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Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

Behaviour/development

Travelling abroad with 1 year old

19 replies

Boredmum93 · 14/04/2017 09:17

I am totally freaking out now we booked a holiday to tenerife when i had just had my baby we booked for his first birthday.

I thought he would be walking and talking abit... Not hardwork, i know stupid of me as i have a 7yr old too but he was such a good baby. Now im dreading going in 5weeks, not so much the holiday but the flying, can anyone give me any advice? I really don't know how im going to cope .

OP posts:

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5moreminutes · 14/04/2017 09:23

Why don't you think you'll cope? What specifically are you worried about?

Ears on take off and landing? Breast feed/ bottle / dummy (he'll be on your lap with an attachment belt)

Take snacks, books and toys and change of clothes for him and top for you, two nappies, wipes, plastic nappy sack, in hand luggage... Don't worry about letting him snack endlessly on the flight...

Is your OH travelling with you? Its really nowhere near as hard as your working yourself up to believe.

Boredmum93 · 14/04/2017 12:12

I can just see him screaming and kicking off the whole flight, my oldest was so behaved at his age and i thought i would get the same with my youngest boy i was wrong!!! Now im really working myself up about the flight, i feel like cancelling altogether...!
Yes OH travelling aswell but yesterday i was speaking about my worries on the flight and said he will have to take over part of the flight to let me have a break (30mins) if we are not seated together (not booked seats) and his reply was no i dont want to look bad if he is crying and kicking off as i wont beable to sort him .

I've already got my hand luggage packed and i keep adding other little toys to keep him entertained and keep my sanity but did not think about a change of top for me thanks lol

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welshweasel · 14/04/2017 12:14

For starters book seats together. Your other half is being a dick. Plenty of picky snack things that take a while to eat, a couple of new toys to play with, books to look at, baby apps on a tablet. Just keep telling yourself it's only 4 hours of your life.

Boredmum93 · 14/04/2017 13:06

I know i thought he had booked us altogether until yesterday and he dropped the bombshell... I've had a look today and had no luck.
Yes i know, i told him he cant expect me to do the full trip on my own!!! But will see how that goes.

Has anyone had experience flying with a 1yr old? Will they warm a bottle up for me on the plane? He also will not fall asleep on my knee at home never mind squashed up in a plane, im hoping to keep him up till the flight and he will fall asleep but am i living in lala land lol.

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5moreminutes · 14/04/2017 13:17

Bored I've flown on my own with a 1 year old and a 3 year old, and on my own with a 1.5 year old while pregnant, and it was fine. I always do the same flight though and it's only 2 hours. Be organised and think though what you might need in advance and it'll be fine. Your OH is indeed being a dick though - if you're seated apart one of you does take off and the first half of the flight and the other the second half and landing.

I've never bottle fed it airline staff are really helpful if you're travelling with a baby as long as you're clearly doing your best. Look up your airlines rules on bottles but I'm sure they'd warm one.

You'd better check rules about taking formula through security in hand luggage though - try the website of the airline you are travelling from.

5moreminutes · 14/04/2017 13:18

*but not it

Boredmum93 · 14/04/2017 14:36

Your like superwoman lol. Thanks you have made me feel better about flying!!
Yes im going to get as everything in hand luggage for him hopefully my other little man will be sat with us and not OH cause he helps alot at home loves playing with his little bro. Yes he is a number 1 nob at first i said for me to have him first half then swap but that was a no go.. god half a hour is a no go apparently so i was living in lala land asking that of him .
The bottle is not really important, i just thought it would make my life easier he doesnt need it as im sure i will be filling him up with food.

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itsacatastrophe · 14/04/2017 14:52

I took my dc to fuerteventura when he was almost 10months old. Just before we flew out he came down with a cold and yes he pretty much cried the entire flight there except when he briefly slept. I'm not going to lie, it was hard, BUT we did it, we got to the other side 4hrs later and we had an amazing relaxed holiday and he was a dream on the way back.
If your dc cries, well he won't be the first and won't be the last and it's just 4hrs of hell, but worth it. Go, have fun, and try not to worry. He may be an absolute angel

Boredmum93 · 14/04/2017 15:34

This is what im scared off i know i wont have help of OH so im basically going to be hated by all the other passengers i will try to keep him entertained but hes prob going to scream the whole way there too
I know he will be fine on holiday he will love it, thats why i dont want to cancel, i don't want my oldest to miss out either cause of me.I just need to man up well woman up get the flight over with. I can send OH to bed with him at hotel and have a well deserved vodka think i may need it

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SallyGinnamon · 14/04/2017 15:44

Sorry Boredmum I did it on my own when DS was 1 when I went to meet parents in France. It was hell on Earth and that was before the 100ml liquid restriction. And the bloody airline lost my pushchair and delivered it 2 days later.

I tried again a year later with DH too as I thought it'd be better but no! DS was still a nightmare and he was lovely generally. He just hated the feeling of flying, painful ears and being restricted.

We didn't try it again until DD was about 6, about 8 years later!

HOWEVER other people seem to cope just fine with toddlers and long haul etc. They just have nicer children than mine .

If it's awful, then put it down to experience. You can laugh about it later while enjoying fab holidays in the U.K.!

SallyGinnamon · 14/04/2017 15:47

I suppose my problem was that DS actually hated the holiday too. Lots of kids joyfully playing in the sea and sand. He wanted to go back to the air conditioned hotel room all day!

FlyingFordAnglia · 14/04/2017 15:48

Op, we're going to Tenerife in July, a week after DS2's 1st birthday and I'm starting to worry about the flight too. We're driving down to south of France next month too so I'm thinking the flight should be a doddle!! I've got to look into bottle/formula rules etc and I'm planning on taking plenty of snacks, and a little bag with new toys in to try and keep his interest a bit more. I'll download some programmes on my phone. Nothing will likely keep his interest for long periods so I'm thinking short and snappy. And if all else fails there's 9 of us to pass him between as we're going with in laws and cousins who are all happy to take it in turns. I'd have words with your OH though it's really not fair to just check out of parenting for the flight.

Starduke · 14/04/2017 15:52

I flew with my 18 month old no problem - he just slept. 6 months later we flew again and he screamed the place down the entire flight (fortunately less than 2 hours). He wouldn't even sit in his seat when we started to descend and kicked off so badly they had to quickly give me a baby seatbelt and sit him on my lap (he was 2 years and 1 week so had to have his own seat).

As we got off a business bloke told me to give him advil next time.

We do that now and have never had screaming fits again (although DS2 is mr fidget and does not want to sit).

On another flight, the toddler in front of us was screaming blue murder on the descent because he didn't want to sit on his mum's lap. poor mum was in tears. As we got off I chatted to her telling her that we'd had similarly bad flights - she could hardly believe it cos my two were really quiet on that flight.

All that to say that you just do your best. Sometimes you'll have a great flight, sometimes you'll have a shit flight. Anyone who has flown with babies/toddlers will understand.

Luckystar1 · 14/04/2017 16:03

I fly frequently with my children, I flew recently on my own with the 2 year old and 8 month old. It was no problem at all.

Don't stress. It will be what it will be. Just try and prepare with snacks etc. I give my 2 Ella's Kitchens to suck on the way up and down as they are guaranteed to suck them (8 month old is still breastfed but is actually more likely to have an Ella's!)

Is he likely to kick off for any reason? If so, pre emption is your best weapon. Don't give him anything that he can't keep for the whole fight if necessary (i.e. iPads may need to be turned off for take off and landing etc, that can cause an awful scene!)

Good luck and enjoy your holiday!

Boredmum93 · 15/04/2017 09:32

Bordersarethebest i can see my son been a nightmare too, i dont know how you did it without a pushchair for 2 days .
We go to family caravan in UK but it just doesn't cut it, I love the sun too much and we never have it in UK .

Flyingfordanglie we thought it was a good idea to book for his first bday, Im starting to think different now its close lol. You should be fine if theres 9 of you going though wish we had booked with family..! I think you will habe you work cut out for you on the drive if yours is anything like mine, he crys everytime we stop at traffic lights. Im going to try download waybuloo on the ipad dont know how but its his fave so hopefully he will watch that for 30mins, Toys 30mins, food 1hr then only 2hr to kill .

Starduke i wish we had booked somewhere closer now think our next one will be a 2hour flight maximum so its really just pot luck how they are feeling on the day. Whats advil? Sorry i may sound stupid asking that but I've never heard of it. Im worried for other people on the flight too, I mean you dont want to hear screaming for the full flight when travelling with good kids or no kids, i just hope people are understanding and im not getting the looks all the flight aswell lol.

Luckystar1 im going to try him with them ellas kitchen thing see if he will have them, its a brill idea, but if its anything like the jar stuff he wont have them.. he will only eat homemade food which as been a pain for me when going anywhere!!!
No he doesn't need a reason to kick off... He's very clingy needs entertaining constantly and abit of a stresshead lol.

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Billi77 · 17/04/2017 22:01

I've flown about 12 times with my DD, 4) and first time being when she was 8 weeks old. It's easy and she loves me walking up and down the cabin with her and a sea of cooing faces. I breastfeed on take off an landing and bring a couple of toys and now that she's on solids, a meal and some snacks. It's a synch. I reckon take advantage of the free infant ticket and maternity leave while you can

Billi77 · 17/04/2017 22:02

My DD is 9.5 months old now. Am flying alone with her on Wednesday taking her on a work trip.

SallyGinnamon · 18/04/2017 21:08

It's easy and she loves me walking up and down the cabin with her and a sea of cooing faces.

That bit made me smile. I walked up and down with DS to a sea of tutting faces! Obviously your DC is better than mine!

Billi77 · 18/04/2017 21:58

Ha! I ignored the frowns of course/didn't walk her up and down when she was being less cute

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