To wonder how the feck to entertain a 1 year old on an 8 hour flight???

[SuzanneSays]

Any good ideas? DH seems to think she will sleep a lot...

Mine did sleep a lot. Planes are white noise central. I just broke all my rules as well; screen time; crap for snacks; whatever works. Is she walking yet shuddering at the endless walking up and down up and down?

Tablet. Download a shitload of favourite TV shows and a film or two. You might want to take some way of recharging the battery too, like an EE Powerbar. Can you take one of them on a flight? I assume you can?

And snacks. Many, many snacks.

Is DC having their own seat? I flew four hours with DD1 when she was 16 months, and having to keep her on my lap was the worst thing about the flight!

I'm thinking of other things that helped. Buying a toy she coveted that her cousin had and she didn't. Taking a sling for the airport. I would have missed a flight without it once.

Is she BF? Because BFing got DD through ear stuff and it was comforting (and freaked out the school group we were near).

Ah, thats easy. Many, many films. It is easier than you think would think. Walk around cabin. Eating. And yes - rules are out the window. I did whatever it took to ensure a nice flight for everyone on board the plan. (Experience: two children under the age of 3 on a 27 flight hour x 2).

bing?

When my kids were that toddlers, I planned any long-haul trip around available night-flights. They're easy to find going east, and you can usually find 4pm or even a bit later going west. This way they will almost certainly sleep.

Mine slept for 20 mins on a 9 hour night flight...
Lots and lots of peppa pig!

If it's long-haul, there might be TV's in seats with a baby/kid channel, and lots of newer planes have plugs or USB chargers too. I would suggest lots of snacks, toys, and TV shows or a film on a tablet just in case they refuse to sleep.

Okay, lots of snacks and toys it is.
She is desperately trying to walk so envisage hours of walking her up and down the isles!
I have deliberately not weaned her so that I can breast feed on the flights and while we are away! Wish me luck!

Piriton?

My 1yo didn't sleep through on a night flight (same time zone) all the way to SA. She never was much of a sleeper! Had to entertain her for about 6 hours I think.

I just did the same stuff I did at home - walked around carrying her in the sling, chatting to her. Lots of reading. We weren't really into screen time then (looks sideways at now 6yo currently on iPad!) and didn't have a problem without it. She liked just sitting in my lap playing with my hair, specs, nose... just like a day at home, really. I brought a few exploration type toys - textures and mirrors sort of thing, but not noise! When she was most chatty and others wanted to sleep, I put her in the sling and took her to watch the cabin crew working at the back of the plane - entertaining for her!

I was up all night as her sleep was very intermittent. Her father (XH) slept loads. I still remember going to the bathroom after we checked in to the hotel, and coming out to find him and her crashed out asleep on the bed, whilst I was stood there, the only one with no sleep, nowhere to lie down. XH always was a selfish arsehole!

My gp friend recommended phenergan which she said would knock 2 yo out.very glad I tried it at home first because on a minority of children it has the exact opposite effect.Ds was bouncing off the walls till 1 am.imagine if that had been on an aeroplane !!

Oh heaven help you. One of the worst experiences of my life was flying to Miami with an 18 month old. I'm in Ireland and the pharmacists are such jobsworths they wouldn't give me anything. Everybody on the plane was giving me such angry looks. Tutting, staring, head shaking. I never felt so hated. If you can get her some phenergam, do.

yy to trying it out at home first!!

The worst bit is if they are on. Your lap. Otherwise, same as at home.

those tiny boxes of raisins.
A sucky bottle of water for landing and take off.
Pom bear crisps
A cuddly toy

No idea but I'm doing 9.5 hrs next month with 4DC, youngest is 6mths .

Considering doping the lot of them

Same as at home wouldn't have worked with mine, at home she covered about 20 miles a day running round the house! Only sat down for meals.

Sticker books aquadraw breadsticks (no sweets nothing with sugar) in flight entertainment, read along books put onto a media player

Just wanted to point out EE power bars have been recalled for over heating. But a friend of mine charges up a second battery for her phone so that may be an idea.

Oh YES Aqua Doodle or whatever those are called.

I flew to Sydney with DD when she was just under one. We had one of the bulkhead seats with a shelf in front that pulled out and a cot on it.She was too big to be put down to sleep in the cot but it was a great help that I had somewhere else to sit her to play so that she was not on my knee the entire time. Can you arrange anything like this?

We flew 10 hours. Flying there was a night time flight so finally managed to get her to sleep for the duration. However coming back was a nightmare and I say that as someone who flew wirh 2 other adults and had 8 seats for us all. We packed lots of small toys/books and snacks. We were very happy to get of the plane at the other end!

Do not rely on a night flight. I once had an 8 hour delay at our stopover. Couldn't put her down, she couldn't sleep in the carseat, giving me a hideous bad back, then a flight for eight hours with a grumpy, awake child. I was in Vancouver airport for 11 hours, alone with DD. We are both still alive.