Airplane tactics for toddlers

My daughters favorite thing is a pad of post it notes. She can make a mark on each one with a crayon, then stick them up all around where we are sitting. Doesnt bother anyone, doesn't cause any damage, they won't roll down the aisle, takes forever, and is easy clean up when we land. Pretty basic, but think about it.

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Just a few days ago I was on the longest 1.5 hour flight of my life. I did not have either of my children with me, but women in the row behind me had her 2.5 – 3 year old with her.

All the suggestions above are great. I just have a few of items to add.

1) Watch the clock. If you are letting him watch a DVD and you start to descend they will advise you to turn off all electronic devises. If you have not warned him that the movie will have to stop and directed his attention to another activity before the announcement you could be in for a scream fiesta.
2) If he wants to snack, let him. On a plane is not the time to be worried about nutrition.
3) And by far my largest piece of advice. If he will have his own seat DO NOT use a car seat. I completely understand the need for younger children. But by the age of 2 sitting on the actual seat with the lap belt will suffice. Why you ask….because when they are in a car seat their little legs can reach the seat in front of them and the urge to kick and push on the seat in front will over take them no matter how well behaved. (I have the whiplash to prove it!)

All this said the mother behind me did an amazing job with him. The above 3 tips are the only things that I would have suggested she change.

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I don't know if he's prone to screaming at all, but if he is loud you might consider grabbing a box of earplugs at the drugstore or hardware store. You can offer them to other passengers around you if he gets really loud. This is a better tip for crying babies, but can help with toddlers, particularly if the person next to you or directly in front of you wants to sleep and keeps glaring at you every time your kids makes a peep.

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LOLLIPOPS.
They stop tantrums instantly, and the sucking will clear popping ears. (and work wonders for quieting the kid sitting behind you, too.)

Also- a dose of Benadryl allergy will clear any mucus from his sinuses (and keep the ear pain to a minimum). Be sure you time it right so that it's still working when you're landing. If you're lucky, it'll also make him drowsy. Ask your pediatrician what an acceptable dose is, it's fine for toddlers even though it's not on the bottle.

(my sister is a pediatrician- and that's the #1 thing they recommend to new parent's picking up adopted children over seas. Even a little congestion can be excruciating, and kids don't understand why, so the scream bloody murder.)

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oh- and I haven't tried it yet- but my aunt used to collect junk mail for weeks before a big trip. Then she'd dole it out on the plane or in the car for hours of shredding fun. (obviously this was before identity theft- so just be careful of what you bring!)

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Try to get a bulkhead seat. My husband would board first and get everything situated and I would bring baby and toddler on very last. Best flight was when we got bumped to first class --flight attendants loved the kids and champagne did wonders for me!

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LOLLIPOPS. They stop tantrums immediately. Both your child's and the child sitting behind you. (actually the sucking makes their ears clear- so it really serves a purpose.)

Also- if he has any sign of a cold or runny nose, ask your doctor about a small dose of Benadryl allergy. It'll dry him out, so his ears won't hurt. And if you're lucky, it'll make him drowsy. Just be sure and time it right- so that it doesn't wear off before the plane lands- that's when the pressure really builds up.
(my sister is a pediatrician, and it's the #1 thing she recommends to new parents going overseas to pick up an adopted child)

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TRAVEL EARLY. My husband is deployed and me and my 22 month old and my 11 month old traveled from MO to MD with a layover in Atlanta. The kids were tired because our flight left at 6 in the morning. They slept the whole way and everyone commented on how well behaved they were and how they didnt even realize that we were on the plane. I also would recommend cheerios because before they slept they ate some dry cereal. On the way back we had a straight flight but it was still a 6 am one and they slept the entire flight/

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I have some suggestions...I have traveled with 2 toddlers
and the number one thing is to let them be kids don't try to make them be quiet all the time. They are children and hearing them laugh and talk is so much better than hearing them scream. I have few more...

1. Take some new drawing material like Crayola color wonder...even the finger paints. They can draw and won't get it on their clothes or the plane seats

2. I bought magnet sets, dress-up monsters, pooh, little mermaid, etc. you can get them at specialty toy stores and online

3. new dvd's they have never watched, but you know they love!!

4. It is always fun to tell them they can pick out a new toy in the airport when you land if they sit and be good while you land/takeoff.

5. If your toddler can chew gum it helps a lot lo give them a stick before take off/landing. If they use a pacifier or nurses still that helps too.

Hope these help and good luck!! I will be traveling to Mexico with mine next month....wish me luck!!!

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All of the suggestions are great. I would just add that a new set of crayons or markers with a new coloring book/activity book has worked well for my son when we've flown with him at 2 years and again at 3 years.
Also, we've brought along his favorite (small) stuffed animal, and we spend a great deal of time explaining to the animal what's going on inside and outside of the plane.

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We always gave our kids a dose of benadryl before the flight - they slept the whole way through and made life easier for everyone, especially us and on arrival, they woke up happy and we were all better rested - and these were flights to and from London, several times a year.

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great tips everybody! i have been wanting to take my 18 month old down to see my mom (i'm on MI she's in NC). i'm scared to death of airports, it's an anxiety thing. but i think if my husband got a gate pass and walked me to the gate i'd be ok on the plane too. it helps to read all these posts and see that it can be done! what's the worst that could happen? a little screaming? oh well, it's a short flight, i think i could do it! how do you get car seats and strollers there if you're only allowed to check 2 bags though? any info on that? again, glad to hear that it can be done, i'm going to attempt it probably next month!!!

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WAIT.....26 trips in 16 months? That's flying every 2.4 weeks...Something is seriously wrong here...get that kid a HOME and keep it there. Quit worrying about toys to entertain and solve the nomad problem you have. Parents today!

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This may seem "cruel" or old fashioned, but Benadryl (child's prescription strength) calms the little one and may even produce a nice nap if you have a long enough flight. My kids used to nap stretched out in un-used center seating or even on the floor with a blanket.
If your toddler is the very active kind....talk to your pediatrician about the Benadryl or other sleepy time meds!
It will give you some rest and your fellow passengers will love you! Dr. B

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To "sam1191161--26 trips in 16 months? "
She didn't say 26 trips, she said 26th FLIGHT. Last I checked, a flight is going up and down in a plane. So if you have a layover, that's two flights. And when you go home, with layover--that's two more flights. So one trip could easily be four "flights". Ease up and don't be so judgemental.

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I always brought a small bottle a bubbles with me on flights with my son. When he got fussy, blowing the bubbles improve his disposition.

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Hi, I've just jumped from Jessica Sprague's page and here's a few of my suggestions:

M&Ms (Smarties in Australia) send my DD a little hypo (think food colouring) so I have banned them fullstop!. I saw a suggestion once for using teeny tiny marshmallows on flights, and they seem to work well.

On our last trip DD was 2 and had her own seat. In no time at all she had figured out how to put her seat belt on, and pull down the tray table. We explained to her about the light overhead that tells you when to have your seat belt on, and she was very good at keeping it on.

I always travel with a back pack, only one suitcase each, preferably with wheels, so we can walk hands free in the airport.

Make sure you have any aisle seat, especially if travelling by yourself.

Don't leave anything in the seat pockets on the plane - always double check (and don't trust DH) We lost a good book last trip!

Toilet training wise, we always make a big deal about going before a flight and again afterwards - try walking further into the airport to find a toilet without a queue. And if you can't find a baby change facility, use a disabled toilet - they have heaps of room.

A recent suggestion from a friend, was to wash hands using the water free (alcohol based) hand sanitisers - the small bottles are very inexpensive (not sure how they would go through US airport security). Sure wish we had have done that last trip when DD picked up a vomiting virus. We lost 3 to 4 days of our holiday!

And one last tip - try to time some snacks for descent, and offer little sips of water (DD at 2 seemed to understand what was happening), If nothing seems to work, don't stress. Everyone will just have to put up with it!

Hope this helps
N

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I just took a long 4 hour flight with my 18 month old. I found that as long as he drank something during take off and landing he did just fine. I gave him a lolipop to suck on on the trip home. It worked wonders. Also depending on what airline your travling on you don't have to dump your milk or juice anymore to get it down to 3 oz. They do a swab test on it and your good to go. I flew southwest. Yes they don't have pre-family boarding anymore. However you board between the A and B groups if you don't get an A boarding pass. Good Luck

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With a husband in the military; my son and I have flown many times on our own when he gets deployed. I've been lucky to avoid major meltdowns by packing a few key things.
-blankie (or stuffed animal) is a must
-Cheerios or Kix
- a few new books
-a new small toy
-a picture of his daddy
I find whatever my son is clinging to the most the week before we leave is best to bring. Early morning flights on week days are normally the best to avoid too many people. Try to avoid (if possible) lay overs in the larger airports. Smaller ones are much easier to get around and normally are much more patient with your little ones. If you have a layover make sure you leave yourself with more than enough time to use the restrooms and get a snack without having to break out into a full on run. Always ask the flight attendent if there are any empty seats if you can get them next to you. You will appreciate the extra space and the person who would've sat there will appreciate not having to sit next to a child. Good luck and just remember flying for 3 hours is easier than driving the 18+ hours no matter how stressful it may seem!

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