Overseas travel with a 2 year old.?

Question

I am going to be traveling from hawaii to houston soon, I was wondering if anyone would know anything that I can give my child to make this trip a bit easyer, It is a 10 hour flight. Also would you recommend bring a carseat for the flight? I will be the only one with her so it may be hard to carry everything from terminal to terminal. Any help will do Thanks

Answer 1

Your her father right? because you havhe to be too take her I think. I suggest bringing toys and coloring books, juices all packed inton a shoulder bag. Give her her own little backpack that she can pack her "Speacial toys" in. Have her bring her barbies and other stuff. may-be bring a dvd player and play movies for her. YOu should be fine. Goodluck!

Answer 2

Carseat is a good idea. Make sure to bring some quiet toys or a dolly so she doesn't get bored and start whining xx

Answer 3

Yes, you will have to have a carseat to fly internationally.  Bring a portable DVD player if you have one, to keep her entertained.  Also bring lots of snacks (chewing and swallowing will help her ears) and lots of little toys.  Make sure you bring a change of clothes for her (mine got carsick on a 12 hour flight, and threw up, so it's just a precaution!)  Good luck!  That is not going to be a fun flight either way!

Answer 4

Yes, I'd recommend the car seat - you can get a dolly to carry everything around in and often the airport employees are nice - sometimes.  You could try to give him a benadryl (or liquid) right before the flight.  It'll make him sleepy.  Make sure you have things to entertain him with (portable DVD player, games, coloring books, regular books....)

Answer 5

I do this all the time.  It's not that bad.  For travelling east, if you have a red-eye, your child will probably fall asleep, and it will take care of itself.  In fact, I would try to emphasize ahead of time that we're going on a plane, and it's a sleeping plane.  Everyone sleeps on the plane.  

On the way west, I suggest the Hannah Montana world concert tour DVD.  Sounds rediculous I know, but the last time I was on a flight with my 2 year old son, it happened to be one of the in-flight movie options.  He was transfixed.  Watched it twice.  Later, my nanny said she's seen that with a lot of little kids.  There's just something about Hannah Montana apparently (and, no, I don't work for Disney).  Could be that we just don't usually our son watch TV ordinarily, so this was sort of a special thing.

Maybe I'm a bad mommy, but I don't do the carseat thing on the plane.  Too much to carry.  Plus, in the event of a plane crash, you just can't convince me that the carseat makes any difference.

Lollypops and skittles.  They take forever for little kids to eat, but if they don't normally get to eat stuff like that, they're pretty interested for awhile.  Watch out for the sugar rush though.

Answer 6

Hi I understand what you are going through i also have a two year old little boy......Who really plays up when travelling to the point where i sometimes are scared what other people are thinking... I have not done a trip that long but have done one for 4 hours which seemed to drag so long... I also travel on my own and it is hard having to hold the child his bits your suitcase ext.... but you do manage.......To keep my son happy on flights i take a prtable dvd so he has a copuple hours of his fav dvds i also take pencils couple sheets of paper so they can do some colouring as for a car seat i dont bother just more stuff to carry.... are you meetimg someone at the other end? if so ask them if they can ask a friend to borrow a car seat loads of people have spare ones.... thats what  i do...I hope that this helps the only other think i do is try and fly through his nap time or bed time that way you only have an hour two hour session of missery lol.... Hope this helps you x*x

Answer 7

I have been flying with my son since he was 9 months old... Rome - Toronto...9 hour flight (5 now)

the only time I needed a car seat was when he was still an infant. at 2 they had me sit him on my lap when taking off and landing but it was optional. They will seat you in the safest spot on the plane and have him sit on the window side. (if seating is pre arranged make sure you tell them you are with a 2 year old.

You will also be called on first to board..all people with small children board first.

The car seat will just get in the way. You will have your luggage his bag him etc. you should have enough room so that he can lay his head on your lap and stretch out his legs toward the window..they will supply a blankie and pillows..maybe bring his favorite stuffed animal and some NEW small toys that he has never played with yet (my guy loved little cars a little plane etc that he can play with pulling down the little meal tray)

Try buying a few different things and bringing them out one at a time every hour or so or if he gets restless. You would be surprised how much a 2 year old will sleep when travelling.

email me if you have any questions.

Answer 8

"This" is where "family & friends" that you "bribe" to help you come in...

Or...you may now begin to understand why it is always prudent to "promise a generous tip" to people such as "taxi & limo" drivers...

Now days, "limos" are sometimes "cheaper" than taxi's...also...

Know that the "cheapest forms" of transpo like buses and light rail might save you big bucks, but they provide no "services," like "baggage help" and unloading...

If you're on a "tight budget," you are essentially going to have to "suck it up," and deal with the "hardships of traveling," which are "hard enough" without the added effort of "babysitting & carrying" your child through the airport on your own...

I've seen "tough guy fathers who have a modicum of intelligence" do this from time to time, but if you are not "tough, gentle, understanding, and resilient" in that area, you might "reconsider" your whole "travel with the child" plan...

If you can "fork out some dough" even if it means a hardship later, I recommend that you do so...unless, of course, you are an "intelligent" and "well organized" individual, who is smart enough to foresee with "logical intelliegent foresight" all the "traveling obstacles" that you are likely to encounter, and thus end up "toughing the whole thing out," by getting to the airport "very early," which is the "only" thing that would save you if you are "not" intelliegent enough to arrive "early..."