<-- Helping Mom Pack for Jamaica
OK, we are hours before our trip I have mentioned in the last couple of blogs. Our family of four is 99% packed which means I packed myself and the kids and my husband has packed himself. Now packing even before kids stressed me out. My husband and I have two totally different packing styles. This is where we joke...he is the girl and I am the guy. He takes everything, so he can have his entire closet to pick from while he is there. While I try to put together outfits and take just what I need for the destination and our activities. But with the increase in airlines charging for second and as of mid-June even first checked bags we decided to start taking steps to avoid paying the extra fees.As far as checked baggage we decided to apply the following rules:
- # of Outfits equals ~1/2 days of our trip
- Exception: Additional outfit allowed for special occasion/activity (i.e. wedding, diving, etc..)
- Example: Our trip is 11 days. Each person was allotted 6 outfits plus one additional dress outfit for the wedding we are attending
- 90% of outfits match weather forecast
- 10% outfits will cover when the weatherman just doesn't get it right
- Example: Our entire trip is fore casted highs 90's, lows 70's and scattered summer thunderstorms. So 90% of our clothing is warm weather gear with one additional outfit being pants and a jacket.
- WalMarts/Targets/Drug Stores exist about everywhere
- Example when I started traveling with children I would pack a sleeve of diapers, my jumbo wipes, etc.. Now I pack enough in carry-ons to cover the trip and an incidental layovers, but otherwise I hit a store or order it at my destination ahead of time
- Pack additional duffel bag collapsed in a checked bag.
- This is great for going to Grandma's house or a destination. Either place you will accumulate things to bring home and this will allow you to do so. Plus I don't know about you, but I can't seem to get everything to fit in as wonderfully as I did outbound.
My son is too young to count, but my daughter at 3&1/2 got put to work in packing. She was told how many hot weather bottoms (shorts, capris, etc) to pick, short sleeve shirts, etc.. She laid them all out for me to review to "Punky Brewster" look she had put together. All in all she did a great job and we discussed weather and did some counting in the process.
So my family of four is currently packed into 2 large rolling duffel bags (which are awesome by the way). A third check...which btw...does NOT count towards your bag count will be a car seat. Which a huge tip is if you are running out of space in your other bags...hold out some large bulky items like coats, etc and stuff them into your car seat bag. Remember I mentioned these great buys in my earlier blog on airplane travel re: lap child, car seats, or seat belt. Also in these bags are a wedding present, anniversary present, and 2 life children's life jackets (for boating trips we have planned).
So I will blog later and let you know how we did with our rules. What worked well and what didn't. But for now if you have any great tips for packing checked bags for a family please leave some comments and share.
In preparation for that upcoming trip I mentioned in my last blog entry I started turning the house upside down looking for my daughter's seatbelt for our flight. Seatbelt? - you ask. A little back story needed here.
My husband is 6'3". I am 5'9". My husband has family members as tall as 6'8". So my children are at the top of the height curves. How I would love to have had them as FREE lap children until age 3 cut-off....especially as of today when American Airlines announced they will charge for your FIRST checked bag in the wake of the high fuel costs. But my daughter had her first paid seat at 16months and my son at 14months. Lap children that are nearly 3ft before age 2....is not only severely uncomfortable, but also a trial in patience I did not want to engage.
Then when it came time to move to car seats...well, our car seats are the Britax Marathon. That means among the highest rated for safety, but I would also dare to say the highest in weight. So when it came to the first trip in their own seats I went out and referred to American Academy of Pediatric Car Seat Guide as well as the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration to purchase another car seat. I was on the hunt...for an affordable (dare I say cheap), light, yet, highly rated and FAA-approved car seat. Yes, I was a little shaken about not taking my Britax, however I was going with the odds. I've always heard most accidents happen within a few miles of home. And I did it...got a great, highly rated, super light car seat for ~$50. We even put a baby shower gift to the test which was a car seat travel bag. Honestly, they are great and have come a long way since our first one which just had a shoulder strap. Our latest one has wheels as well as shoulder strap and backpack straps. These can also be used to check car seats once your child is old enough to sit in the airline seat versus having the airline put them in their plastic bag.
Which speaking of...I learned last year that in August 2005 the FAA stopped requiring children be in CRS's (Child Restraint System...or fancy acronym for FAA approved car seats, etc). However, they highly recommend a CRS is used and I agree for safety and well my sanity as it keeps my child from wriggling everywhere. So once my daughter's legs were falling asleep due to length or annoying the person in front of her because they were a little busy we moved on to a CARES (Child Aviation Restraint System). It's a great system that is used with the existing airline seat belt creating a harness similar to their 5 point car seat which she was already accustomed. It has a usability range of 1yr and 22lbs upwards to 4 years and 44lbs and 40 inches. It's 1lb and fits into a little stuff sack which can go in your...or into your child's carry-on. We love it...and most of my friends who do a decent amount of air travel have asked us about it and have gone on to purchase one.
For more information about traveling with children on planes check out the FAA's website.
We are making our annual pilgrimage back to our birthplace here in a
couple of weeks, so I went on-line today to make sure that the airlines had not changed plane types or something else that would have resulted in our seats being reassigned. See before children I hated the back of the plane and now I covet seats about 3-4 rows from the back. Why?
Well, for starters traveling with one child in diapers and one child 95% potty-trained having a bathroom within an arm's reach is a major plus. A lot of the larger planes lavatories are even equipped with changing stations. Definitely board early and go check it out. If there is not a changing station then, if you can, wait until the crew has finished their service and kindly ask if you can change on the galley floor. I have not been turned down yet. Just be courteous and ask for a trash bag, place your diaper in it, and then into the trash in the lavatory. Do not hand your soiled diaper to a flight attendant.
Another reason...that flight crew I just mentioned for a couple of reasons. They have all the beverages, etc...so an easy reach for more apple juice, hot water to heat a bottle, or an extra pack of pretzels. And the flight crew are people too and many with their own families they are apart from, so we have found a lot love to talk to, play with, and even hold the children.
It generally takes us a little extra time to ensure we have everything...checking the seat pockets in front of you so we are in no rush. And those few extra minutes allows the ground crew to bring your stroller up, if you checked one, and a lot of times they will even set it up for you on the jet way.
And lastly we find it a bit more relaxing (if you don't have a tight connection)...as you do not have a crowd pushing behind you to get off the plane which generally leads to the added bonus of the excited toddler/preschooler getting some face time with the pilot or even a trip to the cockpit.
<-- Helping Mom Pack for Jamaica
