If you are planning on traveling, I get it! This is a no-judgment zone. But how can you travel safely with kids during a pandemic? It’s possible. Here’s what I learned from my experience.
My husband and I decided to (take the risk) and travel for the holidays to visit my family in Colombia. We can work remotely and needed a change of scenery from the DC pandemic life and our son Simon could spend time with his grandparents.
Honestly, we also just needed a break from parenting! As we got closer to our travel date, I started getting a little anxious. Honestly, I didn’t want to get my hopes up about the trip till I saw myself on the plane. If there’s one lesson I’ve learned during this pandemic is to not make plans — anything is possible.
One month before the trip the three of us tested positive for COVID-19. I was the only one with symptoms. My symptoms were mild compared to the stories I’ve been reading, but it still kept me in bed for almost three weeks. This virus is no joke!
Anyway, back to traveling. I felt safer traveling knowing that we had antibodies for it. We made it to Colombia safe and I thought I would share a few tips if you are planning on traveling during the pandemic with or without kids.
Here are some tips to travel safely with kids during a pandemic:
- Get the flu vaccine at least 2 weeks before you travel. It takes 2 weeks to develop vaccine immunity after vaccination.
- Direct flights are the best. Try to limit the need to change planes and walk through terminals.
- Take short flights. It’s said that longer flights can increase your likelihood of infection.
- Take disinfecting wipes and hand sanitizer. Airlines nowadays are disinfecting absolutely everything; however, I still went ahead and disinfected our chairs, windows, and trays. Before getting off the plane, clean devices and toys.
- Pack your own food. Food and beverage service on the airplane is very limited, so plan to take snacks and other easy to pack food items in zip lock bags or bento boxes.
- Change diapers before boarding. If you have little ones that are still wearing diapers, change the diaper before you board to limit touching surfaces during the flight.
Please stay safe this winter!
