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Ep. 81 Travelling with Kids with Margaret Bradford

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Ep. 81 Travelling with Kids with Margaret Bradford
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“It’s not a hike, it’s a mission. It’s not a walk, it’s a quest. It’s not grocery shopping, it’s a scavenger hunt.” Margaret Bradford and her family have made life an adventure. Known as Our Family Flies, they share airport, plane, and destination tips, as they’ve seen their fair share of planes, trains, and automobiles!!

Margaret Bradford is mama to two daughters, 4-year-old Farrah, and 18-month-old Eleanor. Based out of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, along with her spouse Dustin, and their dog Jagr, they love everything from camping, to road tripping, to international travel. Like many moms, Margaret was concerned before having kids that she would lose a part of her identity, one being travel, but today, she’s travelled to Thailand, Malaysia, United Arab Emirates, Oman, and even took a 9-week road trip in a 20-foot trailer through western Canada, all with kids in tow.

In Airport Tips: 

  • Use gate check options for strollers (and car seats, if you want)
  • Can carry-on hiking pack (use pockets to pack extra)
  • All airports seem to have different rules for pumped milk through security

In Plane Tips: 

  • For long haul flights, airlines will often offer bassinette seats for babies up until a certain height/weight/age
  • Take off and landing – breastfeed, bottle feed, use soother, or offer something to chew
  • Toy ideas: Books, no mess colouring, reusable stickers, magnetic doodle board, Squigz, post-it notes, painter’s tape, Pop It, wooden puzzle, pom poms and empty containers; but first toy can simply be people-watching on the plane (and the aisles)
  • Snacks! Pack pill containers with snacks, or wrapped Easter eggs, so it takes a little longer to “work for their food”
  • Bring meals on longer flights, and fruit (and pouches) for refreshing hydration

Destination Tips: 

  • Look for car seat rentals to be ready upon arrival, if you don’t want to pack car seat
  • Look for Airbnbs or something that has a kitchen; you can also request a fridge at hotels
  • For sleep – go with the sun and get outside, limit the cat naps to adjust to the new time
  • Try not overschedule, especially at first
  • Recommended: Packing travel crib (phil&teds® Traveller™ Portable Crib) and travel high chair

Have patience. Expect meltdowns. Be prepared with snacks and activities – and don’t completely fly by the seat of your pants.  

Book Recommendation: 

Don’t Try This at Home: One Family’s (mis)Adventures Around the World by Rob Krause and Daria Salamon

Follow on IG: @ourfamilyflies

 

Check out KWE’s #patch4apurpose to support 1, or all 8, charities:
https://kidswhoexplore.com/product/original-explorer-patch4apurpose/

Today’s Host: @adriannaadventures & @laurenrodycheberle from @kidswhoexplore
Production: @kpmediaproductions. Music: @michaelferraro_music

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