travel rules before you go, so you don’t inadvertently break them and get delayed. There is nothing worse than having a huge bag with one drink in it that you have to fish out at the security check point, all the while having small children roaming freely. They do not cut you any slack if you have small children with you (unless you’re lucky). I’ve had to take Jaden out of his baby carrier, take off both our shoes, all without offer of help. They also seem to expect your two year old to walk through the checkpoint before you by themselves - yeah right! Currently, you’re not allowed any liquid or gels in a container that’s over three ounces. (So, if you’re taking play-doh, buy the one ounce party favour size.) This, well… sucks, because I used to include juice boxes for my son to have a drink whenever he needed.

If all else fails, just remember this is one day out of your life. If your child is behaving poorly and you’re getting the evil glares, don’t worry! You’ll never see any of these people again: just tend to your child as best you can.