The Jet Lag Diaries: A Real Parent’s Guide to Travelling with Kids (Without Losing Your Mind)
- theplayfulpsychologist
- 4 days ago
- 13 min read
By Emily Hanlon
Let’s be honest. Travelling with kids is not the type of holiday you used to take. It’s a high-stakes, snack-fuelled mission across time zones with sleep-deprived tiny humans and a carry-on full of random items you didn’t know you’d need until it was too late.
Welcome to The Jetlag Diaries: your behind-the-scenes guide to travelling with kids without losing your mind (or your passport). In this post, we’re diving into the four key pillars of surviving air travel with little ones:
Snacks (your #! sanity strategy)
Activities (because “just watch a movie” only works for 6 minutes)
Expectations vs Reality (it’s never what you think)
Travel essentials & pro parent plane tips (you’ll wish someone told you this earlier)
We’re a family of five who’s been travelling with kids since day one. From the beaches of the Gold Coast (more times than we can count) to the Central Coast, Mollymook, Hamilton Island, and the Hunter Valley…we’ve done our fair share of Aussie escapes. But we’ve also gone a little further afield… think Hawaii, Dubai, Egypt, Jordan, Bali, and Fiji.
Now, as we get ready to take our crew to Europe, we figured it’s the perfect time to share some of the tips, tricks, and lessons we’ve picked up along the way.
Disclaimer: These are based on our experience, if something doesn’t resonate with you, that’s totally fine. Take what works and leave the rest.
Grab a coffee (you’ll need it), and let’s get into it.
PART 1: Plane Snacks & Food That Actually Get Eaten
The moment you board that plane, snacks become your coping mechanism. Not just for your child, for you. A well-timed snack can prevent a meltdown, distract during takeoff, or even lull a toddler into a state of peaceful chewing silence. Snacks are your lifeline when travelling with kids. The golden formula? Shelf-stable, high-protein, low-mess. Think: crackers, popcorn, fruit straps, snack bars, roasted chickpeas, jerky, basically, anything that won’t melt, explode, or crumble into oblivion at 30,000 feet.
On Luca’s first holiday?He ate about 90% beige.Crackers. Croissants. More crackers. I was thiiiiiis close to spiralling… but when we got home? He snapped right back into his usual eating routine. But just remember, travel messes with everything: sleep, appetite, and mood. So, if your kids eat like raccoons on vacation, you’re not doing anything wrong. It’s just the nature of the beast. Jetlag + new surroundings = unpredictable mealtimes. Be kind to yourself.
My Plane Snack Strategy:
Each of the kids gets their own lunchbox packed with fresh fruit, veggie sticks, and a few protein options. They’ll nibble on plane food (sometimes) but let’s be honest, airline meals don’t usually impress.
Rule of thumb: One snack per child for every 10 minutes of flight time.Think you’ve packed enough? Pack more.
Seriously… a flight delay with zero snacks is the actual nightmare. Snacks are the one thing I’ll happily overpack. And while we’re at it, I skip nuts on flights, out of respect for any passengers with allergies. Small space, big risk.
Pack what you know your kids will eat. Even if it’s the same three things on repeat. This isn’t the time to debut dried seaweed crisps.
Fuel > Perfection.
Before any trip, I do a big stock-up on our favourite better-for-you snacks from Part & Parcel. And as soon as we land, I find a supermarket to grab the real-food basics:
🍌 Fresh fruit
🥣 Yoghurt tubs or pouches
🥕 Washed veggie sticks
🥑 Avocados or spreads for crackers
Low-effort, high-impact. Helps balance out the sugar-fest of long-haul travel.
Some of our favourites that I take with us include:
Kooee Beef Sticks: High in protein, preservative free, and more importantly, delicious. The boys love these so they are the perfect snack to keep in our bags for on the go. 7g of protein per stick means their tummies will feel fuller for longer, and I feel good knowing they are getting a nutritious snack amongst all the ice cream. https://partandparcel.com.au/search?q=kooee
Gimmie Seaweed: These come in great little packs and are made with avocado oil instead of seed oil. Seaweed contains a bunch of antioxidants and beneficial nutrients, supports gut health and helps stabilise your blood sugar balance. So happy Part & Parcel started stocking this brand recently! https://partandparcel.com.au/products/seaweed
Sultanas: Additive free and sulphite free sultanas. These are hard to come by in the supermarket so I’m so happy that Part & Parcel stock them!! All three of my kids love these. https://partandparcel.com.au/products/sultanas-organic-500g
Funday Sweets: These are to help with blocked ears on the plane. A much better choice than most supermarket candy and actually really yummy!! The kids don’t usually get lollies so these are a big deal for them! https://partandparcel.com.au/search?q=funday
Serious Puffs & Popcorn: Great snacks, great ingredients. All three of my kids love the puffs.
Popcorn is moreso for Luca and Elliot (when being supervised) https://partandparcel.com.au/products/serious-gluten-free-pea-puffs-multi-pack
Little Harvesters Pouches: Lillie doesn’t actually eat purees but I bought these for Fiji and she loved them. They’re a great product to have in your bag for baby-related emergencies. Ingredients are absolutely excellent. I purchased these directly from the Little Harvesters website. https://www.littleharvesters.com.au/collections/frontpage
Packing these snacks means I have some nutritious options for long days. Served alongside some fresh fruit or a yoghurt pouch from a local grocer, and it’s the a great little travel snack. Don’t stress about “perfect” meals. Prioritise protein, hydration, and food they actually like. The goal isn’t gourmet.
PART 2: Activities to Pack (that actually entertain)
Our first overseas trip, I basically packed the entire playroom. I had grand ideas of our 2.5 year old playing so beautifully with all these toys and educational activities. The reality? The iPad saved us.
Travelling with kids is tricky. Don’t let anyone let you feel guilty for using screens. Our kids do not have access to an iPad at home, so when we travel, they love the novelty of an iPad. They are given unlimited access to screens for all our plan trips and long bus rides.
Over the years, I have reduced the amount of ‘stuff’ we take away for the kids. Here is what I now pack for my 5 and 2.5 year old boys. It all fits in this travel bag from TEMU. It fits SO much stuff, and has a hanger so you can hang it on the plane:
Hey Doodle Reusable Colouring Mats: We love these and use them all the time. Once you finish you can wipe them down and start again. These are great for downtime in the hotel, or to take to a restaurant. 10/10, no notes. Both boys love drawing and colouring on them (aka Elliot just scribble):
Mini Where's Wally Books: These came in a pack of 5 and also came with a mini magnifying glass. I bought them from my local bookstore but they’re available via amazon. My 5 year old loves these books.
Mini Magnet Tiles: Both the boys LOVE magnet tiles. These are great for the plane and for cafe’s/restaurant. I grabbed these from amazon.
Sensory Maze Toys: These will mostly be for Luca to use but Lillie and Elliot will also get a kick out of playing with them. Love a toy that can be used in different ways across different ages! I grabbed these from amazon.
Magnetic Men: I saw another influencer buy these and thought the boys would love them. They’re mini men with magnetic hands & feet, so you can connect them in different ways. I would keep these away from Lillie (12 months). Also grabbed these from amazon.
Reusable Drawing Supplies: These are both great resources. The letter cards are joined by a keyring and use a water pen. Once dry, the drawing/writing disappears and you can start again. The maze cards are also fun, Luca loves them! They can be wiped down and used multiple times. They’re all double sided. Both from TEMU.
Travel Colouring Books: Luca is very into drawing & colouring at the moment. I grabbed some clickable markers from amazon so we don’t have to worry about losing lids, some scrap books from the local dollar store, and colouring books for the countries we are visiting (also from amazon). If he’s going to colour, he may as well learn a few things about the places we visit!
Foldable Car Mat & Game: We took these to Fiji and loved them. They are a car garage with 6 cars and a track on one side, and a board game on the other. We have one for each of the boys and were the most played with toy on our trip. Love that they fold easily and are a two-in-one item. I got these off TEMU.
Reusable Sticker Book: This is for Elliot but also for Lillie. The reusable stickers stick to the plane windows and she gets really immersed in removing them. Great activity to pack for little kids! The book folds out and becomes a road scene too so kids can put the vehicles down and make their own scenes. There are different themes available. I got this off Amazon.
That’s it! All fits into our carry case. Each of the kids will pack their comforter and I’ll pack 2 extra toys for Lillie. If you found this helpful or have a question, let me know in the comments!
PART 3: Expectations vs Reality (Spoiler: They’re Not the Same)
Let’s paint the picture:
Expectation: Kids happily eat snacks, watch a movie, then fall asleep snuggled into your lap. You sip tea and read a novel while enjoying a smooth flight.
Reality: Someone drops a snack into the aisle, someone else licks the tray table, and someone (probably you) cries a little during hour five of turbulence.
Travelling with kids means letting go of control. The best gift you can give yourself? Flexibility and very low expectations.
I used to think traveling with kids would look like beach picnics, sunset dinners, and long naps in the pram while we explored. SPOILER: IT ISN’T.
On our first family trip, naps happened in weird places (if at all), someone was always hungry, and sticking to a schedule? Non existant. I mean sure, you can try, but I hope you wanted to spend 90% of your time in your hotel room...
Here’s what I’ve learned along the way:
Traveling with little ones is less about control and more about adaptability. You’re not doing it wrong, it’s just different. Slower. Messier. Louder. And honestly… kind of magical in its own chaotic way. Are there things you would love to do that may not work with kids? Yes. When we went to Hawaii, we were desperate to go back to the North Shore, so we hired a car for a few days and off we went. We went, and the kids whinged for most of it. In hindsight, it isn’t probably something we should have done. But that’s ok! Lesson learned.
Naps on the go might be shorter (or skipped entirely). When Luca was a baby, I was obsessed with his sleep, and his sleep was my number one worry on our first trip. But he adapted and slept when he was tired. Sometimes this was one big nap at the hotel, and other times it was 5 cat naps on the go. My advice? Don’t stress. A tired kid on holiday is normal. Build in quiet moments, pack the comfort items, and know that one off week won’t ruin their sleep forever. He slept on the go for most of the trip. Did it take a while for him to get back into a routine when we got home? Sure did! But we managed.
Schedules will shift On the note of trying to control sleep....Trying to force your normal routine into a completely different environment = frustration for everyone. Instead: anchor the day with a few familiar things... a consistent wake-up time, snack times, wind-down routines, and let the rest flow.
You probably won’t do everything you had planned. But you’ll do enough. One slow museum visit might be worth more than 3 rushed ones. One beach hour might be all they can handle, and that’s okay. The best travel mindset I’ve found? Lower the bar. Then lower it again. Focus on connection over itinerary. Presence over perfection. You’re not falling behind, you’re making memories. Even if they’re mostly beige and covered in sand.
Try to find some kid-friendly activities. Travel is often about what we want to do as adults, but our kids deserve some age appropriate activities too! Whenever we can, we make sure we get into the hotel pool or get to the beach. Our kids love to swim and we know doing something like this means they are enjoying themselves too. It’ll look different wherever you are. For example, Luca LOVED riding camels in Egypt, so whenever the opportunity arose, we would take him. When we were in Jordan, it had been a few days since we did something that Luca thoroughly enjoyed, so we googled the closest play centre to our hotel and spent the afternoon there. It was amazing! Luca had the best time ever. Was visiting a random playcentre in Amman on my bucketlist...? Not really! Was it epic regardless? Yep!
So many people think that travelling with kids is a waste, I used to be one of them! And they may not remember the trip...but I’ll never forget it. These are my memories too. If you found this helpful or have a question, let me know in the comments!
PART 4: Travel Essentials & Plane Tips from a Real Parent
OK: The section you have all been waiting for!!
Let’s start off with something you may not know… When you fly with babies, you are exempt from some of the rules of flying internationally. As you know, we have done several overseas trips, often with a breastfed/formula fed baby, and these exemptions are well known by all security staff around the world.
There was one incident on our way home from Hawaii where a security officer insisted on ‘testing’ our boiled water for baby bottles which involved him placing an explosives test swab inside the water, but after he did so, we were free to take it on the plane. Here are the top exemptions you should know about: Babies are exempt from the 100 mL liquid restriction.
Parents can bring reasonable amounts of breastmilk, formula, sterilised water, toddler drinks, and baby food (pouches, purees, etc.).
Ice packs and gel packs for keeping milk/formula cool are also allowed (even if partially melted).
Infants usually travel with free checked baggage allowances for bulky items, even on airlines that don’t include checked baggage in the adult ticket. You are able to gate-check these items. For example, if you are taking a pram that does not fit in the overhead compartment, you can use it right up until boarding and check it in at the gate before you jump on the plane.
Babies are not required to remove shoes or outer layers when going through airport security.
Now let’s talk travel must haves. There are so many travel fads on the market these days, and you may feel pressured into buying them all. Luckily for you, I’ve tested them out and created a list of ‘must haves’ and a list of ‘nice to haves but not essential.’ These are the things we don’t board without. Some are obvious, some are “learned the hard way,” and some are genius tips passed on by other seasoned parents.
A Baby Carrier: If you’re travelling with a baby, a baby carrier is a non negotiable. The Ergo 360 is the comfiest one I have ever tried...and I’ve tried them ALL: artipoppe, portier...you name it. This is the one you want if you’ll be sight seeing in the heat. often goes on sale and baby shops will price match it, so keep an eye out!!
Travel Pram: Must have. Non negotiable! We recently bought the Baby Jogger travel pram and love it. It folds up so easily with one hand, fits in the overhead compartment, lays FLAT, and has a decent basket. Whatever pram you get, ensure that it lays completely flat, because not all travel prams do! This one does and is perfect for all those on the go naps. If you’re going somewhere hot, you may also want a pram fan. PS - if putting a pram in the overhead compartment, it must be in a bag. This pram comes with its own included.
Slumber Pod. A literal non negotiable for us. Basically, it is a black out tent that goes over any standard sized cot/portacot to make it nice and dark for babies sleep. This means that when baby is napping/sleeping, you can have the lights on and move around your hotel room. We bought one after our first trip with out oldest, and have used it ever since. It is light and folds up small so it doesn’t take up much room.
Sunscreen: Seems obvious, but take your own. Sunscreen standards vary from country to country and you want to be mindful of trying new products on your kids in foreign countries. Elliot is prone to eczema and we have to be very mindful of what we use on his skin. Our go to fave at the moment is MOTHER. We buy it from part and parecel. They also have a really nice tinted version for the face which I love.
Bottle Cleaning Kit and Steriliser Bags: If your travelling with a baby who takes bottles, this kit is amazing! It includes a little soap dispenser so you can take your own soap from home, has a drying rack, 5 different sized brushes, plus the container doubles as a cup to heat up bottles if you choose to do so. It is SO compact and light weight. We also call ahead and ask for a microwave to be put in our room (sometimes free, sometimes at a cost) so that we can sterilise using these bags. I prefer the bags over steriliser tablets which smell very chemically.
A kettle: Trust me. If you are formula feeding and want to boil water (not everyone does, and that’s fine), BRING YOUR OWN KETTLE. We buy a $9 from kmart purely for travel. I’ve heard horror stories of people ‘washing’ their underpants in hotel kettles and have been scarred for life ever since. So trust me on the kettle for the formula fed bubbas.
Miss Messy Mouths: This stuff is the GOAT. Travelling with kids is MESSY. And I love travelling with this so that I can spray stains on the go. I take the wipes on the plane and check in the spray to use in hotel rooms. Seriously underrated product.
Change of Clothes for EVERYONE: We often pack spare clothes in the case of a poo explosion for babies on a plane, but who are the babies sitting on when they have these explosions?? YOU! When packing for a long haul plane trip, make sure you have enough spare clothes for x2 outfit changes for your kids and at least one for you. This also means you’re in the clear if your suitcases don’t make it with you.
And finally, some items that are nice but not essential: Some things that are cool to have but not essential:
Self inflating plane cushions
Air tags and air tag bands to keep track of kids
Bed sheets from home so the cot feels familiar (we did this for the first couple of trips and then couldn’t be bothered continuing...the kids didn’t even notice)
SO.... That’s a wrap for the four-part travel series.
Remember: You’re Not Alone on This Flight
Travelling with kids is rarely smooth... it’s messy, loud, snack-fuelled, and occasionally held together by sticker books and sheer willpower. But it’s also magic.
The tantrums, the missed naps, the suspicious plane meals, they’re part of the story. And so are the airport giggles, the unexpected cuddles, and the wide-eyed wonder when they see something new for the first time.
You won’t get it perfect. No one does. But with snacks packed, activities prepped, expectations managed, and a bag full of travel hacks, you will get there: physically, mentally, emotionally… eventually.
Here’s to embracing the chaos and collecting the memories. You've this, and I promise, it's worth it. 💛
They say kids don’t remember these trips.
But trust me, you won’t ever forget them.
Comments