To wonder what you do if your toddler kicks off on a plane?

pretend its someone elses ? but in all serious not sure really depends on the time

Children are allowed to exist in public and aren’t confined to the UK because you don’t want them around you.

I didn't take my DD abroad on a plane, till she was 11 yrs old. Financal reasons, school holidays time being too pricey.

Gonna get flamed no doubt, but I wish other parents wouldnt take babies/toddlers on the plane, even if the holiday is affordable.

Was unlucky to be sat in front of a toddler on the plane home last month. Constantly crying, screaming and kicking my seat back. Parents kept murmuring to the toddler to be 🙊 be quiet , but had nothing to keep him amused.

🙄.
It’s not ‘inconsiderate’ to have children out in public. We’ve paid for their seat, just as you’ve paid for yours.
We have travelled since ours were all 3 months old, as their grandparents live abroad. They’re a lot better behaved than some adults. A lot nicer people than a lot of adults too.

Bribe them with food, sweets, and stickers. Honestly, we’ve travelled loads and kids are usually great… men in their 40s? Now they are a different species of man spreading and knees in the back of your chair combined with hammering the touch screen.

Well it's basically parenting, giving your 100%. Any kind of distraction tactics you can think of. Play acting, reading a book, pointing stuff out, making faces etc etc.

Hooray !
I wish all parents were as considerate as you.

Yes we went to the Isle of Wight.

The ferry was great for DS.

We all enjoyed it !
Unlike flying which waa a bloody nightmare.
X

You prepare them for the trip, read books and watch shows of what happens on the airplane before you go so they know what to expect. You explain they must sit nicely on the plane. You make it exciting and interesting but not overwhelming or scary.

You go prepared, you take snacks, toys, sticker books and games and books and (shock) an iPad loaded with their favourite shows, and headphones. Run off any energy in the airport, there's usually little play areas.

If they kick off you distract and de-escalate. You do not let them run around obviously..

I find the more you do it the more likely they are to behave, they understand what's happening and what is expected.

This.

My little one was 3 flight back from Majora.
Incredibly delayed due to someone being arrested off the incoming flight.

We didn't take off til midnight so he was sooooo over tired over stimulated I have never known anything like it.

Anyway despite best efforts all round he screamed for over 2 hours.

Everyone around was tutting and giving side eye it was dreadful I wanted to jump out the window!

He's 7 now. UK holidays every since.

The thought of doing that again brings me out in a sweat.

Xx

Sweets, crisps, too much screen time, sticking to short-haul & hopeing for the best. If all else fails, just hold tight and ignore the screaming. There's not much else you can do, if the seat belt sign is on, leaving the seat is not an option.

My first and only flight was with a 3 Yr old and 1 Yr old.....after that we drove to Europe with Eurocamp🤣 you can stop when you like, nobody giving you dirty looks when toddler accidentally kicks/bangs chair in front, any squabbles are contained in your own little bubble and gentle parenting can go out the window! Even went when had a third and he was only 4 months, much less stressful😌

We had this on our last holiday, toddler screaming because she was exhausted and angry because she wasnt allowed to roam around by herself. Got her to calm down by singing to her and got my eldest involved in the singing too. When we landed the lady in front turned round and i braced, expecting a negative comment. But she was lovely. Said she enjoyed our singing and what lovely, well behaved kids we had. I think a lot of people are more understanding than you expect

I was at the cinema yesterday and there was a toddler making a lot of noise the whole time. Do not do what that parent did which was repeatedly say we will leabe if you don’t stop. And then just stayed anyway

If you can, I would try to get them used to sitting for progressively longer periods, maybe not in the cinema but on buses and the like? I was lucky, my DS was a fab traveller from the start and it wasn't anything I did to get right, he was just calm and easy to entertain. My niece and nephew have been more difficult and I remember hearing that a couple on the plane had been so snotty to DSis and BIL: "We never had to drug our child on a plane". Well, whoopy do for you. I vowed that I would never be so unhelpful and annoying to a struggling parent, especially in a contained situation where you can't give up and get off!

Don't be despondent and give up, it's just something you need to work on now and again. Probably by the time your child is four/five, they'll have settled down and be more engaged with distracting stuff. Especially once they start school and have carpet time and need to be able to sit and focus on something for longer periods. You will get there, it just takes time and a bit of practice.

Take lots of little surprises - i always got a couple of lego comics. a sticker book, a small lego set, a couple of story books etc I dealt with mine by helping them with said lego, stickers etc, reading quietly to them, and supplying snacks. No seat kicking was allowed.I would have held on to their feet if necessary.

I made the mistake of not realising that the noise threshold mechanism on a yoto mini means that it can’t be heard over engines
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Take headphones that work with the adapter on the plane as the airline ones are too big.

Watch a lot of Bluey (Qantas had 6 series on the recent 18 hr flight I took with my 4 yr old)

Snacks. Lots of snacks 🤣

Have you never done any kind of journey?
We have always had to fly to family, and do a long train journey from london so it’s been a normal part of parenting for us. It’s just a case of the kids and the parents having to get over it and get on with it.
There might have been some whinging but I’ve just never accepted kicking and screaming, I think 3 is far too old for that.

They shouldn’t be running around at any time in a plane

I didn’t fly until my son was 5. Before then I don’t think I could have handled it as he would have probably screamed and cried the whole way.
Age 5 we went to Spain. 2.5 hours. He was excited to go on the plane and had got over the screaming stage. He watched a film on the iPad, had a snack and by then we were there. He’s 7 now and loves to travel.

Mine have always been ok on flights even when little. I'd bf them on take off if possible as it regulates their ears ( or have them suck on a lolly if they're older and not bf). Then a bit of watching the screen, bit of crafts and a couple of small new toys wrapped to.open always worked for us! I've only ever witnessed children being absolutely awful twice in 30 years of frequent flying. Most kids are fine...a little bit of crying is fine too,most people are sympathetic.

Would you consider taking a ferry instead? It’s a much more pleasant way to travel.