Flying 7.5 hours with 11/12 month old - help

[user13842]

Hi all. In June, DP and I are flying 7.5 hours to Toronto (and back) for my brothers wedding. DD will be 11 months on our way there and we fly home the evening of her 1st birthday. The flight back should be ok as after the initial excitement of being on the plane she should sleep most of it as it’s overnight. Or at least that’s what I’m hoping for. I, on the other hand, may not!

However our flight out is at 9am UK time so she’ll be buzzing and is not a big daytime sleeper anyway. Any hints and tips as to how to entertain her for 7.5 hours?! She is a very busy/nosy baby so certainly isn’t going to sit happily on my lap. If not walking by then she’s a very keen and speedy crawler and will want to be doing that.

We are luckily flying with a lot of family - my parents, nana, two uncles and three aunties - so do have some help but I’d like to be prepared and am not expecting them to all want to entertain her for extended periods of time. They are seated at a different part of the plane to us. DD will be on my lap as maternity leave funding couldn’t stretch to a third seat!

Any advice gratefully received, thanks ☺️

Your flight is at 9am, but what time do you need to get up and leave for the airport? It must be a good bit earlier. What time does she normally get up? We flew to Florida when my youngest was 11 months and she did sleep for the first bit as we had an early start. Then it was toys, snacks and visiting family members in different parts of the plane.

We’re staying in a hotel next to the airport the night before so will be very close. She usually wakes up around 6 and will be earlier than that but nothing crazy. I hope she sleeps a little bit but sleep pressure will be low in the morning so not counting on it and she doesn’t sleep a lot during the day time anyway.

Thanks ☺️

She’ll nap on the day flight too? Also you have extra pairs of hands so rotate and rest. My stance is normal rules out the window whilst on a plane survival is a must. By that I mean tele is ok extract snacks is ok etc if needed. I did a 14 hour flight with a dc at 18 months and although
older than yours and I was absolutely petrified before it was completely fine x

Sorry the other thing I’d add and not to be negative but I just hadn’t thought about it before. The only thing I found hard (despite the extensive worrying before) was when there was turblance and everyone had to have seat belts on. The babies and toddlers just don’t understand why they’re suddenly strapped back in and try to escape / cry as get cross. That was tricky. But it wasn’t jsut mine it was all of them. Just a heads up that’s all! otehrwise per my prior message you’ll be fine xxx

Can you get a bulkhead seat? Some airlines do a sort of pram seat - https://sorry-about-the-mess.co.uk/will-my-older-baby-or-toddler-fit-the-ba-baby-seat/

I just flew to 10h with an 11mo and we had one of these, definitely made naps easier.

We threw normal rules out the window - screen time, more milk than usual, food to chew for take off and landing. Baby wanted to crawl on the floor on the way there and cruise/walk by the time we flew back 2 weeks later. We took a small board book & cuddly toys with toy leashes to clip to the seat belt (so no scrounging on the floor for them every five minutes).

I also suggest finding the cleanest bit of airport you can and letting baby crawl/walk to their heart's content pre flight.

I know your baby is young, but they understand so much - do lots of social stories before you go. You cd make up a scrap book showing planes inside and outside and pictures of who she’s travelling with. Take a napping blanket and show her at home how she is (hopefully!) going to take a nap - possibly wrapped up on your lap.

At the end of the day, you have lots of support and it will b fine - the anticipation is often worse than the actual journey.

We fly a lot with our kids and always have done, the confident crawler/prewalking stage is the toughest - but doable of course!

If you don't already have one of those light up switchboards then get one and keep it for the flight.
Lots of books to read
Lots of walking around the plane
Lots of snacks - nothing messy.
Painters tape and sticker books
Some baby headphones and download some cbeebies on your iPhone for when you're exhausted

I actually find day flights much, much better as I'm not tired, the lilghts are up, it's just a day of intense entertaining.