Plane Ride with Squirmy One Year Old

I promise you won't be the only one with a little one on the plane, so don't sweat it too much!

Snacks and drinks are a must. I used big stickers, which she found fascinating for a few minutes each, books, thick hair binders (she took them on and off her hands like bracelets). Basically a lot of small items I could cram in her diaperbag.

Good luck!

HI J.-
A couple of ideas. Buy some cheapie toys at Rite-aid or target, small enough to bring in your diaper bag or purse, and bring him on the plane. When she acts up, if she should,
bring one out to play with. Also have milk or formula available and do not give it to her until actual take-off. I recall I gave it to my son BEFORE Take-off cause we were sitting on the runway and then on take off he was screaming cause the sensation in his ears (which is so foreign to them they cry). If they are drinking milk, they are swallowing

Also, bring enough diapers in case of anything comes up. i had a friend who only brought 3 and suddenly her daughter had the runs due to somthing she ate, and they were sitting on the runway after landing. They ended up wrapping her in airline blanket, it was so bad. So let's say you think you will need 3 diapers for as long as the traveling is, just
take 6 just in case. Also change the diaper right beforeyou get on the airplane so she is fresh.
Try not to take passengers stares or looks personally.
Really.

I would bring your car seat on the plane if you can. That way she is in her comfort zone. If you need things to the place you are traveling to, you can look up Babies away www.babysaway.com
Good luck, and you will be fine!! The anxiety can make you nuts.

Make sure that she is sucking on something going up and down so that her ears don't pop. Sitting closer to the wing might ensure a longer nap time because the sound will block out other noises. The take off will most likely put her to sleep but make sure you hold her so that she feels safe. Ask which restroom has a changing table before you need it that way you won't wait for one only to be sent to another. Ask if the flight is full; if it isn't then you can take up an extra seat. Just toss a bag in it or if seats are assigned then ask about an empty row. That way she'll have plenty of room.

You can try during her nap or bed time. Also, make sure you have some special toys she loves playing with. This will make the time go by faster.

J.

Hi J.,
I took my first ride with my son when he was 6 months old to New York. He fell asleep as soon as he heard the plane's motor and slept for 3 hours! He did this until he was about 4 years old (we go twice a year). Hopefully your daughter will sleep a good portion of the trip.

Remember that you can bring the diaper bag on the plane and it is not considered extra carry on. You can also check your stroller at the gate and it will be waiting for you when you get off the plane. Bring lots of antibacterial wipes to clean the area on the plane and to clean the toys she drops on the floor. Bring lots of snacks, drinks, books, her favorite toy or blanket, a new toy to play with and a portable DVD player if you have one (it's worth the investment if you are going to fly a lot like we do). Try to change her before you get on the plane if possible so you'll only have to do maybe one change while you are flying. I also recommend buying her her own seat. It's more comfortable for you. I think their are 1/2 price until 2 years old. If you haven't done this try to get 3 seats together so you can put her down to sleep between you.

Good luck on the flight. I hope this helps!

When we travel with our son I bring several toys and snacks for the plane ride. If your daughter watches dvd's you might want to bring a dvd player and a couple of her favorites (my son is not interested in this). I also give him ibuprofen before we board and then before we land. This helps with his ears and makes him sleepy so he sleeps for part of the time. I have also gotten up with him when the aisles aren't busy and let him walk. Good luck.

Bring the car seat on board and keep her strapped in as long as possible. Its safer and I found our son was a lot less squirmy before he knew he had the option to move around. Favorite books, toys and snack are essential, but a portable DVD player saved us. Whenever he got fussy, Elmo came on and he was quiet. I know one is fairly young to watch videos, but if you were ever to make the exception, this would be the time. Also, watch out for Benadryl. It makes some kids (including my own) more active. Don't worry too much about the flight, most kids are better than you think on planes. Our flight home from Philadelpia had 3 one year olds within 3 rows and all of them were great.

It wont be as bad as you think it will be, make sure you take lots of snacks. Maybe take some toys, some books and if you happen to have a hand held DVD player take that too. I have been flying with my son since he was 4 months old, he is now 2 1/2. We are getting ready for a 4 hr flight as well. I wish you the best of luck. Have a safe trip.
A.

Yup, you will be "that mom" with the screaming child. Just get over that whole self-conscious thing. Just prepare. Bring lots of new, exciting toys, snacks, extra clothes (for yourself, too) and don't plan on being comfortable for the flight (I am assuming that you did NOT buy a seat for the child). Your daughter will be amused by the most bizarre things - my child was occupied for 20 minutes by a simple plastic cup. Take every opportunity to get up and walk around to change the scenery. Look for other families with kids. Most of them will be happy to talk for a few minutes and show you their toys just to break up the monotony. You will get through it. And it won't be as bad as you thought it would be. Have a happy Thanksgiving!!

car seat if you can, if she is an infant in lap ticket, ask when you check in to be moved, if there are empty seats, they will accommodate. And even if they tell you at the check in that there aren't, take your car seat to the gate and check again, often times people upgrade to first class and the gate crew has a much better idea of how full the flight really is.

I strongly suggest not pre-boarding, it just tacks on extra time that your child has to sit still. Sigg's bottles are great for flying, they don't leak during pressurization. I take 2 empties, one for water and one for a special juice from the flight attendants, but I water it down and avoid juice and sugary treats, there's nothing worse than a sugar high on a plane. Dress comfy, you are going to be sticky on the other end of the plane and so is your child, so sweats, t-shirts, yoga pants for mom, and Don't forget a change of clothes for your child. I've been doing Boston to LA alone with my son since he was 6 weeks (now almost 3) and it's not easy, but now he's a pro and loves to go on the airplanes.

Some must haves:

extra packet of wipes (skip the hand sanitzer, the bottle just pops open and leaks during pressure changes)
disposable changing pad
a new toy to open on the plane (weebles are fun on the tray tables, but do get dropped alot and little magna doodles are nice because the pen is attached)
blanket and teddy/snuggly
snacks galore (stuff you know she likes, not the time to try something new)
tylenol/motrin

Good Luck!

Hi J.,

Don't worry about being "that mom" on the plane. Shame on others for making it worse by glaring at parents with crying kids. Kids cry! Rarely have I seen a parent not try to help their crying child. Do people just forget what it's like to have small children? Sheesh!

Also--if your kid does cry, the chances are she won't do it for that long--and if she does, she'll probably tire herself out and then go to sleep! Whew! :-)

I was so worried the first time I took our son on a plane by myself--I worried for nothing. He sat in my lap and went to sleep shortly after take-off, and he was a pretty squirmy kid too.

Good luck!
:-) D.

I just took my first plane ride with my (then) 7 month old and 3yr old from TX to HI!!! 15 hours of traveling total! I had nightmares for a month before we went thinking that they were going to kick us off the plane because my kids were going to be screaming and loud(as they usually are). Instead...they were great!! I made sure to put the little one in her carseat as usual to make it as much like a car ride as possible(you can't get out of your seat in a car right). She fell asleep for over half the trip! I just made sure to bring lots of snacks and drinks. New toys/books/coloring books that they hadn't seen before(just go to the Dollar store or the clearance toy racks). It was so new to them that they were amused by all that was going on around them. Good luck and don't worry....we have all been "that Mom" at one point or another, people will understand and offer to help out...if not, you will never have to see them again so who cares!!!

I have traveled with by little girls many times. The one thing I learned is that when they turn one, they need and you need them to be in their own seat. Buckled in! Saved our sanity. However, you do not need to drug a kid. That is totally wrong. I don't understand why parents feel the need to use drugs on their kids. They are not treating a symptom. Bring lots of color wonder for her to color on, books to read and maybe a magnetic draw thing and crayons! We travel to Michigan so I can totally relate on the flight thing. Lots of cherios and anything else like that to keep the girl busy and she will be fine. She will sleep on her own when she is ready. No drugs needed. Just pay attention to her and you will be fine.

Hi J.,

We did the plane thing at 8 months. Take along a couple of her favorite books and toys and a couple of snacks. Give her something to suck on during takeoff and landing to balance the pressure in her ears. And relax, she can sense if you are tense. I thought that I would be "the screaming baby lady" during our flights and actually had passengers come up and compliment the baby on how well she did.

LOTS of snacks; a big supply of small QUIET toys; a mirror; water or juice for her to sip if the air-pressure changes make her ears pop; in the airport, let her move around as much as possible to get her wiggles out; maybe buy a few small toys that are new because the novelty will keep her entertained longer. Also bring a lot of patience. Plan on entertaining her the entire flight. If she falls asleep and you get a chance to nap or read on your own, consider it a major gift but do not get on the plane expecting that luxury! Meanwhile also understand that many parents have had torturous flights with young children and if you've done all you could to keep her content and she still cries, there's not much else you can do. (One of the WORST moments of my parenthood career was the cross-country flight we took when my daughter was 2! ... but she's flown many, many times before and since and was an angel most of those times, so try not to worry too much or your tension will rub off on your child.) Make sure you have extra diapers, bottles, wipes and a change of clothes for the baby (and yourself!) in your carry-on in case of the unexpected, then enjoy your trip.

Be careful with making your daughter tired by the plane ride. When my son is REALLY tired, he is more cranky and apt to scream for much longer. So don't overdue that but a little tired would be okay. Have plenty to eat and drink. Our last trip (to NH from LA) was awful because I had forgotten to buy water in the terminal so I had nothing to mix a bottle with. Luckily, we had some great flight attendants who broke a few rules to quiet the screaming. And there were two of us with young kids crying. Rough ride, that one.

Anyway, food AND drink. Toys. Something new so it captures her attention and she doesn't get bored with the same old stuff.

Good luck!

Plenty of toys, books, and snacks. Something to drink, or, if she's still nursing, that works, too, for the ascent and descent. A blanket to make it darker, or for comfort, if needed. Change her diaper before you board. We always get our kids a little something new for the trip there and back; not necessarily expensive, just fun. Good luck and have a safe flight. =0) You're not alone!
L. =0)

Yep, you may be "that mom" SO WHAT! I have been traveling with my babies since they were about 6 weeks old. You should have seen the looks I got (still get) when my youngest (now 2) was only 6 weeks old and my oldest was 2 (now 4) and I got on the plane for a Kansas City to L.A. trip. We survived. My don't sleep on planes, only on landing, go figure. You have a ton of great ideas here. We work well on lots of distractions, toys, and food. When they were nursing, tremendous amounts of boob time worked well also. Don't be shy about walking the aisles as long as the plane is not in a serious nose dive. :) Good luck and I am sure you will do great! Take a look at all the advice for toys, distractions, foods, and make sure she has something to suck on (boob, bottle, binky) for take off, landing, and anytime in between.

You will have a great trip.

Hi J.,
I know how you feel, I went to maine from LA with my 9 month old and 2 year old! they were really good except for the last leg and I wanted to die....I bought cocktails for everyone who was sitting near us! Bring as many things to keep her occupied as you can, little puzzles, books, if she has her very own DVD player she can hold that would work well too (Might be a thought if you don't already have one) And relax....a plane is not like a restaurant where you can leave you are sort of stuck. Do the best you can, and you may also want to offer her a small reward at the end of each journey if she behaves well! Good luck and let us know how it goes. J.

You've gotten some good tips. We are going on a 5 hour flight ouselves in just a few hours. I have a 14 month old and 4 year old, maybe we'll be on the same flight and our little ones can be "those kids" together! Good luck and Happy Thanksgiving!

We're taking our 5th trip over Christmas and my son is 6 months old. I've definitely been "that mom" but it's all about the attitude. Go into this trip with confidence that you and your screaming baby have as much right to be there as every other person on the plane. Try to be prepared with toys, snacks, juice (especially for the landing so that her ears will pop) But most importantly relax and try to have fun, don't be uptight about making others unhappy or else you will not make the trip fun for your little girl. A good tip, ask to preboard (some airlines don't always annouce preboarding for families, so be sure to ask) and if it's possible try to get the aisle so that you can get up and walk to the bathroom if she's bored. The flight attendants are usually pretty cool about letting you get up(if the seatbelt sign is off) and walk around. Good luck with your trip! And remember have fun and enjoy the flight!!!

This may sound funny but a roll of tape works well to get them to sit still. You stick it on there hands legs toes face it keeps them busy. You can always come back to it if they get board they will want to play with it in a half hour later again. Also lotion on the hands and feet works very well.
Have a great trip. -M.

#1 - the seat: If your child has a seat, bring your car seat. If your child does not have a seat, bring it anyway, if there's an available seat, you can use it. Bring your bjorn baby carrier (or similar) - it will be much easier on your back (esp if squirmy) and your child may feel safer than just sitting in your lap.
#2 - the bottle: Nurse your child (breast or bottle) or give her a pacifier during and after takeoff to help with the ear pressure.
#3 - my children all had sinus problems and I wasn't taking any chances with sinus pain and discomfort, so I always gave them benadryl before flying. And, the bonus, it made them sleepy. The one time I forgot, my son was so miserable, he cried so hard that he threw up on us - yuck!
#4 - a portable DVD player may help, depends upon your childs interest in watching it at his age. My daughter had a Video Now Jr - which has short age appropriate video clips.
#5 - food - be sure and bring plenty of finger foods and snacks
#6 - the nap - try to plan your child's nap so that she will be ready for a nap during flight.
Good luck and God Bless!

I just went through that last month (13 month old)-- the flight out worked great with nap time, so if you can work naps into flight time, that was awesome! On our return, I wasn't so lucky... we walked the aisle a few times, played in the water at the sink in the RR, ate snacks... I had her a "my 1st laptop" (which is one of her favorite toys) and with the volume on low, it didn't bother anyone b/c of the ambient noise from the plane, no one else could hear it--that was a lifesaver at the end of the flight (and end of my wits). At home I don't let her have her pacifier out of the crib, but that rule was worth breaking--let her have whatever makes her happy this once :-)

I gave her her sippy cup for the assent/descent, and didn't have any problems with ears. And FYI, you're allowed to bring fluids/water/milk and food for babies, so just tell security it's for baby and they'll let you take it through. Have a great trip!

ok! what i did with my daughter who was 15 months old when we flew to michigan (7 hours) was this -

we only took what we needed on board.

1. she had her own seat and sat in her car seat.
2. in the diaper bag this is what was packed (10 diapers, wipes, change of clothes, lots of snacks, a cup, a blanket)
3. toy bag with various small quiet toys and coloring books if your lil one colors (i find that most airlines requier head phones for dvd players no matter how quiet you keep it)
4. did i mention snacks!!! lol and buy drinks before you board!!!
5. pre board so you and youe daughter can get settled
6. try to fly when she is going to nap.
7. sit her by the window my daughter loved to look outside.
8. buy a few new toys so she is occupied longer :)
9. bring any medication she may need to take.
10. have her drink when you are taking off and landing it will help with her ears.
11. have her checked out by her dr before you leave to make sure shes in good health.
12. bring medical cards and its a good idea to bring a copy of her birth certificate.

i hope this is helpful to you if you have more questions just ask!!! my daughter is an excellent flyer her first flight was at 7 1/2 months. most people didnt even know she was on the plane. good luck!

J.,
I was worried about being "that Mom" too with my 11 month old. I asked our Pediatrician what to do and she suggested we give her Benedryl to help baby sleep and tylenol for ear pain 1 hour before take off. It worked she slept most of the flight and the rest of the flight we played with her and gave her snacks.

Do be willing to sing and play as you would do at home. If there are songs that you usually sing with your little girl or music that she listens to at home have that handy. As a passenger I'd much rather listen to a little one singing with their parent than screaming.

Bring something for her to chew on during landing and take-off so it will help with the airpressure. I also brought bottles, and little surprises in a bag. My daughter got to pick out a "surprise" every 20-30 minutes - depending on her mood. I got little books, little coloring books with crayons, squishy toys, lots of yummy snacks, her favorite doll, her blanket, etc. Good luck!

J.,

First of all - if you are "that" mom you won't have been the first...LOL. Five hours is a long time for a one year old - and you will have a lot of entertaining to do on that flight. I would say pull out all the stops - get some new toys that she hasn't seen as well as her tried and true toys. You can take a stroller up to the gate as well as bringing her car seat on board (if you have purchased a ticket for her). I always brought the car seats for my twin boys so they would have some place comfortable to sleep. Bring her fave snacks and a sippy cup, too. I second the first poster in making sure she is good and tired before the flight. If you can get her settled within the first half hour and she's super sleepy then you might get away with having her nap for a good 2-3 hours. This might be wishful thinking but if she's a good napper then you might be able to capitalize on her young age. (= Have a great time with her - I am sure it will go well.
Take care and God Bless!
A.

Stickers are my saving grace. I had my daughter cover the back of the chair and table with them. The stickers that come in activity books are not extremely sticky. Pop up books or tag/flip books your child can take time to destroy.
And don't worry about being that mom. We are bound as moms not to look good in other peoples eyes. I find people without children give the looks, but the other %75 of the people on the plane who have or have had children are sympathetic.
Happy Holidays.
(ps. I have noticed that airlines are grouping the kids on the plane now, go for the eight year old girl who loves babies and will entertain your child for a good hour.)