Tips for long haul flight with toddler?

[gargoylelib]

Hi, thought I'd post this question here and see if anyone has
any ideas! I'm leaving next week for a month long visit to family
in the States. I will be travelling with my dd who is 2.5 years old
and hope someone has tips on keeping her from having a total
meltdown. The middle portion of our trip is an 11 hour flight and
that is the portion I am concerned with. The rest is short flights
and some layover time in an airport but I think I can handle those it's
the 11 hours stuck on an airplane with a busy busy toddler I'm
getting an ulcer over....anybody got any tips?

TIA,
Libbie

[msmelody]

Sleeping pills LOL. I did 12 hours with a 2 and 1 year-old and almost no help from DH. The plane had tvs in each seat so having it on helped with the 2 year-old. Travel dvd player might help too. Remember snacks, and little toys that has never been seen before so they are new toys to the little one. Good luck.

[Ingrid]

Benadryl. Seriously. Helps with the ears, and helps them to sleep. 11 hours is waaaay to long to entertain someone that age!

[psammeadred]

Whatever you take, call ahead to be sure it won't be confiscated by security! Some airlines have really cracked down on electronics. Things with small and/or round roll-down-the-aisle-ready pieces are trouble on planes, too.

When we lived overseas, my mom would get us a special book or other activity for the plane ride, but we couldn't have it until we took off. That made for less painful plane rides, because a good chunk of the trip was spent checking out our new books or toys.

[stirsmommy]

We took playdough on one of our trips. I use the diaper pad as a cover on a lap table so that I could contain any mess. I also had a small toy we could break every hour or so that he hadn't seen.

[figaro]

I have made 2 flights from Los Angles to Amsterdam with my little ones who I think at the time the oldest was maybe 4 (I have 3). And it was not that bad really, I think on one of the flights back, my oldest wanted only me to hold her (I think she was maybe 2 then) and I had to walk the aisles with her but she was quiet at least! I would suggest to buy her a little backpack, maybe with her favorite character on it, and get her some new little toys. Nothing really expensive, playdoh is a good suggestion, a couple of coloring books with a box of crayons, maybe some books. Somethings that you think would hold her attention for a while is best. Also contact your carrier and see if they provide meals made for little ones, that is always helpful. For the flight I would also bring a change or two of pajamas or sweats, something comfy for her to wear in case of accidents. (This saved me as one of mine had 2 accidents on the plane) And maybe you can also check with your carrier and see if the bulkhead seat is available, we had that and it was great.

Try not to worry too much, she can feel your worry and that might make her act out a little bit more than normal. I just read a blog of a woman who took her 6 kids (I think the oldest is 10) on a flight, and although it was quite a bit shorter than yours will be, he kids were fine for it.

I hope this helps you out, and if you can, try not to worry about it so much. Good Luck!

[marykz]

small, dollar store type toys the child hasn't seen before; a book of new songs/ hand games; Books on CD or iPod with kid friendly earphones....

about the benadryl etc- it actually hypes my kid up, so you might want to see ahead of time whether or not the benadryl would be a good idea.

we also had lollypops for balancing out the ears at takeoff. since they were a treat, she was happy, and kept the mouth closed! LOL!!!

favorite blanky and sleep toy also required- especially if you are expecting the child to sleep. for a while, there was no sleep in our house without "B" (the blanket). woe unto the person who had left it at daycare that day.....

And, just my opinion, and I know you didn't ask for this part, but I would highly suggest paying the $ for their own seat if you haven't already. while the child might sit in your lap for a while, having an actual space for them really helps. (even if it just holds their toys!) and the idea of holding a 2 1/2 year old in my lap for that long gives me a headache. I know not all airlines require you to buy a seat for a lap-child; but we really really were glad we did.

[gargoylelib]

Thanks for all the great ideas. Gonna skip the benadryl as it is not
readily available here and dh said he felt weird about "doping" her.
Easy for him to say, he is not going on this trip hehe... I did
put together a little travel pack so we'll see how it goes. I found
a website that has just about every cartoon character you could
want on coloring pages so printed off all her favourites and put them
in a binder and then took colored pencils and tied them to holes
punched in the binder so that they won't go rolling everywhere and
then I found a paper doll book which I htought might be fun, a
stuffed dragon (dragons are her favorite), and then on the 1 euro
basket at our local store I found some little toy figurines that will
be all new so hopefully that will keep her entertained for awhile.
Supposedly Lufthansa has a really nice kids pack that they will
give her too so that will also be fun and new. I really like the
idea of the lollipop for take off, thanks marykz for that one! I don't
usually give her candy so that will be a super special treat and
will hopefully help with the pressure changes!

Thanks again for all the helpful advice!
Libbie

[Songbirdy]

Most airlines are great about children.

I grew up flying. We lived overseas and were on a plane at least once every two months.

Ask for bulk head seats. Or close to a door. They are more spacious.

You might be pushed to take the back of the plane. If it is a BIG plane, that should be fine. But you will feel more disturbance there. As children we liked sitting back there, but it left my mother sick every time. The thought of the airlines is that there are less people behind you to complain!

Also, two of my younger brother's loved the clouds. And would literally stare out the window until... My other brother... well it drove him NUTS!

Take a second to find out approximately when they will run the meal carts. And take a potty break BEFORE the run the cart! Or you can find yourself stuck! And run your child up and down the aisle a few times... Err... walk swiftly!

You will always find one staff member who will be super helpful! That is so great. The rest won't 'not' help but are likely tired or just busy with other things.


Good luck! I was the oldest and remember flying with my younger brothers. We'd fly half way around the world once a year... with sometimes long airport layovers. As an older child, I loved it! And I did fly by myself a few times... [I remember teaching tourists how to fill out tourist visa applications on the plane!]

[zazzu]

I was on a flight last week from Chicago to Palm Springs. There was a couple with a toddler seated nearby. That kid screamed his head off for two-and-a-half hours.

So, please, sedate your child if you need to. It will make a better trip for your daughter, you, and the other hundred or so passengers who will be secretly plotting to jettison your kid if she's screaming incessantly. [Not that your child would, I'm just saying.]

FWIW, we were on American Airlines and the flight attendants didn't help the situation at all. The parents were totally on their own and it had to be really frustrating for them.

Good luck. It's not something I'd ever want to do, so I'm sending you good vibes.