True story, As I entered the Brisbane Departure terminal en route to my dream Italian summer with my 4 daughters and husband, a huge surge of nerves raced through me. Perhaps a bit of panic/adrenaline. I had been planning for months and months for this trip, and here I was, about to board a flight with 4 children under the age of 12. I was prepared, probably over prepared. But the nerves still kicked in. I remember Josh, my husband looking at me and saying, "Are you ok?" I replied, "I'm shaking with nerves". We flew 14 hours, then had another 6 hour flight, and finally drove 2 hours to reach our first destination, Tuscany. It was daunting. I think it was a 36hr transit altogether, all with 7 kids under 12 between two families. We made it, and honestly, the kids were so great I could not have been prouder! Even Rumi, my little unpredictable 3 year old, whom I don't have a great deal of control over, was amazing and slept most of the way.

I'm going to break it down into The Plane Ride and then The Destination.

The Plane Ride

What to pack for ages 1-12y

Bags - When I was planning my packing, I decided to give each of my 4 children their own carry-on bag and backpack. A kind friend told me in the nicest way she could that you will be carrying all the younger children's carry-on luggage/backpacks plus your own. So we ditched that idea and ended up with carry-on luggage that looked like this - Josh and I both had a carry-on bag (I will share what I packed in it shortly) Lucia (12y) backpack, Daisy (10y) backpack, Fern (7y) (she currently looks like a baby giraffe and is allergic to walking or carrying anything) she carried nothing, and lastly Rumi (3y) carried nothing. If Josh and I had to carry the two little children, the other two older girls could wheel the carry-on luggage and their backpacks. It was great. We also took a Yoyo Travel Stroller and it was invaluable! I would not travel without one.

Inside the bags - In Josh's and my carry-on bags, we had a change of clothes for everyone, two changes for the little ones, vitamins, medical supplies and toiletries, snacks for the little ones from Australia that they were used to like dried seaweed, fruit straps, rice crackers and organic lollypops (these where in case of meltdown emergencies). The little two didn't love the plane food, so having a few extra food options between stops was great. I had a bunch of colouring in books, easy craft activities and their comfort things like blankets & a soft toy. The older two girls carried a change of clothes, toiletries, card games, colouring in, and their comfort/sleeping things in their backpacks.

Victoria and I intentionally booked nighttime flights, so the kids were mostly asleep. It was great! When they were awake, we played movies and games on the iPads (this was the first time my kids had had iPads, so they were pretty pumped). We loaded the iPads with books, games and their favourite music. We used Plane Pals for the kids under 8, and they were great. It lengthens and flattens their seat turning it into a bed, making for a great rest time. My last thought when flying with children for long distances is to limit sugar intake.

The destination

Here are my recommendations for travelling with kids.

1. Don't move around to many locations, and ensure once you arrive in a new place, you have a very down day where you might spend the day at the beach or by the pool to get used to the new space. Try and arrive in the daytime. Our Tuscan farmhouse was slightly medieval; the rooms were huge and a bit dark. It was hundreds of years old in the best way. But the girls took a bit to get used to the space. Very different to our light and bright modern coastal Australian home…

2. Don't jam-pack your day with heaps of sights. I mention Fern (7y), who is allergic to walking earlier (this is a joke; she can walk but loathes it on a deep level). If you do a big tour in the morning, chill out in the evening.

3. Research a fun thing in the area that might interest these kids ahead of time. For example, the day we went to the Pantheon in Rome, we found a Gelateria that had 100 flavours of gelato. That got them through the sights.

4. Try and do as little internal flights as possible. Kids find those days as big as we do.

5. iPads and devices. Save them for essential times only, like restaurants at night, and I make the kids wait until after the main meal. They need to learn how to sit at a restaurant eventually in life, right?!

6. Toys, don't worry about them. It was more of a hassle. I watched Rumi my, 3y walking around with two paper straws pretending they were her friends. She did this for hrs… Victoria had a 1-year-old and had a small bag of toys for her, and she picked up a few more on the road to entertain her here and there.

7. We took our Linen Tote bag with us, and although we knew it would come in handy, we used this every day! You can pack so much into it; it was a lifesaver. It was great for the beach and day trips with the kids. Plus it slid over our prams so easily!

8. Take the grandparents…not essential but very good!

Travelling with kids is a privilege and a delight. Of course, I would have liked to swan around Positano with just my husband sipping wine and watching sunsets without thinking of bedtimes. But to watch the wonder of the world around them on their little faces. Seeing them experience a different culture, food, and language is priceless; I can't wait to do it again!

Love Emma x