Tips for surviving 14 hour flight with 14 month old please!

[Sabz1089]

Hello Mumnetters,

I'm looking for any tips/ advice on surviving a long haul flight with a 14.5 month old. My husband and I are travelling to Hong Kong next week to visit his family.

The flight out there is 12+ hours and return flight is a little over 14h. We're due to take off at 7.20pm which is normally his bedtime, so hoping we'll get at least a few hours sleep. Flying back the flight is much later...10.45pm so he should be well asleep by then.

Any tips for keeping him entertained (without screen ideally) and tips for sleep would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you in advance!

This is the one time where I think screens would be acceptable if he normally uses them at 14 months, based on the fact everyone will be on a screen! I always made sure my DS were full up, so plenty of snacks and a big meal before boarding and if your DS still has milk? A bottle or drink. Otherwise pray for sleep!

Did this exact flight many times when mine were that age. He may or may not sleep, nothing you can do other than some Calpol to take the edge off and I second bringing more milk than you think you’ll need. Mine never liked to eat on flights. We had easy flights and horrendous flights (ie no sleep for 14 hours), you just have to tell yourself it’s only one night and go in expecting the worst! 10.45 is possibly worse as they fall asleep in the airport while waiting to board then wide awake once you get on so just be prepared for that. Try screens but at that age they are too young to be entertained by anything for a decent period of time. We had all the sticker books, all the toys but they still mostly wanted to bother other passengers in front or behind, play with tray table (annoying) or run in the aisle. Gets easier from 2.5 if you’re prepared to allow screens, especially if screens are not something they usually get.

Just back from similar length flight in opposite direction.

Big recommendation - buy them a seat, buy a stokke jetkids box on vinted. Turns the seat into a bed. My 14 month old slept for 8 hours of the overnight flight.

Devastatingly yet conveniently leave your passport at home and be forced to catch the next flight 😁

The 3 S's snacks, screens and sleep

I always bring a supersoft breastfeeding shape pillow for mine to snuggle up into and helps keep them asleep.

I would 100% go for screen!

Ears can be a problem so make sure they have plenty to drink to help equalise pressure. If you go for screens, please make sure there is no sound for other passengers as this is completely unacceptable (just done a two hour flight where the parents had thought it was appropriate to bring a noisy toy and book with sounds for their toddler 🙄). Generally this is an awful age to be doing long haul flights (too big for bassinets, uncomfortable on your lap, too small for their own seat, don’t understand what’s happening), but sometimes it has to be done. Walking up and down the aisle is fine if done quietly.

Bring some tape and card to cover the tv screen for when you want it off. Travelling with my son at that age was a nightmare. I turned the screen off. He was able to keep swiping it and turn it back on again. Trying to keep his arms down just made him scream. I spent most of the flight sitting in the floor by the toilets at the back.
Good luck.

What will Calpol do? If the child is not in pain you’re giving medication for absolutely no reason.

Flying is uncomfortable yes, but not painful. Snacks/drink/dummy during take off and landing if necessary to equalise pressure will do a better job.

This - we did a 12 hr overnight flight at 15 months (no extra seat) and one of those V shape breastfeeding pillows was a godsend. The soft pillow type not the hard C shape ones. I am not sure getting her own seat would have helped, she’d have been on our laps anyway.

She didn’t sleep much tbh - maybe 4 hrs total, in bits - so our main focus was keeping her quiet. We took it in shifts between us and basically needed to change activity every 10 min to keep her quiet. It was exhausting but she didn’t cry or keep anyone awake (which was my main worry) and we survived.

Definitely try a screen if it works (suggest In the night garden etc downloaded on an ipad) but doubt it will hold their attention long esp with the sound off. Otherwise, a variety of toys& books, water colouring, snacks and more snacks.

Of course we all then crashed out when we got to the hotel so don’t plan anything big (or anything at all) for your first day.

If you have some sort of breastfeeding cover or large muslin to create a tent over them that may help sleep wise. Though you’ll need to be able to show the belt is done up if needed.

I flew to Australia with my 20 month old and three year old. We booked the bassinet seats. She only just fitted in but yours should no problem. It was actually no problem - my toddler was more difficult as he was so high energy. We didn’t have screens then and I wouldn’t recommend them to be honest. We just brought some snacks, a few toys and if she wasn’t sleeping she was in our laps and just watched what was going on around her.

Oh we had a bassinet! DD hated it ! It was quite useful to put the toys and snacks in though

I would book a bulk head seat for the bassinet/toddler seat. We did this with our twins for a 12 hour overnight flight as toddlers and they virtually slept the whole flight. Had an hour at the start watching everyone and reading books. Then once the cabin got quieter we gave them milk and rocked to sleep. Placed them in the toddler seat on the bulkhead and they slept until an hour or so before landing when the cabin lights came up and people started to move around. So gave them breakfast - brought our own breakfast with us for them. Had a little play with a sticker book and cars. Then it was time for landing.