Any good tips on flying with a toddler?

Question

I'm taking my 22 month old daughter from Australia to NYC next week and it's stressing me out as I'll be alone with her. We're travelling with Qantas and it's a 30 hour trip, with switching 3 airplanes and 4 airports later journey.

I bought her a portable DVD player and some books and crayons but she can't even sit still in a restaurant let alone a plane seat for that long! I plan on giving her phenergan for the longest leg of the trip but how do I keep her tame the rest of the time?

I don't want her running around upsetting other travellers and am terrified of our airport stopovers with her. It feels so daunting to think about collecting and transferring luggage, clearing customs and security with her all the while wriggling to run away!

Any ideas?

Answer 1

when I flew over the pacific, I just fell asleep. I feel that toddlers fall asleep quite easily, so that might help. Try not to bring a stroller; it's big and bulky. It's not too much to worry; airports are one of the safest places in the world, with all the policemen and stuff. I should also warn you about landings. Sometimes, a plane flies into a downdraft while landing. This causes pressure on the outside to change very quickly. Sometimes, this could cause your ears to hurt very badly. This happened to me twice. Usually, you can ask a flight attendant for a cup with towels soaked in hot water and then put the cups over your ears, that helps. Or you can visit the lavatory, get some napkins, soak them in cold water, then put them over your ears, that helps too.

Hope this was useful for you!

Jerry C.  

Answer 2

well it seems like she needs to be kept busy. I don't think the DVD player will last long. She will move around. So i think you should bring a lot of coloring books, and make sure you watch her to keep her focused on coloring. As for the transferring to planes. Tell her that she needs to keep up with you. You can say that its a game and that she needs ot keep up with mommy.

If that won't work then you can get one of those leashes for her.  

Answer 3

I'm a former Flight Attendant and I now fly a lot with my three children between Europe and California about twice a year. I've never taken them further than that but I have been to Australia several times so I appreciate the task in front of you.

I found this age to be the trickiest. Toddlers love to roam, aren't good at sitting still and are difficult to reason with (bribes will work better later on ;). Here are some of the tricks I learned from both working and flying as a mom myself;

First of all, I do recommend that she have her own seat and that you bring her carseat along. Try to get an extra seat next to you if the flight isn't full.

This is the only way to fly safely with any baby. Lap children are allowed because statistically, flying is so safe, there's very little chance of anything going wrong. If it does though, a lap child has no protection.

Quantas requires "pre-approval" of your car seat at least 24 hours in advance. Read up on the details under "Child Restraint Device";

http://www.qantas.com.au/info/flying/bef...

If you haven't booked a seat for her, call the airline and see if the flight is full. Then, at check in, ask nicely if you can have an empty seat next to you to place your carseat in. They often do this for families.

My toddlers were much more settled and easier to handle when they were in their familar seat. Not to scare you but some parents haven't been able to keep a hold of their little ones and have been "off loaded" as a result.

http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/2...

I will admit that I've strapped down an unhappy little one more than once. Toddlers hate to be confined and simply don't understand that they have to be seated sometimes. Firmly anchored in, I could then consol them while we landed.

To get through the airport, they sell all sorts of gizmos like these;

http://www.gogobabyz.com/products/gogo_k...

http://www.amazon.com/Traveling-Toddler-...

http://www.onestepahead.com/product/osa/...



I simply use a small metal luggage cart with an extra bungee cord and it works great. I skip on the stroller and my youngest can even ride in it. She usually prefers to walk and then I load the carry-ons abord.

Besides, taking your car seat onboard virtually guarentees that it'll be there at your destination. Checking them risks damage and loss. Wont you need it when you get there?

For entertainment, get her some new toys, anything and they don't have to be expensive. Keep them and give them to her at regular intervals, once you're on the plane. My son at that age liked anything with wheels. Once, I simply had a package of plastic animals. Kept him busy for ages!

I actually don't recommend a portable DVD player *unless* she can watch it without sound. I doubt she'll wear the headphones but try it at home. Even playing it softly will drive the passengers around you batty. For such a long flight, make sure you have a battery life of at least 5 hours (most only last 3) and keep the light turned down to keep it going to the max. Usually, you can't recharge them inflight.

Bring the recharging wire, as well as a converter for any layover. Be aware of zoning and if what videos can be played on your maching (I can't get into that subject!!)

I found that stickers, coloring stuff and books were better at occupying them at this age. No one will mind if you read to her.

Just some other small tips;

-Bring at least one change of clothes (I would bring more)

-Bring way more diapers than you think you'll need, assuming she still wears them

-Learn to change her standing up (don't try to fit him on those tiny babychangers and toddlers hate to lie down in strange places). Use the handicapped lavs on the airplane. You'll love this tip and you wont have to hunt down baby changers anymore but do practice this at home with a towel first!

-Bring an empty sippy cup to fill during the services. This will prevent spills in the air.

-Get up and move around with her but keep an eye out. Those carts the F/A's use are the perfect height for hiding little ones

-Bring snacks. Don't fret security. I've never had anything taken away (yes, water but not snacks) and that's the only risk. If you have something not allowed, they simply remove the item. No scenes, no speeches, no arrests!

-Try to sit in a bulkhead seat so that there's no one in front of you and you can get up more easily.

-Bring slippers, especially if you're not in the bulkhead!

If you do have a stroller, bring a bungee cord and double secure it before leaving it at the door of the plane. They can get damaged if they pop open en route. Make sure the claim ticket can be seen and isn't squished or hidden. Be sure to ask when disembarking where the stroller is. Make sure you get your stroller back *on the jetway* for your connection. Not all airlines do this so ask!

To get through customs, I found it easier to either have my youngest walk or to carry her in a baby carrier. If you have a good one, like a Mai Tei, sling, wrap, Ergo, Becco or even pouch, it should be able to be used. Fiddly front packs like the Bjorn are usually long outgrown but I could pop mine into the sling for short periods up to age 3. I would then load the luggage cart with the bags and the folded stroller with my baby safely and securely on my hip. If you want to get one for this age, I would recommend a back carrier like the Ergo, Becco or Mai Tei. Here's a good website;

http://peppermint.com

If you're worried she'll bolt and run, here's an idea but she would need to walk;

http://www.mypreciouskid.com/toddler-bac...

It's actually a myth that children need to suck on something for take-off and landing. I rarely saw it in my 13 years as a Flight Attendant. In all the flights I have done with my children, I have never, ever done anything special with them for take-offs and landings (and my oldest had a history of ear infections).

ENT specialists simply recommend that the child is awake for landing;

http://www.entcda.com/AAOHNSF/earsandalt...

The delicate time is not during take-off or landing/touchdown but at the *top of descent*. This is usually 40 minutes to an hour before landing and everyone's ears have to reverse the pressurization. I can confirm that when I worked, if any passengers had ear problems, this was the time. Not just children either! They actualy felt *better* as we got closer to landing.

The BEST way to avoid ear issues is to take your daughter to the doctor a few days before flying. Most of my son's ear infections were symptomless so be aware that she doesn't need to have a cold. The doctor will look in her ears and make sure they're clear and infection-free. Healthy ears can handle pressurization changes.

Also, while you're visiting the doctor, make sure to discuss the phenergan you're planning on giving her. You are aware that this drug is NOT recommended for children under age 2;

http://www.drugs.com/phenergan.html

I have never given my children antihistimines because I'm allergic, as are many in my family. I can't risk it even on the ground. I've seen them given to children many times on board and yes it's worked but a couple of times, the child had the *opposite* reaction. The children went wired and it was an unpleasant flight for everyone. Neither set of parents had bothered to try the drug out at home beforehand so they were lucky they didn't need an emergency room at 30,000ft! I was in the ER thanks to bendryl at age 7 with no pulse. These are not harmless drugs!

For more information, I wrote an article on this subject about eight years ago. It's based on both my personal and professional experience of flying with kids. It's totally non-commercial and other parents have contributed;

http://flyingwithchildren.blogspot.com

Both of you get plenty of sleep the night before and good luck!

Have a safe trip.