Traveling With Small Children

Asalaamu Alaykum,

We are going to PA/NJ for the first week of February. I am really nervous about travelling with Muhammad as this is his first big trip and first flight. The plan is to drive from Florida to Philadelphia (long drive!) in a rental car (much smaller than our normal car which is an SUV) leaving at around 4 am, spend the night in Richmond, VA (ideally getting there around 8) and leave after fajr the next day and drive the rest to Philadelphia. Coming back, the plan is to fly back (SouthWest Airlines). I am really nervous about the whole trip, like how to deal with a 16 month old on a 20+ hour car drive. I will prob sit in the back with him most of the time and sit up front when he's asleep (because it is seriously uncomfortable sitting in the back in that position). The longest car trip we've ever taken was maybe 5-8 hours and it had lots of stops/breaks. So, nervous about this.

Then the flight...I'm nervous because it is my first time flying with a small child/baby, first time flying since wearing niqaab, and first time flying now that they have these naked scanners (plan to opt out for the pat down of course, I've had it before, its uncomfortable and invasive but better than the alternative). I used to fly at least twice per year but now it been 5 years since my last trip so I guess I'm a bit more nervous than normal too. We didn't buy a ticket for Muhammad, plan to take him as a lap baby but really hoping that there will be an open seat because if the flight is not full they allow you to put the carseat in the open seat and use it for the baby even if you didn't buy a ticket. I'm really hoping that there will be an open seat since I will feel much better safety-wise if he is in his car seat and I honestly don't know how we will control him sitting on our laps. Muhammad is, as I've mentioned, certainly a handful mashaallah and things are generally not easy with him so I'm extra anxious lol.

The flight is probably 3-4 hours. I have actually traveled from Orlando, FL to New Hampshire by car and it was a LONG trip and I've done similar trips when I was 8, 12, 14...etc but its been a while and I never had a 16 month old with me! And I won't be able to drive to split between us on the trip so my dh will ahve to drive the whole way miskeen.

Assalamualaikum warahmatullah

eek @20hrs drive subhanallaah. May Allaah make it easy for you all!

I was going to second what UmmKhalid said about the night thing but then I thought, how well will he sleep in his carseat, and if he doesn't and gets fraught then stopping at night migh tbe more problematic than during day...

Is he content with food? I'd first make a list of of snacks that he enjoys, nothing too sugary or sticky and include things he can 'pick' at e.g small cubes of cheese in a tupperware box, some dry cereal e.g cheerios etc.

Do you have a portable DVD player or one you can borrow? You might want to download some cartoons, nasheeds for him if things get desperate.

When you stop, definitely let him walk around as much as he can and try stay outdoors for breaks. Inshallaah once you've had a stop/some fresh air he's more likely (from experience with mine) to doze off back in the car.

Think of ways to make the carseat more comfortable for him..have you got a travel pillow, the soft thing that goes around the neck? Think really comfy clothes for him, forget the shoes inside the car.

I cant think of anything else right now but inshallaah let us know how it goes!

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Traveling With Small Children

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