Long haul flight with 18 month old

[marshmallow2468]

Hi,

Going on a 10 hour flight with an 18 month old in a few months time. Any tips for surviving?! We're flying transatlantic, so we arrive at roughly his bedtime, but it'll only be the middle of the day. Any tips for getting him through jetlag? I thought about giving him a couple of hours sleep when we arrive, treating it as a second afternoon nap (hopefully he'll nap on the plane) and putting him to sleep again early evening.

Any tips for keeping him entertained on the plane? He's an active sort and doesn't have a great attention span. I'm starting to put together a list of new toys to take with us. Any ideas? So far I've thought etch a sketch (if it still exists!) or aqua doodle, and then I'm a bit stumped. He doesn't have his own seat, so he'll be on one of us all the time.

Thanks!

of course he is active with a tiny attention span - the definition of an 18 month old!

walk him round the plane whenever possible. Overdose on seat-back TV. Don't plan anything for the next day or so. Have spare clothes for all of you. And remember - it is only 20 hours out of your life. :-)

Book him his own seat. Take lots of snacks.

I have flown a 12 hour flight with my DD at 18mo. She wasn't interested in any of the toys I packed. At that age she hasn't discovered videos yet (or I'd suggest a tablet filled with peppa pig and the like). I didn't book her seat but she got an extra one because the plane wasn't full. However the extra seat was useless. On the evening flight was asleep but couldn't do it sitting up. We tried very hard to stay awake so she wouldn't roll off the seat. We tried putting her to sleep on the floor but was told off because it is a h&s hazard supposedly.

The day flight was easier. She didn't sit still for the entire 12 hours but we just took turns walking up and down the aisles and hanging around the toilets. She loved handing out in flight magazines and headphones to people and chatting to strangers.

I think they are all different but be prepared that there is nothing you could keep a 18mo old in a seat.

It was yonks ago that mine were that small and we did long haul flights...but only tip...was told to give them piriton on first flight as it would make them sleepy. Worried myself sick about 'drugging' them...but did so...only to find it had the opposite effect and they both walked around the cabin and seat rows the whole way there!!
splash out on extra seat if poss...we did and it made a huge difference and also we got loads of room...able to walk between rows...wasn't a scheduled flight just a charter but it made all the difference to the children who wouldn't sleep!!
Used to be an air stewardess before kids so other tip would be...Don't stress...they'll know. If they freak out and have a tantrum...don't worry about any one else...chances are you'll never see them again!!

Thanks for your words of wisdom. An extra seat isn't an option but we have gone for the bulkhead. I can't imagine sitting down at all during that flight, altohugh we may take turns walking through the cabin with him. The flight back is a night flight so we're hoping he'll sleep on one of us, although it'll be a hell of a squish! Luckily he's not the largest of toddlers.

We recently did a 12 hour overnight flight with our 18 month old, I think I did a thread about it if you search my username. She didn't sleep much but she didn't scream much either and we all survived.

Things that really helped:

• a v shaped breastfeeding pillow, made it much more comfy to have her on my lap and much easier for her to sleep
• iPad: she loved looking at photos and watching In The Night Garden (downloaded off iplayer). Seriously ITNG kept her mesmerised when nothing else worked. Also brilliant for having a meal in peace whilst on holiday. don't download episodes until just before the holiday or they will expire!
• drawing toys - a travel magnadoodle and galt water magic
• a compact hairbrush with mirror built in. Surprisingly fascinating. Used to brush teddy's fur.
• various random new items that she hadn't seen before - some 50p charity shop purchases, some items provided on board (eye mask, plastic cup from meal, etc)

Things that didn't help as much as I expected, as she didn't have the attention span (but might be more help on a day flight)

• books
• snacks
• stickers
• headphones for the ipad - I got some toddler headphones but she was just too young to keep them on. ipad still fascinating with sound off though. (helps that we don't let her watch it much at home!)

Jet lag - your approach sounds good.

I flew to New Zealand (on my own!) with DS at 18m and it was hard-going. However I found that copious snacks, new toys from charity/pound shop, and walking up and down the Cabin helped immensely. I also found a leading rein v useful as it stopped him running/bumping into people sitting down while he was navigating the narrow aisles. I couldn't get him interested in the TV at all, but the remote control did hold his attention for a little while!

Jetlag is also tough at that age - although it was the other way round for us in NZ, I found he went to bed fine but was then wide awake and ready to start the next day at anything from 4am - painful!

Good luck and as others have said, it is only 20 hours out of your life and you won't see any of your fellow passengers again - hopefully!

Like Jude I've done a 26 hour flight with two dc on my own, the youngest almost two. She actually watched more TV than I thought she would.

I just said yes to pretty much nothing that was possible.