Flying with 20 Month-old

I just recently flew with my 21 month old son from Colorado to Virginia, for Christmas. The best thing that I bought for him was a backpack that
had wheels on it. He loved pulling and pushing it through the airport, and it helped me out a whole lot. Within his backpack, I put a few sippy cups, snacks, some of his trucks & books from home, his beloved "Scout" doll, and a few new never before seen toys that he could open on the plane. He was occupied the whole flight with the new toys, since he had never played with them before. I would definitely recommend to bring some suckers, so when the elevation changes, her ears can easily pop with the sucking motion. That is the only thing I had trouble with, since my son was fighting a cold. Another thing, don't let other peoples "dirty" or "fed-up" looks get you annoyed. They probably don't know what it is like traveling with a small child, and if they did, I promise their looks would change! Good luck to you! :)

We travelled last year with my daughter when she was about that age and she did remarkably well. We had lollipops to suck on for take off and landing (plus it was a yummy treat that kept her occupied). We brought the barrel of monkeys game which she enjoyed dumping out on the tray. We did have to pick the monkeys off the floor a few times, but overall it wasn't too bad. The game was inexpensive and small so it didn't take up much room in my carry on. We also brought wikki sticks to play with. These were originally for my older daughter, but my younger daughter enjoyed them too. We could twist them into different shapes for her to hold or make small balls out of them. Coloring books, books to read, and stickers are also good for occupying little ones.

I think the stress of the flight is harder on the parents than the actual flight is for the kids. When my oldest daughter was just shy of two we had a really long delay at an incredibly small airport. I was all stressed out about how my daughter would do when we got on the plane b/c we had used most of our occupying tricks in the airport. Once we got on the plane, my daughter went with the flow. I was the one who was incredibly grumpy and ready for a tantrum! lol Try not to worry too much. I'm sure you will be fine. Good luck!

I agree that I think the parents anxiety is worse than the kids, though I have been on planes where some kids were having serious meltdowns :). The iPhone is our friend, full of games and videos. We use it as a last resort though. Bring crayons and paper to draw. I brought a cheap magna doodle that was helpful. Plenty of books and snacks. We ran out of juice/water on our way back and the flight attendant got us some right before landing, even though the beverage service was over. If you need more snacks, juice, etc, don't be afraid to ask. They don't want your child to have a meltdown just as much as you, lol.

After a while though, my son usually ends up asleep in my husbands arms. This time around, he kept wanting to go to use the potty. Annoying, but whatever it takes!! Good luck.

The wrapped present idea is great...but check with your airline/airport first, they may not allow wrapped packages! Maybe bring some small lunch bags so you can "wrap" presents on the plane before you give them to her.
I have flown from AZ to Boston several times with my almost 3 yr old. I have found that the key is a wide variety. Books and snacks are a must. I also try to find toys that can be played with in different ways, like a small set of MegaBloks. You can help her build different things, animals, castles, etc, and keep her engaged longer than some other toys. Crayons and paper, string and large beads, even a paper plate with holes punched around the edge and a shoelace to "sew" with can all be entertaining.
Also, be sure to bring a pillow and blanket of your own- they smell familiar and may help calm her down for sleeping.
If she has a meltdown, just try to stay calm yourself. Remember that no one like being cooped up for hours on end, and it is hard to ask a busy toddler to stay still so long. Other people may be annoyed, but you just can't worry about them. The best thing you can do is focus on your child and do your very best to meet her needs for the moment. No one can ask more than that of you.
Best of luck!!

A few years ago, we travelled with our almost-2-year-old to Switzerland from Phoenix... a total of 19 hours of travel time! We brought a DVD player but really didn't use it. We brought a travel-sized magnetic doodle pad that was great... little board books where the child can open and close "windows" were good too. One thing that may be fun are those building "blocks" that have all of those bristles... they are easy to push onto each other on almost any position on the block (do they even make those anymore?) Bring a couple of clear-ish take-and-throw sippy cups, and if needed, some of those single Kool-Aid packets. You can get water or juice from the flight attendants anytime- not just during beverage service. Bring lots of snacks... gummies, cereal bars, lollipops for altitude change... whatever your child likes to snack on. There are a lot of new things happening around your child, so she may be busy part of the time looking around and just taking it all in. Plane travel with your little one really is not bad... just takes a bit of pre-planning.

When I traveled with my daugher at that age, I brorught books, crayons, paper, pen, a couple small toys and most importantly a snack. My daughter wasn't into tv at that stage, but if yours is I hear that it works great. All I can say is don't stress. We fly alot and my daughter does pretty good, but she almost always gets bored at some time, want's to walk and gets fussy. My daughter is used to sleeping in her own bed and can't seem to get comfortable on a plane to sleep. Just roll with it. Remember we've all been there! Usually the other people on the plane will lean over and tell you they remember when their kids did the same thing. People on our flights have always been great. My best suggestion is too look for other kids on the plane. One time we had a child approx 5 years old sitting across the aisle. He played with my daughter and she loved it !! It also kept him busy so his mother was thrilled. Try and stay calm if she starts kicking and screaming. I usually try to distract my child. (and rememeber she will get better each time she flies. ) Hope that helps,

Oh good luck to you. Traveling with a child is miserable. I would bring a wrapped present for my child to open when she is almost ready for a melt down. Gave me a little more time. Expect a lot of walking up and down the aisles.

DVD player helps with my daughter. Do you have an iPhone or an iTouch, if so, download the Fresh Beat Band. My daughter doesn't move when this is on. Also, my daughter loves to color so I bring crayons and a coloring book. I also let her have Teddy Grahams, which she doesn't get and if I'm really desperate, a Kit Kat bar.