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

[cucumberandlime]

Just thinking about this as had a horrible cinema trip with my toddler. And wondered how on earth you’d manage with running around, screaming etc on a plane?

Yeah we had this.

he screamed. Pretty much the whole way. We passed him around between the adults (mum dad grandma and grandpa) which at least meant different bits of the plane heard the screaming.

if the seatbelt sign is fastened they can’t run around.

honestly it was so stressful we didn’t fly again for three years

You just cry and hope you never see those passengers again.

You deal with it the same way as you would if weren’t on a plane. Distraction mainly.

It’s actually unlikely, but obviously you just have to manage. You go into a plane journey prepared in a different way to the cinema. You time the journey so that hopefully they sleep. You pack lots of small snacks that take a while to eat - raisins, dry cereal, tiny cubes of cheese etc. I don’t have any hesitation about screen time on planes, so mine have always been thrilled to get to watch my iPad as they’re usually not allowed to touch it. I take little toys, and little packs of crayons with paper, and as many distractions as possible. You have to stay calm and be soothing vs holding a firm stance that you might do if they’re kicking off in a supermarket where you’re a bit more willing to let them have a tantrum over a firm “no”. Instead on a plane it’s here have this sweet 🤣

They can't run around.

You try to time it so they will sleep.

You distract with screens and snacks.

If they scream they scream.

Anything you can to calm them down. Ours got way more sweets than usual and I kept them stocked with in flight movies. I’m sure I’ll come under fire from the competitive perfect parents whose children have never watched a TV or seen a grain of sugar, but the people in the seats around us were not complaining! You gotta do what you gotta do.

Ha … mine doesn’t nap, and could easily escape a seatbelt! It definitely makes me glad we haven’t attempted it yet! I’m not sure we ever will!

You can’t allow much running on a plane so you have to contain and distract them as much as possible. Bribe them, feed them, give them screens. Apologise to the people around you and hope they are sympathetic.

Mine only really tolerate screens for so long and then that’s it. Sometimes I wish they would just watch drivel for hours on end. It’s probably a mixed blessing! I can just imagine the people around and in front of us being kicked as attempts to escape are made and screaming and NO MUMMY NO MUMMY trying to flee and twisting and contorting trying to escape. ..

It's survival. I will do exactly the same when we get to that stage

Favourite programmes on a tablet, lots of little toys, treat foods, distractions and entertainment. Depends on the child as to how easily they’ll be distracted. DD1 and DS can be appeased quite easily. DD2 used to have screaming fits that took ages to calm her down from. She’s grown out of this which is good as we’re flying this summer.

My oldest didn’t sleep when travelling and was a poor sleeper generally. We went away for a week a four hour flight away. She didn’t tantrum but didn’t want to sit still and it was a full time job for two adults to contain her. We didn’t fly again for years. We did Eurocamp holidays by ferry so we could have our own space in a cabin. She also needed her own room with our accommodation. I think we flew the second time when she was 8 and DD2 was 5, and that was only to Paris. We were fortunate that we didn’t have relatives abroad or any reason to fly.

when dd was a newborn I thought perhaps when she’s three

now she’s nearly three I’m thinking maybe when she’s five

we will never leave the uk again

You will get family trips. Maybe just not yet. Not all children are ready for flights when they are toddlers.

At nearly 3 surely they can manage a short haul flight fairly easily? We have family abroad (3 hour flight) so flew regularly from when they were babies. I remember the year they were 4 and nearly 3 (DD2 turned 3 while we were away) and it was bliss! They just played games with us, had some snacks, did some colouring etc. Then we had another baby and had to wait a couple of years for it to be easy again 😁

We didn’t fly until they were 4. We did closer to home holidays. Eurostar, driving, ferry etc. All offered a bit more flexibility and freedom.

Also it’s not like once they are old enough to get to a hot pool kind of holiday you can lie by the pool like you could before kids. so Center Parcs, UK seaside, Disneyland Paris etc do fine while they’re little.

Well … after that trip I’m not risking it!

How do you manage long car journeys? (I guess with frequent stops? Or of course you might not have a car)

I think it's easier if you get them used to travelling earlier, before 3.

Hope you find a solution!! Maybe the train would work better?

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

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.

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

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.

Snacks. Lots of snacks 🤣

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)