6 hr flight with a 3 & 1 year old!

[Jakdgr]

When possible- walk the aisles. I don't think anyone is annoyed by a toddling baby as much as a whining, crying, screaming baby.

 

I do not recommend medicating your child- not all children react the same way. My older son was wired on Benedryl.

 

Good luck!

 

We took our daughter on a long flight from Perth-London when she was 14 months old - I had also been told of a medicine similar to Benedryl to make her a little sleepy so had tried it at home before we flew - no issues. Gave it to my little girl at Singapore (still 12 hrs flying ahead of us) and unfortunately she 'hyped up' like this poster's son. We had taken diversion toys/snacks etc but in the end, walked the aisles and cabin attendant's areas. I think people are happy to see a little one walk around rather than be restrained and scream (thankfully we had no turbulant weather). I also wouldn't suggest medication based on my experience. Best of luck - just smile/offer apologies if you feel your neighbours are unduly disturbed - most people sympathise and you can't really do much else.:)

[urkidn]

1. As mentioned, bring an approved car seat. Kids, like everyone else, should be safely buckled up. If they are used to a car seat at home, they will be more inclined to stay seated on the plane.

 

2. Make sure you have something for the child to suck or chew on for take off and landing to avoid ear discomfort. It's a lot harder to calm them down after the fact and you don't want them associating plane travel with pain.

 

3. Bring snacks but avoid anything that will bring on a sugar rush or similar reaction. My son has food and food additive allergies that can cause him to be over-active. We have to be extra careful when traveling as ingredients are not as easily identifiable and there is a tendency to overindulge because we're on vacation.

 

4. As mentioned, go for the bulkhead or try and have the seats ahead of you occupied by family members. Children's legs are short, their knees are either supported by the seat which leaves them sticking straight out or they are slightly bent and dangling. Either way, it is not their fault that their feet are too close to the seat ahead, especially if it is reclined. Unfortunately, the person ahead of you will probably not be very understanding.

 

5. We've used Rescue Remedy on us, our kids and our dog! It is totally natural and has a calming effect. Check it out at rescueremedy.com

 

6. Our son always has his own backpack of goodies containing his comfort toys (his favourite stuffy still comes everywhere), transformers, videos, books, ipod, etc. Playing cards are great too. In his early years, we always brought along his Leap Pad. It is quite entertaining for the younger set and in your case, you can interchange cartridges suitable for either age group.

 

7. Personally, I found that keeping my children as calm and quiet as possible before a flight worked better than letting them run around. If the adrenalin is pumped, it might take a bit to calm down. Airports are great for word games like I spy with my little eye. We also brought along books about flying so they understood as much as can be expected. Usborne books has a pretty good one. If your gate overlooks the runway, all the better to keep them entertained.

 

Have a great trip!

[rebeccalouise]

My older son was the kind of 18 month old that laughs alot and loves to jump on the seat. This entertained him and I am sure he was staring at the person behind us but being really good. When he was antsy I allowed him to walk with me down the aisles- up and back. I remember the flight attendant being really angry when he looked up her skirt- especially since I was laughing!

 

Oh well, we just do our best and hope people will have a sense of humor. Had he been pitching a fit- that would have upset people. So what do you do? Just try to entertain them and let them walk- they really like that and most people will be nice about that.

[sas80]

JUST for the record....

 

When I initially mentioned Benadryl I was totally kidding!

 

I have not read all of the responses but I know that people started chatting about Benadryl after I mentioned it.

 

Would I ever give my child Benadryl for a flight? I don't know. I don't think I would, but I know never to say never.

 

I totally meant it as a joke.

 

We actually love the 99 cent mini magna doodle we got. It's great for traveling because they cant draw on anything other than the pad itself...they can sure try, and they will!

[wrp96]

JUST for the record....

 

When I initially mentioned Benadryl I was totally kidding!

 

I have not read all of the responses but I know that people started chatting about Benadryl after I mentioned it.

 

Would I ever give my child Benadryl for a flight? I don't know. I don't think I would, but I know never to say never.

 

I totally meant it as a joke.

 

 

Someone else said a friend's doctor suggested it which got the serious discussion started.

 

I personally liked the suggestion to use it as a tranquilizer for the adults around the child.:p

[dolphinwyo]

You can never guess with kids...they are hard to predict. The last flight with my then 2 y.o. DS was to Mexico. It was supposed to be a 3 hour flight, BUT we were grounded on the airplane for 2 hours waiting for a connecting flight. I had scheduled the flight around nap time, but then the 2 hours waiting on the plane before take off (they wouldn't let us off, since we had to check passports, etc.) he played with the windows, walked up and down, etc., but no screaming so I figured everyone would just have to tolerate his "activeness" especially the people we were waiting for...:p If we wouldn't have waited, they wouldn't have gotten to Mexico until the next day. Well - he was very "busy" during the ENTIRE flight. We get off the plane, start walking to customs in 90 degree weather, and he was out! He had the nerve to fall asleep while I was carrying him, sweating, through the very long customs line! Thankfully, the customs agent saw us and had sympathy, whisked us through the line. He then slept the entire bus ride to the hotel! Oh well, we survived!:D Car seat is a must, at least he can be contained during flight, and I agree with snacks, backpack of goodies, etc. I have to carry Benadryl, since he is allergic to nuts and this is the cure, but it makes him very wired. We travel with 2 kids and 2 parents, so we put one kid in window, parent in middle, then row behind one kid in window, parent in middle. That way my youngest is only kicking his sister's seat, and nobody is stuck next to the kids except for us. Anyway - good luck, most people are actually understanding!