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Original poster

Worried 2 year old won’t stay in seat for take off and landing

43 replies

Fliss689 · 05/06/2019 23:26

Like the title says really. We’re going on a short haul flight and my child has just turned two so has her own seat. She’s definitely going through the “terrible twos” and I have visions of her kicking off and not seating in her own seat when she has too. It’s too late for me to get a FFA approved car seat and I’m worried what will I do. Any reassures out there for me.

OP posts:
stanski · 05/06/2019 23:35

She's got to sit. Whether you tell her she has no option, Offer her a reward for when 'the sign goes off' or something else you'll b fine. My nearly 3 year old is on his 31st flight and always looks forward to the bing and light turning off on seatbelt sign. Don't worry you'll b fine

ClarkeMurphy · 05/06/2019 23:40

She will simply have to sit. Try bribery (reading, iPad in flight mode, food, whatever) and if that doesn't work you have to hold her in her seat. It seems harsh but really it's only the same thing as restraining her in a car seat. It's a last resort but it is for her own safety and absolutely necessary.

broken1982 · 05/06/2019 23:40

Yeah sending all the luck in the world for that one lol. We (sat either side of her) had to physically hold our daughter down until the no seat belt light went off. It caused a mega meltdown but there wasn't much else we could do as at this age they just don't understand

ArfArfBarf · 05/06/2019 23:42

Box of smarties?

Catren · 05/06/2019 23:43

Agree with stanski, and I'd also add that it's not your rule, it's the flight attendant who looks at that flashy sign so we all have to do the right thing. I tend to pack snacks and fun for this moment, so dc is occupied for take off. Don't expect a 2yo to sit quietly without entertainment - i'm sure you weren't, but be strategic about how you use the things you've brought. I find sandwich bags of different snacks or little toys brought out at different times can fill the time and be exciting enough to keep dc entertained. Also, ipad, peppa pig and kid headphones are a godsend.

Longdistance · 05/06/2019 23:47

Crappy kids magazine
Chocolate
Sweets
Pin into seat 🤷🏼‍♀️
You’ll be fine.
I travelled from Oz to the UK on my own with dds 13mo and not quite 3. Both sat in their seats with the seat belt on. Tbh, they were fascinated by it.

letstryanewone · 05/06/2019 23:56

I just few a few days ago. The parent in the seat next to me literally had to pin her kid down while the child screamed. Stressful for them both but people were a lot less judgy than I thought they'd be.

Otherwise I would bribe with anything you possibly can.

Ps don't bother with the car seat. They won't usually actually let you take it on after they turn 2 (I have one)

LoveYourHome9 · 05/06/2019 23:56

You keep your tone full of excitement and have some special snacks, sweets, drink, etc up your sleeve to bring out at just the right moment.

For me, it is always a lolly pop.

I get them settled in their seat with a tablet and ear phones, get their favorite show or movie on and then as we start moving, oh look a lolly! How exciting...

You’ll be fine OP, if you’re like me you’ll worry about it up to the time and then in the blink of an eye it will be done and no drama!

Expressedways · 06/06/2019 00:45

You’re probably overthinking it. I had an issue with my 23 month old last week as BA insisted she had to sit on my lap, and not in her own seat for take off and landing- the US airlines don’t insist on this and we’ve been booking her seat since she turned 1 so she’s used to her own space on planes and wasn’t impressed. She also can’t manage to undo the seatbelt either so we just strap her in then iPad, headphones and a snack- sorted!

sheknowsshesachocolategirl · 06/06/2019 01:23

Expressed - it's a CAA rule, not BA being petty. US carriers are generally way more lax than UK carriers.

PotolBabu · 06/06/2019 03:15

Yeah up to 2 all airlines made me make my kids sit on laps for take off and landing.
And you explain many many times before that it’s a rule that when the seatbelt light is on she has to keep it on. And if she won’t, you will have to force it. The plane can’t taxi down the runway otherwise.
Last week flying back home from holiday, just as the wheels lifted off from the ground, a small two year old voice said in my ear: Mummy, me need to do a poo poo in toilet.’
Erm. He had to hold on and they left him go as soon as they had levelled off even though the seatbelt sign was on.

Expressedways · 06/06/2019 03:21

I know full well it’s not BA being petty and it’s regulation, it’s just that it’s quite a contrast to what we’re used to as the American carriers are indeed quite lax and don’t even have infant seatbelts! My point was that it’s not usually difficult to persuade a toddler to sit in their own seat, that it’s far easier than trying to hold them on top of you whilst they thrash about and that the OP is probably (hopefully!) worrying about nothing.

NannyPear · 06/06/2019 03:23

We've done the pinning down before... It's bloody awful. But, needs must (because the flight attendant will come and tell you off otherwise!). For us the biggest problem was DS keeping his seatbelt on. For whatever reason (other than the simple fact he's a toddler) he hated it. There may have been one flight in which we took it off for landing...

feesh · 06/06/2019 03:44

You can buy a CARES harness or take their car seat on board. That’s what we usually do with whichever of our kids has been at that awkward age for a flight.

Nandocushion · 06/06/2019 03:52

Er, sorry, what? "American carriers are indeed quite lax and don’t even have infant seatbelts" No they aren't and yes they do! WTF. I fly several times a year in the US and every single time they tell you about infant seatbelts, and show us where they are. They are seriously not lax! They are far more likely to make everyone sit down for a tiny bit of turbulence than European carriers are, for instance.

Anyhoo, OP, I suggest you hold her down in her seat, because as I always told my kids every single time they thought they could do as they please: it's not a choice. Not really sure why this would be an issue? I assume you make your DC sit in car seats and don't give them an option. So be a parent and make her sit down, it's not hard, she's small.

edgeofheaven · 06/06/2019 03:55

Expressedways Every airline I've been to, US or otherwise, requires children under 2 to be on an adult's lap for take off and landing even if they have their own seat.

The only airline I've been on that didn't have an infant seatbelt was Japanese actually!

Teddyreddy · 06/06/2019 04:14

My just turned 2 year old surprised us last year by completely refusing to sit in her own seat, I think because it was all a bit too strange. BA agreed she could sit on our lap instead with an infant belt - depending on your daughter would that be an option?

Expressedways · 06/06/2019 04:39

This really isn’t relevant to the OP’s original question but I fly with AA fairly regularly and United on occasion and I promise I have never once been given an infant seat belt.

I queried it once when DD was a smaller and was booked to fly on my lap and AA crew said they don’t have them and just to hold her. I flew with them last week and again, no infant belt provided. When she was just over 1, the crew specifically said that she was fine to sit in her own seat for takeoff. For last week’s trip I sat her in her own seat for take-off/landing (except for the BA flight we connected on to). I’ve never specifically asked United but again have always sat her in her own seat and the crew has never told me to do otherwise or provided a seat belt.

If anyone is genuinely that interested it also says on the AA website that your infant can travel in their own seat if they can sit up unassisted and have their seatbelt securely fastened during taxi, takeoff and landing, see here:
www.aa.com/i18n/travel-info/special-assistance/traveling-children.jsp

(honestly not making this up, I’m not completely batshit Smile)

Nandocushion · 06/06/2019 05:20

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Mrscog · 06/06/2019 05:56

We had this with 2 yo DS who was also so tiny the lap belt wasn’t tight enough. He kept going rigid and sliding flat so he was held by his chest. It was an utter nightmare and hugely dangerous and Easyjet refused an infant belt ‘as he was 2’ (despite still being the size of many 12-18 month olds!) we literally had to pin him by the hips to his seat for take off and landing. Massive massive tantrum but there was literally nothing else that could be done to keep him safe.
I wish I’d kicked up more of a fuss about the infant belt as it would have been a better safer solution and the reason for the tantrum was that he wanted to sit on me anyway.

Kiwiinkits · 06/06/2019 06:01

I just tell my kid that the pilot is watching and that "the pilot" will give them a sweety at the end of the flight if they're good. They genuinely think that the hosts handing around sweets at the end are rewarding the passengers for good behaviour Grin

Franberry · 06/06/2019 06:01

When ours were this age we invented a Seatbelt Fairy who lived in the overhead locker and switched on the special light sometimes to keep you safe. If you were really good and obeyed the fairy for the whole flight you would find she'd left you some chocolate buttons in the locker as you got off the plane. It worked a treat!

Kiwiinkits · 06/06/2019 06:02

on overnight flights (we live a long way from the places we holiday) I tell them that its a sleeping plane and "the pilot" will come around to check if they're sleeping.

Gwlondon · 06/06/2019 06:06

Sweets. Buy a magazine at the airport. Let her choose. Stickers. iPad. You can do it! Just take loads of stuff. Mobile phone.
Books! I used to buy a new Mr men book at the airport. My husband didn’t approve but honestly just take things with you.
If your daughter is helping to buy the thing it might help her be interested. Explain it’s for the plane and when we need to sit in our seats.
Put some new interesting things on your phone/iPad. Nosy Crow have some nice apps that are stories but interactive graphics. You can spin the characters on the screen for example.
Good luck. You can do it.

TheCanterburyWhales · 06/06/2019 06:12

She'll do it because she has to and because the flight won't leave if she doesn't.
Don't go overthinking it now. And don't start talking about it with her. She's too young to process an abstract concept like that in (for her) the far distant future.
Worse case scenario, you just have to hold her down for the minutes involved.