Were you insanely nervous about flying with your kids the first time?

We are going to Disney with our 1 and 3 yo and I am seriously SCARED TO DEATH.

I envision SUCH HORROR like them completely melting down for 2 1/2 hours and me just being trapped there desperately trying to calm them, haha, omg not even funny.

Today I told ds1 about our trip and he said he is scared to fly. That really got my mind going.

He is getting a leappad2 for xmas so I was thinking of busting out a new game right as we board. I think new toys are a good idea. Something to eat that goes slow- I have not one example- twizzlers maybe?

IDK. I'm really just nervous about the whole thing.

Re: Were you insanely nervous about flying with your kids the first time?

Our flights were surprisingly very easy. Just pack lots of snacks, some new toys, sticker books and an ipad. The ipad kept the boys occupied for a good 1.5 hours while they watched a movie.

My 1.5yo DS was saying, "blast off" and very excited to fly. 3.5yo DS has flown several times and has never been scared. He likes being up in the clouds.

Re: Were you insanely nervous about flying with your kids the first time?

We just flew to Arizona with our 15 month old. I was so nervous but even with a 2 hour delay he did better than expected. We brought lots of snacks, toys, books & a portable dvd player. A tip I read was to wrap some new toys & every half an hour give them one to unwrap & play with.

Were you insanely nervous about flying with your kids the first time?

I get nervous each time we fly. Orlando is a good route though since there usually is a good number of kids.

I bring new things, tons of snacks, etc. Most times they fall asleep.

We have had a couple of flights where people had rude things to say about us (DS 1 has milk sensitivity and was given milk or yogurt before hand which upset his stomach and he was uncomfortable and miserable) but usually, he is on hia best behavior.

Were you insanely nervous about flying with your kids the first time?

I have flown twice with my DS. Once at 4 months and once at 10 months. Both were easy. He was great on all flights.

Re: Were you insanely nervous about flying with your kids the first time?

We flew with DS when he was 17 months and again at 23 months. Out of 4 flights, 3 were a breeze. The key for us was to book our flights during nap time, even if it costs a bit more. Within 30 minutes of take-off, DS was sleeping on the 3 great flights. The sound of the plane was just like the white noise he's used to during nap/bedtime. The one flight that was not so great was bc he fell asleep in the car on the drive to the airport and so wasn't tired enough to nap on the flight. Add to that that our plane was warm bc it had air conditioning problems such that we almost diverted to another airport, and it was a recipe for a difficult flight. But, we survived. Don't worry, you'll be fine - and if not, who cares, you won't be seeing the people on the plane again (hopefully) Have a great trip!!

ETA: What really helped with DS napping was the fact that we bought him a seat each time so he always flew comfortably in his car seat, and was strapped in. I personally would have never attempted to fly with him without buying him a seat, not only for his safety, but for his comfort and ours.

Message edited 12/9/2012 10:25:02 PM.

Re: Were you insanely nervous about flying with your kids the first time?

We have flown a total of 4 times with the kids and it's not quite as bad as I thought it would be, but I was petrified before the 1st time!

Electronic devices are great but DO NOT let them use those devices before you take off because then they will have to turn them off and that will probably lead to a meltdown like it did with my DD

Make sure your DS (if he's potty trained) uses the bathroom immediately before your boarding time. They should let you board first. Have snacks, crayons and paper, stickers, playdough etc ready as soon as you sit down, and break them out at the first sign of fussiness. New toys, like a cheap matchbox car, are also good. Get silly putty and let your DS see how it transfers print from newspaper.

I'm guessing your 1 yr old is a bit more difficult to predict, maybe keep him a bit hungry and stuff a bottle in his mouth as you taxi.

My DD, who was 18 and then 21 months when we flew, was best calmed with movies on my iPhone. DS was fine but wanted to sit on my lap, which is okay if the seatbelt sign isn't on.

Window seats might sound good, but in reality they won't be able to see much and might not be interested for long, I personally think it's much more practical to get an aisle seat.

If your kids are in the stage where they favor one parent over the other, work with that, not against it. Spoil them a little and that may put them more at ease.

Good luck!! Even my DD, who had the WORST meltdowns at the age we flew with her, only screamed for about 5 minutes total.

Re: Were you insanely nervous about flying with your kids the first time?

I flew with DD to Orlando this past September when she was 10 months old. I was terrified! But I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. She had her own seat so I think that definitely helped. I also had a few new toys and the portable DVD player. She ended up falling asleep before take off and didn't wake up until about half way through the flight. If you're prepared you'll be fine. And like one of the PP said, the flight to Disney is a great first flight. There are tons of kids so if your kid starts crying no one will really notice.

ETA: Have a great time! Enjoy the new Fantasyland!!

Message edited 12/10/2012 9:29:16 AM.

Re: Were you insanely nervous about flying with your kids the first time?

This is exactly why I wont' fly with her until she is older
The stress and anxiety is just not worth it to me
It can wait

Were you insanely nervous about flying with your kids the first time?

We're planning our first trip with DS in March. We'll be flying to FL too. He'll be just shy of 1 yr old and I'm petrified lol. But I'm sure we all build it up in our heads to be worse than it is. Good luck! Have fun!

Were you insanely nervous about flying with your kids the first time?

We fly to Europe once or twice a year and so far DS was good. Last time he even had an ear infection, but he slept 7 out of 9 hours.
Pack a lot of snacks, small toys. We went to Dollar Store and got a lot of cheap things and we wrapped every item in a tissue paper, so DS thought they were gifts.
Just make sure you are relaxed too. Don't stress about it to much. Plane attendants were great with DS too, they played with him, took him for a walk around the plane ( our plane was huge).

Were you insanely nervous about flying with your kids the first time?

I did it once and the stress pre-flight was enough to kill me. She was a lunatic. We got plenty of death stares from everyone. She acted up for the first half, but then slept the rest (it was a 7pm flight). Honestly I prob won't do it again until she's way older.

Were you insanely nervous about flying with your kids the first time?

We flew with DD for the first time when DD was 2. I was very nervous- I hate flying. MIL and FIL were with us and once we were settled MIL pulled out a bag of little stuffed animals for DD. I thought that was a brilliant idea because she was distracted and excited to be given something on the plane.

We also took a super-early flight, which helped. I think DD fell asleep during takeoff and woke up when we landed. It was a 2 hour flight.

Re: Were you insanely nervous about flying with your kids the first time?

I was so scared too that we didnt fly until DS was 5.

Bring snacks, dvd player with fave dvds, let them drink some of the soda and space it out so they are thinking its a real treat, whatever makes them happiest.

The flight is relatively short but can seem like forever if they arent entertained. DS was an angel the whole time and I was very pleasantly surprised.

Good luck!

Re: Were you insanely nervous about flying with your kids the first time?

i was petrified. But he was a PRO! Slept most of the flights. He's flown about 3 times a year, so 16 flights total. Jacen that is (he's 4 1/2). He's a great flier! Much better than me. We flew when he was 9 months old the first time. He slept and then was entertained by a water bottle the rest of the time. He's a dream to fly with!

Now Dylan who is 10 1/2 months and we are flying in a week on a 5 1/2 hour flight... ... petrified again.

I'm bringing xanax for myself and the passengers around us.

ETA: bring--> dvd player, lollipops, stickers, snacks, water bottle, some new toys, coloring stuff, etc.

Message edited 12/10/2012 2:00:36 PM.