My top 9 tips for flying with a toddler!

It's tough, esp when they don't sleep, but DD was great this time on the flights. It was her 4th time flying and it had been getting harder each time but I have to say flying with her at 16 months was easier than the last time at 11 months when she screamed for 1.5 hours of the flight. We did some things differently this time and it seemed to work.

FL - NY 7:45p flight, DD was asleep by 9p.
NY - FL 3:40p flight (delayed to 5:30p), DD was up the entire time.

We didn't buy her a seat. She is 16 months.

My tips:

1. Go with DH (or another adult) if possible, esp if you are terrified like me. DH was on take off and landing duty while I squirmed in my seat like a baby.

2. Bring Mr. Potato Head! And try to let that be the first time they experience the mr. potato head amazingness. That potato truly was a lifesaver... seriously a straight hour of holding her attention each way.

3. Fly jetblue with the TV or bring a portable dvd player.

4. Let them play with the tv controls and take the headset plug in/out 1,000 times.

5. You can't really predict anything with flights anymore, but try to book a flight a little before their normal bedtime (once she's out DD transitions easily and stays asleep so this works for us).

6. WAIT until the plan is zooming down the runway to give the bottle/sippy. Esp flying from JFK where you'll probably be #487 for takeoff.

7. Bring something they can rip to pieces. A magazine or the mr. potato head box did the trick.

8. Keep them on their normal schedule for the day... don't skip their nap or anything!

9. And the obvious... bring a lot of snacks, wipes, get an aisle seat, bring new toys and something they can suck on in case they don't want to drink on take off and landing. Swallowing helps with their ears popping... an orange or lollipop works.



If I think of more i'll add it... and since we might be flying again in March and definitely in July, please feel free to add your tips for 18 month - 2 yr olds!

Re: My top 9 tips for flying with a toddler!

I just signed on looking to post a question on flying with an "almost" toddler. We are flying to Aruba in late March and my son will be 13 months!

Am I allowed to bring snacks on the plane (ie. cheerios, etc.). I don't need a drink because I can just buy milk for him by the terminal. I am switching to milk at 12 months.

Did you get her a seat?

I am so nervous because I am such a bad flyer. Luckily I have my husband and parents!!

Thanks for the tips!

ETA:

Didn't see you wrote you didn't buy her a seat. Did you check the stroller?

Message edited 1/3/2011 5:11:27 PM.

Re: My top 9 tips for flying with a toddler!

Great Advice!

I've flown with Frankie SEVERAL times by myself! I always have the portable DVD and lately coloring book and crayons are a lifesaver!!! I always try to bring a new toy for the plane.

Re: My top 9 tips for flying with a toddler!

Re: My top 9 tips for flying with a toddler!

Thank you! I'm not only notebooking, I'm bookmarking!

Re: My top 9 tips for flying with a toddler!

The first thing I do when we get settled into our seat is ask a flight attendant for a garbage bag. It is amazing how much trash a small person can accumulate over the course of a flight! Trust me, when you are asking for ANOTHER apple juice, they won't mind as much as if you were leaving them a complete mess

Re: My top 9 tips for flying with a toddler!

allison has flown on a plane gosh more times that i can count...minimum 10 round trip flights in her 2 years of life. i always laugh when the flight attendants/airport security personnel ask me if this is my first time flying with her.

it's a huge production. be prepared to hold up the line at baggage screening. you have to dismantle your entire contents before walking through the metal detectors. that's always my least favorite. the times i've had to fly solo, that's been the most difficult thing to do, quickly.

the tip about giving the bottle or pacifier as the plane is zooming down the take off lane is very true. sometimes taxiing can talk an hour or three

be prepared to change diapers in an area the size of a coin purse. you all know how big an airplane bathroom is. imagine changing a baby in there. it's TINY.

download movies or video clips to your ipod/blackberry to entertain little ones while the screens are turned off and you need to contain them. also, if you refrain from letting them watch tv for a few days before the flight, they might be more prone to sitting still for a movie. at least my kid was like that.

my little one loved the in flight magazine. we had fun finding different objects inside the sky mall magazine. if all else fails, go through the materials in front of your seat

if i think of any more, i'll add! great thread!

Re: My top 9 tips for flying with a toddler!

Re: My top 9 tips for flying with a toddler!

Posted by bonitachyc

Posted by MSeid

I just signed on looking to post a question on flying with an "almost" toddler. We are flying to Aruba in late March and my son will be 13 months!

Am I allowed to bring snacks on the plane (ie. cheerios, etc.). I don't need a drink because I can just buy milk for him by the terminal. I am switching to milk at 12 months.

Did you get her a seat?

I am so nervous because I am such a bad flyer. Luckily I have my husband and parents!!

Thanks for the tips!

ETA:

Didn't see you wrote you didn't buy her a seat. Did you check the stroller?

you can bring as many snacks as you'd like, i've never had problems with it. DH was in charge of diaper bag duty this last time we flew and he packed: 4 apple sauces, 2 mac and cheeses, 5 juice boxes 2 small boxes of cheerios and lord only knows what else . he def OD'd on the contents, but no one said anything. GL!

Re: My top 9 tips for flying with a toddler!

Re: My top 9 tips for flying with a toddler!

Thanks - we've flown 2x with DS before but, not since he was 5 months and they were short trips (he slept the whole time both ways. We're flying with him next week on JetBlue on a longer trip.

I'm really nervous, since he's mobile and doesn't like to sit still!!! He does like to press buttons though. I may have to go and buy him a Mr Potato Head today - I was trying to think of "quiet" toys to bring with me.

Did Sienna wear headphones to watch TV? We're bringing the portable DVD player and although we didn't get DS a seat, I think the seat next to us is vacant (we booked aisle and window).

Re: My top 9 tips for flying with a toddler!

Re: My top 9 tips for flying with a toddler!

thanks for this... we are flying with out 8 month old next week

Re: My top 9 tips for flying with a toddler!

Re: My top 9 tips for flying with a toddler!

Re: My top 9 tips for flying with a toddler!

Posted by november12003

Posted by CaMacho

6. WAIT until the plan is zooming down the runway to give the bottle/sippy. Esp flying from JFK where you'll probably be #487 for takeoff.

LOL but so true. One flight we finished the bottle before take off because we "thought" we were next.

Re: My top 9 tips for flying with a toddler!

AJ was two when we flew to Hawaii (over two so she had her own seat)

A 45min flight to Dallas (she slept before take off, didn’t wake up at the sound of the engines roaring or taking off – hello miracle start)

4hr flight to LAX from DFW
Ok now she’s awake. We brought aqua doodle. She saw it for the first time on that flight. But I know this sounds stupid but we played finger games until after take off. I had her lay her arm on the arm rests then we’d ‘walk’ our fingers up her arms counting to 7 with a huge dramatic SEVVVVVVVVVVVVVEEEEN….. then pause for anticipation. Then 8-9-10 really fast as we ticked up to her chin/neck.

During the flight we had the aqua doodle, the portable DVD player.

6hr flight to Hawaii from LAX
Same take off procedure. Oh and I forgot to say we made a big deal about putting on our seat belts and taught her how to do her own. She was so proud and made us put ours on. We pulled out a play plane (or car if you want) again, something she’d not seen before. DVD player and pip squeak washable markers (also new).

Same for the 6hr flight back to DFW and the same but different combos for the 45min trip home.

When she slept we had her pillow nap sack. It’s a pillow and a blanket with a comforter type bedding (woot find). It rolls up neatly as well. We had the pillow on one of our laps, laid it out, claps the belt (if I could get away with it) put her in with her favorite towel and blanket. If she got cranky I’d put it on over and tighten it when she passed out.

Marshmallows, goldfish, cheese its, gerber meat sticks were our savors. I got the gerber juices too (the little ones) and poured them into her sippy cup. ASK FOR THE MILK ASAP if its near sleepy time. I waited for them the first time and she was a crying mess of sleepiness until I finally begged for a carton. For AJ it took two, so the next time we got smart and got two up front. Plenty of DVDs, we had Barney, Polar Express, Star Wars, and Upside Down Show. Understand your battery will NOT make it. We had back up players on his phone and my itouch, just in case. She ate the cheese and crackers from American Airlines. We opened up her sticks and drained them in the bathroom.

We had to give her benedryl once. She was suffering with allergies really bad, rubbing her nose, crying and pointing to her nose. We kept it in our bag, gave her a dose, kept extra syringes/plungers.

Get on the airplane first!!! American said they no longer make that announcement but if ‘we wanted to’ we could get on with first class. HELLZ YEAH! I needed that time to settle her in, put up our stuff and prep our area. No, I don’t feel a dang bit guilty about it. Sure I let handicap and military on first though.

ALL toys on the plane were new to her. Actually she didn’t get to 3 cars I had and a glow station. The cars became stocking stuffers I think I may give her the glow station in august for her bday. Ha!

Never give a toy before in the air. #1, you do NOT want to have to take it away. #2, a crying kid on the ground is somehow less annoying than when in the air. Go figure.

GOD BLESS THEM TUBES!!!! Because of the tubes in her ears, she had no pressure issues. The ‘holes’ in her ear drums prevent ‘popping’ and pressure. Which possibly explains why she slept through that first take off.

For my two year old, staying on schedule meant leaving it up to her. She wore herself out. Having two adults meant one stayed with luggage while the other ran up and down the airport with the kiddo. Looking at planes, waving Hi to the strangers etc. Let her get good and exhausted.