When we travel we prefer to pack all of our belongings into carry-on bags. Our trips are short enough and we don’t need many clothes; or we get access to laundry facilities so that we can wash and re-wear clothing while we are gone. I would rather do a load of laundry while we are on our trip as opposed to carrying more clothes.
When we travel we are often meeting my husband at the destination or parting ways with him in some airport so that we can go home and he can continue to work. So we can’t rely on my husband to carry any of our belongings. Because of this I have found it important to pack the clothes for me, my seven year old, and four year old in one large carry-on. I know those days are numbered. When cooler weather comes around and our clothes get more bulky and the tiny little size 2Ts have been replaced by size 5s we are going to be needing a lot more space for our clothes.
We recently purchased new bags for both of our kids so I know things are about to get a lot more interesting when you see the Gann family come strolling through the airport. We did decide to keep their bags a smaller size so while they won’t fit as much as a large bag they will still fit under the seat in front of them so that we can have assess to them during the flight.
I wanted to give you some tips for letting your kids carry their own bag.
You Know Your Kid!
My four year old has been flying since she was six months old. She has a lot of experience in airports, and she has been helping big brother with his bag on the last several trips. But I still can’t trust her with important stuff in her bag. My seven year old has a lot of experience with carrying a bag and has always done great with keeping up with his belongings. You know your kid, you may have a four year old that can keep up with their items. You know what your kid can and will be capable of.
My daughter is able to carry her coloring books, and some snacks in her bag. If we lose her bag somewhere it won’t ruin our vacation entirely. On our last trip my son carried all of the liquids in his bag. It was more convenient to get them out of his bag at security than to dig in my larger bag. He carries their Kindle and charger as well as their jackets.
Pack for Convenience
My son’s bag carries the liquids because it is easier to get out of his bag at security. Some of the liquids in his bag includes hand sanitizer and children’s Tylenol. Both items we might need access to during the trip and we may not want to dig everything out of my big bag. I am letting my daughter begin to carry snacks so that we can easily get access to them during the flight as well. My son carries all their travel/entertainment essentials so that we can get it out during the flight.
The items I pack in my larger suitcase are things we likely won’t need at any point during our flight or in the airport. It is typically just clothes. I carry a backpack that generally carries my more important items so that I can keep them close to me at all times. It’s also beneficial that if my bag must be checked we are able to do so without needing anything from it.
If you have ever been one of the last to board a fairly full flight (we frequently are) you will know that when the overhead bins fill up you will need to check your bag. I always make sure I am ready for that to happen and NEVER pack anything I know I will need during flight inside that bag. (I also never pack medications inside that bag.)
Let Them Help
I know it is so tempting to check bags and not get the kids to help with carrying items. We have never done this as I don’t like checking bags. (Mostly because we are stand-by passengers and we don’t always get on the flight we plan to get on.)
I think it is a great idea to begin letting children carry their own bags at an early age. My son started when he was 3. His bag didn’t have anything but his toys and some snacks but he loved getting to be a help and we were unknowingly teaching him how to be responsible for his bags.
I do highly recommend ensuring you have a back-up plan for carrying their bag when they are tired of carrying it or you are in a busy area and just want a little less to worry about. My suitcase has an extra clip on the front that allows me to easily hook their bag on. (Another great reason to buy them the smaller bag.)
Get Fun Bags
I think a part of the fun for my kids is getting to carry a fun bag. I have an extra suitcase at my house that is full size and not kid size. I have asked several times if they would like to carry it instead so that we could pack more clothes. They have never been on board with carrying my plain old black bag.
My daughter got a new suitcase for her birthday and she is so excited to take her new bag on a trip. We did pay more for a bag with unicorns on it than we would have paid for a plain bag of similar size, but her excitement to carry a unicorn bag can not be matched! I also feel like her attachment to her beloved unicorn bag may encourage her to keep up with it better.
And I have to say having a kid that is excited about carrying part of the load while traveling is a win any day.
Packing Cubes
I have been a fan of packing cubes for years. On our last trip we were needing to cram a lot into our bag so I decided to give the Space saving bags a try. I was sure I was fitting more items into the bag and was certain it was the best way to maximize our limited space. I won’t be doing that anymore!
I don’t think we really fit that much more into our bag. When I wanted to get some clothes out of the bag due to a sick kid… it was a mess. I won’t be going back to using them again, but will stick with my packing cubes. I feel like the packing cubes kept everything neater and when I want to take something out of them it is much easier.
On our next trip my son will be carrying most of his own clothes (I will be keeping some of them in my bag in case his bag gets lost.) So from now own he will be carrying his own packing cube. Once my daughter makes a few successful trips with her bag I will be doing the same with her.
The packing cube will keep all of the clothing neat and together when they open their bag to get out a book or a toy they have packed.
Once I realized how to properly pack my kid’s carry-on bag it took some of the stress and removed some chaos from our travels.
I have created a packing list that you can download for free. Just leave me your email address in this box below and I will get it sent to you. You will also get a free copy of my book “Flying With Kids”.
