Tell me how to survive flight with toddler

[Dalesgirl16]

We have to go to Cyprus later this year for close family wedding when my very boisterous daughter will be 23 months. It's 4.5 hr flight and we have never flown since she was born. Please can I have any tips on how to best amuse her. I can't see her sitting down for the whole flight.

We are about to have fertility treatment and timing our trip to be when I hope to be 3.5 months pregnant. Did not even think of that. No wine! Oh well will have to survive the flight with lots of toys and snacks.

I don't have young kids anymore, but a friend who does has no issues with giving her mad toddler a drowsy antihistamine syrup on a long flight. Bingo, and no script required either, just over the counter.
These things have their place according to her, and I have to agree, they are safe and do the job!

I will await the vitriol..... 5, 4, 3, 2, 1....

It'll be fine, my 2 DS have flown regularly to Hong Kong and Bejing since 12 months old. Just have a bag of stuff for them to dip into and keep them amused and a drink on take off/landing. iPad with games or film usually keeps them busy for a while :) Enjoy!

We flew this week with 23 month old. She had her own seat.

Tips - get on the plane last. Don’t sit down until they close the doors. The novelty of being stuck in a seat with a seatbelt on wears off quickly for a little one and it can take a long time while you taxi and take off until the seatbelt sign is off
Snacks (even those you normally reserve as treats) and toys. Lots and lots of both. Get up and move when you can as a new view (even if just of the aisle, people, the loo, can pass the time

Pritrion (antihistamine) makes some toddlers hyper including mine.

Having recently had the flight from hell to Mallorca surrounded by a 20 strong stag group who were so obnoxious that the staff wouldn't come up our end of the plane (so we ended up not getting served), I would take travelling with toddlers any time. In fact there were two or three families with babies/toddlers, and apart from a bit of grizzling when we took off, they were an absolute dream.

Definitely agree with not doing a night flight and having a drink, and also agree with having some new small toys and things. You might like to go to the dollar store prior to the flight and pick up some cheap, fun things - new crayons and colouring books, new small toys, etc.

Make sure they are comfortable using headphones. Your seat neighbours don't want to hear peppa pig the entire journey.

If you decided to go with some phenergan or similar then try it out before hand. Some children become hyperactive not hypoactive and you dont need a small child tripping off their face on a plane.

I really feel for parents that have to take very young children on flights. It must be awful. Aren't there alternatives? Grandparents to watch the children while you are away? Or another close relative?

I took my baby to Cyprus 2 years ago...but he was 5 months old and slept most of the flight there and back. Not my help, sorry!
I don't know if I could handle more than the occasional 40 min flight to Ireland at the moment though, as he's 2 and mad as a box of frogs.

We took DS to the US when he was 19 & 26 months (8hr+) flights. Book a seat for your child, load a device with episodes of their favourite programmes and take lots of activities for them to do (including some new ones). We gave DS a small digger toy, a sticker book, a travel aquadoodle and a fe other similar bits, which really helped.

I haven't tried one but I saw one genius mummy with a thing called bag rider. Her toddler was travelling on top of their hand luggage. It was soooo good.

It really made a difference getting in and out of the plane :)

I agree with little cheap toys, they make the flight much easier. By far the best thing I bought was a Buckle Toy on Amazon, they aren't really cheap but they are definitely worth the money as it kept her occupied for hours. Accept that your flight won't be like it was before, no reading, watching tv, snoozing etc. I walked her up and down the aisles for ages! Definitely take snacks to keep her going and a lolly pop for landing.

Best advice I had was to make sure that you have a change of clothes in your cabin bag for you and baby. I flew 10 hours solo to San Francisco with a 23 month old and as the seatbelt light switched on she vomited all over me and herself. I was so grateful for clean clothes even if my bra was wet with vomit

Oh and I've used a soft carrier every trip. Our 2 flight, 9 hour flight I rented a preschool carrier (she was 3) I got told off by the cabin crew in Paris for 'babying her' but it made it so much safer and easier for the airport transfer

Take your own food, and more than you think you need. Things that are clean to eat and not too sugary! You might find that there is no food on board your little one likes and even if there is then it can take ages to get served. Take extra in case of delays (individually packaged things are great as you can always use them up during the holiday if you don’t need them on board).

Take extra nappies. ( we once found ourselves on the tarmac for 3 hours which turned a two hour flight into a five hour one. I ran out of milk and nappies and won’t do that again in a hurry!

Headphones for the iPad are great if your little one will wear them. You can get a splitter for an extra set of headphones if you want to share ( helpful to hear what is going on with some of the apps)

You can take water through security if it is for a baby.
A bag with a new story book or CBeebies magazine in it works well.

Enjoy your flight!

It’s as difficult as you want to make it. I fly every other month with my just (birthdays last week) 2 and 4 year old on my own.
All rules go out the window so they have a treat only on a Saturday normally and no tv in the week. Flight days that goes out of the window if they are good on the plane they are allowed to choose some chocolate and watch the ipad (with earphones please dont inflict the noise on other travellers) which they love.
Sorry ive not rtft but my Main advice is:

Take change of clothes for each child and you.
Double nappy any of them still in nappies so you just take off the underneath nappy when changing in seat.

Book a seat for toddlers.

Can even double nappy pull ups is 23 month old not potty trained. Only need to change a poo then.

Suck a bottle on take off and landing.

Get a ruck sack bag with passport size compartment at front keep all documents here.

Take food and snacks that are not too messy. Ham wraps, cheese, bananas grapes etc.

Babyzen yoyo or similar is the best buggy as folds to hand luggage. Both mine can get on it in airport.

Dont board first the less time they are on the plane the better!

Never book a flight that is rubbish times for the kids. Overtired hungry children make terrible air passengers!

Layer t shirts long or short sleeved (planes are cold it never fails to escape me how people traveling with small children in shorts and t shirt are not aware of this) and remove as necessary if get dirty.

Most importantly remember it’s only a few hours of your life so dont worry about it just deal with things as they happen!

My top 10 tips:

1. changes of clothes for everyone
2. book a seat, bring the car seat on board if possible
3. fly during the day if you can
4. download programmes they like and suspend all screen time rules
5. practice with earphones at home (you can get toddler ones from amazon) so the rest of the cabin doesn’t have to listen to Peppa
6. drinks during take off and landing
7. snacks, snacks and more snacks
8. lots of small new toys, wrap them up to add a layer of excitement
9. be prepared to walk up and down the plane
10. remember this too shall pass

@Gromance02 i am sure there are lots of capable parents outthere who do jot require your sympathy and enjoy spending time away with their children rather than leaving them behind!

I really feel for parents that have to take very young children on flights. It must be awful. Aren't there alternatives? Grandparents to watch the children while you are away? Or another close relative?

We go away to take our children to see their grandparents, who live abroad and are unable to travel to us.
No need to feel sorry for us, it’s a couple of hours pain on the flight for a few weeks of lovely family time, sunshine and good food. We go out of choice.

Thanks. I'm going to print this page off. It is SO important!

If you’re taking the iPad, take headphones. Some selfish bastard gave his kid an iPad on full volume on my flight from Spain last week. He got asked to turn it down and refused.

So I have two DDs and have flown to Australia with them at ages 2 weeks to 6 years and everything inbetween.

If I can do 24 hours alone with a two year old, trust me you will be fine to Cyprus! It just takes planning.

You need to bring a variety of snacks you know they like . Plus a little treat or two ie kinder egg etc for emergency distraction.

You also need to bring a variety of things to do, as the attention span is about 10 minutes! Aside from an ipad which can be very useful, I buy some new toys so they are very novel and interesting and I wrap them up as presents so they can waste time opening them, thus being entertained. Things that work really well are playdoh and maybe a playdoh set, maybe a couple of little people figures to play with in a house maybe duplo or playmobil, a little vehicle of some sort they can wheel around, colouring does the trick for a bit, the water colouring books and maybe little toys that do not have any pieces.

You can walk around in the plane. Eat, a few games, the ipad, toilet stop, maybe even a nap if timed well and you will be in Cyprus!

Good luck!

Ps also take lots of snacks there you know he will like like ellas fruit pouches etc as in oz my dd did not like the taste of the ones there . and keep some for the plane journey home!

Soydora - are you for real? I have been on many flights and holidays with my young children.And to visit family in Australia. My seven year old has been to Australia four times. She has had amazing excperiences . We want to for the most part take them with us as a family and experience what we do!

We swear by taking our car seat on the plane. We have a separate one that's suitable for flying and we use it in a hire car at the other end. He treats it like a car seat, in as much as he knows he can't get out. Apart from a few trips up and down the plane, he stayed in his car seat maybe 3.5 hours?
In Cyprus at the moment, flight was fine even with an on plane 90 minute delay before take off with DS who is 2.
Programmes downloaded from Netflix, lots of snacks like raisins and Pom bears. Loads of magazines and bought him some toddler headphones which he loved.
We had him sit in the window seat so he could also look out and see what was going on.

I flew with my 8 month old and then 12 month old by myself to australia so a 24 hour flight with a stopover.

I booked an extra seat with access to the bassinet. Requested for assistance at each stop and found it easy.

It will depend on the temperament of your child. Mine were docile at that age but have made up for it now!

I booked an extra.seat and they also had the basket which was helpful