12 hour flight with 14 month old - tips needed!

[kelpie6333]

Hi,

We are off on a family holiday and I am really looking forward to it - except the 12 hour flight! It is overnight so I am hoping our daughter will sleep through most of it but can anyone recommend any good (quiet) toys, activities, distractions to keep her quiet and happy?

She is very squirmy now so won't be happy sitting on her own and she is into everything! She is also finding her vocal range which includes screaming for fun. Joy!

So far I am bringing: books, crayons/paper, snacks, dummies, Calpol/Tixlix (I was told it zonks babies out!), and I am looking for a wooden toy with shapes to put in the holes. I am also expecting to be walking her up and down the aisles a lot.

Any other suggestions? I don't want to be "THAT" mother with "THAT" kid on the flight! Help!

what I would suggest as a mom that flew twice with my DD first on 14 hour flight then 22 hour. I made sure that before we boarded the flight that she tired herself out. By running around, walking around with her. If its a night flight which is normally around 7pm or 8pm with me I made sure that if she wanted to drink something I would give her water, juice and kept her milk for on the plane. I either gave that or her dummy at take-off and she normally fell asleep as per normal.

But all kids are different and try and take her favourite toys not just new ones because at that age they like familiar things. Good Luck

You may disagree but i'd suggest a portable DVD player. I can't actually tell you if it works because I haven't used them myself, but so many people have told me they're a god send.

Good idea about running it out of their system before you get on the plane.

Besst 2 tip I ever had was the bag of tricks. Things they'll like that are new etc. And snacks. Don't prepare or expect them to eat meals. Snack, snack snack, each small snack is a distraction!

If you can bear it or need it, tack a couple of lollipops. If you hate the idea you can get sugar free ones in health food shops, but tiny chuppa chups make miniature ones. If you save lollipops as weapons of mass destruction they work wonders. Ear popping. Sorted. Standing still through customs etc. Sorted.

Good luck!

I'm flying with my 2DSs - 2.6 and 9 months old - on Sunday on a 12.5 hours flight. So firstly, there's always someone worst off than you! DH is coming along too though he is going on a stag do the day before so no idea how useful he will be, probably as useful as a chocolate teapot!

We flew long haul last year with 18-month-old DS1 and I would say DVD player useless at his age. Even at 2.6, he would struggle to sit through anything longer than 15 minutes. Everything else is too exciting. Definitely lots of walking up and down aisles. I rocked DS1 then to sleep even though he had not been rocked to sleep since 8 months old. He found it difficult to settle otherwise. I agree with snack tip, DS1 barely ate the whole flight, if you buy the variety packs of cereal, they are great for snacking (and better than sweets). You can also get the Ella's Kitchen pouches of fruit from Boots in airport.

DO NOT TRY any medication you have never given your child on the flight. There are children whom the drugs will have the opposite affect. Do you have a sling she will sleep in? She won't have her own seat. We travelled with Thomson last year to the Maldives and they were shit rubbish. The air stewards and stewardesses treated you like everything you asked for was a favour to you. The one thing they let us do (because DS1 didn't have his own seat) was they let us use their blankets to make a cosy corner near the fire exit as DS1's bed and he slept pretty much through the flight once he got over the initial screaming bit (did not like being buckled down). But we are taking a sling for DS2 this time as that used to be fab for DS1 before he got too big for it.

And mentally, just count off each hour as it goes by. No matter how good or bad it is, it's only 12 hours of your life. No one will remember you after the flight. Stay strong! :)

Wow. Thanks for all your suggestions! Angel1976, we too are flying on Sunday (Mauritius) so if I see a baby in a sling and another one running the aisles, I'll give you a knowing look!

I agree the DVD player is a little advanced for our daughter now (is she a DD? This is my first post) but my older nephews couldn't fly without them once they were about 5yrs.

EvaLongoria, tiring them out before the flight is a great idea which I would have overlooked so I will task DH with that one because I know DD will be left to sleep on me during the flight.

I did load up on Ellas pouches (I find they are cheaper at ASDA) and good tip on the cereals, I have fished those out of the cupboard. I am bringing dried fruits too as those are a hit in our house.

Feeling better about the flight now. One of my friends was so scarred from an awful flight with her 2 kids she didn't fly again for years! Many thanks ladies!

kelpie Make sure you pack most of those pouches away for the holiday... Last August, they made us choose half of the baby food to open and taste! Obviously, whatever was opened and my DS1 didn't eat on the flight got thrown away, which was a real waste. Not sure if they have changed the rules now... You can always buy more pouches for the flight once you are through the departures.

Enjoy Mauritius! TBH, going to the Maldives on a night flight was surprisingly good once DS1 was asleep. Coming back on the day flight was pretty awful but it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I just think if you imagine the worst, then it can't be that bad right? We are also booked to go to Egypt next Easter. I would rather endure any flight from hell so I could still have a holiday with my kids than not have any at all... And once you got there, it would be so worth it. We had the most amazing holiday in the Maldives, definitely worth the journey! :)

Good tip. My carry on is turning into a kit for any baby emergency.

My DD does gravitate towards me (vs DH) so I think I am going to earn super brownie points on the flight sorting her out. That will get me some extra mummy-time (might be able to squeeze a massage out of it too!) while on holiday.

It is also a good opportunity for DD & DH to bond again while spending so much time together so everyone is looking forward to that.

It helps to have your carry-on luggage organised very carefully so that you know exactly where everything is. And it's better to have a backpack than wheelie bag so that you're hands free.

I was told a new toy for every hour. So I travel with a bag of cheap small toys (play mobile phone, big sticky spider, little cars, play dough etc) which have novelty value. I bring them out one at a time and when DS gets bored and fed up.

Ella's pouches and porridge work well.

In my experience, night flights have always been fine because DS has a good routine and sleeps well at night. It's waiting in transit that can be hellish. I used reigns when he was 15 months, and because I'm neurotic, labelled DS by putting our details (names, flight number, phone etc) in his pocket.

what about when you are travelling with a 10month old,they also don't get their own seat,,anyone have suggestions coz im terrified of the coming holiday to Africa with my baby,she hates being held and when she wants to sleep it has to be on the floor,,

dd1 was 11mos when we started 9hr flights regularly (we have 3 dcs who are now thankfully old enugh to be given a couple of new books and a drink - your time will come!)

dd1 was only quiet when she was moving, so essentially we spent hours walking up and down the plane. she was fab travelling as a tiny - bf and she'd sleep, but once she was mobile it was pretty much a case of 'this too shall pass' and whatever we had to do to keep her quiet... moving. i think we used to know pretty much everyone byt eh time we got off. she would then usually fall asleep at customs.

they don't let you put them on the floor either...

We flew to NZ when my DD was 10 months (4 x 12 hr flights in total ). I don't have much else to add other than what folk have said already but I found these things invaluable:
-a sling - can't guarentee having buggies at connections or before baggage reclaim and it's useful for walking them to sleep up and down the aisles.
-lots of little toys - but my 2 favourites are stickers (less messy than crayons) and a mini etcher sketch sp??
-take it in turns with you DH/P/whoever you are travelling with, so you get some rest.

And also (because I didn't know this) if you get turbulence and the fasten seat belts sign comes on, you have to fasten you baby on your lap again... not fun when they are fast asleep

Good luck, just think - you have your holiday to get over the stress of the flight .... and to work up to the return trip

kelpie Hope your flight was okay! We did alright. Both boys were extremely well behaved. DS1 did a 6-hour sleep at one stage, which was brilliant as it wasn't the most comfortable to sleep upright. We just used lots of pillows to pad around him. DS2 was a bit of a nightmare as he wouldn't go in the bassinet at all! He would fall asleep in the sling for 30-40 minutes a stretch and did that pretty much through the flight! He didn't cry when awake though but it meant DH and myself barely got any sleep... First night at our destination was a nightmare though... We tried to get them onto the time here and they both fell asleep at 7pm (brilliant! But oh no...) but DS2 woke up at 9.30pm and cried on and off till 1.30am. DS1 was up from about 11pm and cried on and off till god-knows-what-time but they both tired themselves out and was out like a light till almost 9am this morning! We have been out and about today and they are both really enjoy themselves and more in sync with the time here so fingers crossed for tonight!

Blessed They would not let us put DS1 on the floor despite us saying that we just want him to settle to sleep on the floor first before moving him to the seat but no way! :( So DS1 took a while to settle but he did eventually. I don't really know what advice to give you. DS2 is 9 months old and he was a nightmare in that he kept falling asleep and waking up so didn't do a good stretch of sleep but he was quite happy otherwise...

PomPotty 4 x 12 hours flight!!!!! You are way braver than I am... :)

angel1976..... brave or stupid

Hope your boby clocks all adjust quickly and you have a better night tonight!

twoblessed

It's actually easier with a 10 month old because they should be light enough to go in the bassinet/child seat for a sleep (limit's around 12-13kg). For a night flight you'll be ok as they should sleep for a lot of. Day flights are harder. Let our DS play on the floor between our legs which at least gave us a bit of a break for a while. Other than that it's walking up and down aisles and going to a chat to cabin crew :)

In my experience most passengers are fine as long as they see you trying to keep the baby calm/quiet. It's when parents make no effort whatsoever that passengers start to get really irate.

angel - did they come round and make you move him or did you ask? I doubt they'd notice for quite a while a child being asleep on the floor (except takeoff and landing of course)!

bedubabe First we tried asking them nicely and it was a no... And then we tried to let him snuggle down and we got asked not to do it... It was rubbish. They were really 'vigilant' shall we say. We were with another company once and they let us 'bed' DS1 down by the fire door... Completely against regulations but DS1 screamed during take-off, we saw a woman behind us asking to be moved! So I guess they figured anything for a quiet baby.

Might be worth trying dvd player before you go-we flew with my ds at 16mnths and it absolutely saved us!! As long as they recognise dvd's before hand so they will sit and watch-ds fell asleep watching his dvd, and it worked wonders for distracting him. We played the dvd's through our laptop though, so had photos on there too, which he sat for a good while and looked at. Did help though that we managed to get a seat for him, so had extra room for clambering about!

As someone who has travelled a fair amount with 2 yr old ds as single parent (e.g. 6 flights together in last 3 months, 2 of which were transatlantic) I must share my top tip! The ultimate threat to an aeroplane obsessed boy: Do I need to go and tell the pilot that you are not behaving/not putting your seatbelt on/messing around etc etc - use cabin crew to help by getting them to afirm the pilot will be very cross with ds! Works like a charm....

Also take flight one hour at a time, have an activity or some sort of schedule for each hour. John Lewis pocket money toy dep brilliant for stocking up pre flight.

Final tip: buy some aeroplane books to read for the weeks running up to flight. Got my ds so excited about aeroplanes he is now totally convinced he will be a pilot!

Tip: If you DS is prone to be screamy, don't bother... I have had too many overseas flights sitting next to proud parents and their DS's to know this by now..