Traveling with 23 Month Old

You have recieved a lot of good advice. One thing to do with new toys: Take them out one at a time and do not take out another one until the first has completely worn out it's novelty. They will last a lot longer.

I found this article a while back about traveling, gear, logistics, etc. Hope it's helpful:
http://blog.orbitz.com/orbitz_blog/2008/01/family-travel-...

See if you can get a bulk head seat it will give you more room for her to stand and not to bother others. You will have to expect to move around the jet. She will fuss some. Get her up early and that will make her tired so she will sleep easier on the plane. Give her something to suck on when you lift off and land. Get some new toys for her to explore on the plane. My son at 23 months loved the movie. You could take a movie player for her to enjoy.

When you check in (or some airlines allow you to call 24 hours prior), request a bulk head seat. This will allow for much more room for you all. The regular seats are so cramped anyways, and when you add an almost 2 year old on your lap you will have no room to move. British air ways offers what is called a "sky cot" at their bulk head seat locations so you don't have to constantly hold your lap baby. I would ask your airline what they offer.

Benedryl! My son is autistic, and when we went on a plane trip of about 9 hours I went to Target, walked up to the pharmacist and told him that in all honesty I have no idea if my son can do this trip - what do I do? He took me over to the benedryl and told me to wait until he's really fussy and then give him a dose to help him pass out. We jam-packed our bag with individual snacks and toys and kept him happy until there was no being happy then administered the benedryl - he went out and when he woke we had a happy boy ready to play some more.
Also several of the flights had empty seats so they rearranged ppl so we could get him seated - so check your carseat. Also get a small umbrella stroller and check that well - you will be utterly thankful for it! We didn't know we could do this and in between flights had to try to get around with this tired, somewhat cranky child. Hope it goes well and let us know what happened! Maybe you'll discover something one of us didn't think of.

C.

You need to call the airline and make sure that you and your husband have an aisle and the window seat. (someone else said this too). It is so true that if someone sees the 3 of you and they are in the middle they will move if there is availability.
Another suggestion is a DVD player. We keep ours for plane trips only and bring movies that don't necessarily need sound (my son always takes the headset off) like a John Deere Tractors for Kids.
And do make sure you buy water and milk once you get past security before you get on the plane. Airlines rarely have milk stocked on the beverage cart- I learned this the hard way several times.
And like someone else said- don't stress about what other people are thinking. Just take care of what you need to do.
Safe travels!

lots of snacks..
a dvd player with new videos maybe she would like toy story and baby einstein. a new book.. play dough.. stickers and paper.. my mom told me once when I was little she gave me a pack of bandaids snoopy one and it kept me entertained the whole flight LOL. extra sippy cups. also extra clothes just in case.. even maybe a change of clothes for u and toothbrush ect.. my luggage got lost once for the whole trip what a nightmare. Also snacks for you so everyone is kept happy and in a good mood.
Have a grat trip,
Lenc

You have gotten some great advice.

I just thought I would add that I have flown with my oldest since he was 5 weeks, and my second since he was 2 mos. Neither have been medicated to fly and have done AWESOME!!

Snacks, pediasure bars(easy and not too messy), cups(sippy), a couple dum dums (For take off and landing - ears pop when sucking motion is used), scotch tape (keeps them entertained FOREVER, give them a little piece to play with), books, magnadoodle and blanket/toy with smells from home.

But most importantly make as many of those objects new to her. If you pack new things they will last longer. And only pull one out at a time. That way she won't look at them all then be done.

Have a great trip!

A few tips:
-Make sure YOU are relaxed and calm. This makes all the difference! Be organized, prepared and well rested.
-Being relaxed also means that you don't go overboard on the entertaining. If I'm content to just sit and look out the window and whisper little stories or observations to my toddler, s/he tends to be calm too. I do this first.
-When it's time to entertain, we liked stickers (he sat on my lap and stuck them onto the seat in front of us, easy to remove later), new books and old favourite books, a little tin filled with magnets (Melissa and Doug company have great magnets of animals)
-Snacks!! Choose some that take a long time like litle boxes of raisins where toddler fingers reach in and get one at a time.

All the best!

congratulations, D. - both on your treasure and your expected ''second special edition''--- . Having been flying a LOT the last year ( to visit grandchildren who used to live with me- sigh--- and are now in Ohio --- more sigh--- ) I can suggest that you try to get the seats right behind the bulkhead ( the airline can help you with that) -- you LOSE the ability to have a tray - but you GAIN enough space for her to get down and wiggle and walk over to the window- and - it will likely help a LOT. As to what you can take on the plane- ( through security) - you will want to put together 8 or 9 little mini - packs of food - juice ( the ounce size for liquids is 4 - I think- so check that) - little dollar store type toys she's never seen before - so that every hour or so - you can pull out something new. She likely will find the experience quite fascinating- ( take your vitamins - and many, many blessings --)

J.

Small new toys, favorite snacks that she doesn't normally get, coloring books, markers, dvd's if she'll watch them, but most of all.. Stay relaxed and she will too. Good luck!

You can't bring fluid over 3oz in any container or sharp metal objects. That's pretty much it.

I know videos have a bad rep when it comes to entertaining kids--but desperate times call for desperate measures. Beg, borrow, or buy one of those DVD players. Keep in mind the battery will only give you 2 hours, so bring the recharger for your trip back. Small wrapped gifts given hourly can help. Doesn't have to be new, but does have to be new-to-your-child. Bring snacks and a blanket and pray for a nap. Oh, one more thing--M&Ms. I don't suggest this easily, but if nothing else will stop the screaming, M&M's will.

BTW, if you're going to try Benedryl, give it a trial run before the trip. All of that kind of stuff makes my son hyper.

We'll also be doing a 10-hour trip with our 21-month-old son in a few weeks, who will also be sitting on our laps. We are planning on taking our portable DVD player with us. If you don't have one, maybe you could borrow one, or depending on the plane - they may have the screens on the back of the seats or they may offer DVD players for rent for about $10. Also, a friend suggested taking a monthly vitamin container and putting items in the little squares. She swears it kept her son busy for a long time as he opened and closed the little lids just to see what was in there. She put things like cheerios, goldfish crackers, etc. in there. You aren't allowed any liquids through security, but you will be able to buy food and drinks in the airport lounge before you board and I suggest you bring plenty of water or juice or whatever it is that your child drinks as those drink carts don't come often enough. Books are also a great distraction, though ones with removable parts tend to tick off the people behind when the child throws the parts through the back of the seat, I've noticed! ;-) I bring a few small toys as well. We also try to delay naps or fly around naps so that we'll at least get some down time on the flight. We're doing an overnighter on the way there, so we're hoping he'll sleep for a loong time, fingers crossed. I also got one of those backpacks with the tethers because he doesn't like being in his stroller much anymore and he's a runner. You might also think about a small child-size piece of luggage with wheels that will occupy your child as she pulls it through the airport. Bring a spare change of clothes, of course, and LOTS of diapers, as you never know how long you'll be if there's a delay or something. Lots of snacks, too, as she might not like plane food. As I said, you can buy liquidy foods like yogurt in the airport lounge but you can't take this stuff through security. Have a great trip!

p.s. A word about Benadryl. Please, please, please try it before you go! My doctor advised me that it could work either way on a child - make him drowsy or hyper. And guess what? It made my son hyper! Glad I didn't try it on a 10-hour plane ride!

If you book an overnight flight, you are more likely to have them sleep longer.
Also, my husbands Toothpaste was too full,so they stuck a long Q-tip down inside to check out the stuff in the bottom. Do not pack your hairspray, face creams, perfume, cuticle scissors, baby oil, hand lotion, "yogurt", anything gooey, creamy, or liquid in your carry ons. You can bring sandwiches and crackers, you will get juice on the flight.

I bought two sets of finger puppets at Ikea for $7 per set - one theme was zoo animals and the other was sea animals - my 14-month-old thought they were great. I could fit all 20 into a small ziplock and they weigh practically nothing. If you are renting/buying a DVD player, I also recommend Eebee videos - Target recently discontinued these but you can purchase from Amazon or directly from www.eebee.com.

Try overnight diapers - except for a messy diaper, of course, you won't need to change your child as often.

Also - if you aren't in the market for purchasing a separate seat for your child, don't worry - if there is a spare seat anywhere on the plane, the flight attendants will do their best to reseat the passenger next to you. Safe travels!

I have to agree with the advice given about the Benadryl. When my husband was in the Air Force and we were flying a lot, our Ped. recommended that we use that. It works fantastic, and since you won't be using it forever.. no harm done!
I also always tried to get a front row seat... the view might be bad for you, but the extra foot room there makes great spot for kids to play. Also if your flight isn't booked and you take your carseat to the plane with you, they'll sometimes let you use it on the plane... I'd check to make sure it's plane safe. And if the flight is too full or they won't let you, they can store it up front and it will be waiting when you leave the plane. You should be able to do the same with a stroller.
I haven't flown in a while, so if anyone has and knows this won't work, please let her know. But these are things I always did to make my trip easier!
Good luck and have a safe trip!

Ok, I may get blasted about this answer, but here I go.....

Security tips:
*Wear slip on shoes (you and DD)
*You can bring the stroller all the way up to the door of the airplane. When you get to security, collapse the stroller and put onto the belt. Be sure everything is out of the compartments.
*Don't worry about "holding up the line". Just do what needs to be done.
*you will walk through the security gate with your daughter.

Airplane
*New toys that DD hasn't seen yet.
*Snacks
*Buy waters/drinks in the terminal after you're through security.
*1/4 - 1/2 tablet of Childrens Benedryl given about 1-2 hrs after you take off in the plane. I'm not one for drugging my child - except on an airplane. My ds sleeps like a baby for a couple of hours.
*walk up and down the isles

Again, don't worry about other people on the plane. Its just a short time out of their lives. If you are doing everything you can to keep your child entertained, that's all you can do. Sound travels forward in a plane, so sitting up toward the front will be best.

REMEMBER - have a good time on your trip!!

We flew to Europe with our son at that age and we got him his own seat, and I wasn't even pregnant! We flew at night hoping he'd sleep, but he barely did. We walked around A LOT. Bring a lot of different snacks. And there is no way we would've made it without the portable DVD player. Good luck and rest up before you leave!

The portable DVD player like others said is a great tool. Most of the newer ones now will last over 2 hours and if your plane has ports to plug in devices you can get a converter for your DVD player and it will last the whole time. Put on your daughter's favorite show and watch it as many times as she will. I am so sick of one 15 min Elmo video after just a trip to California on a plane but it sure saved us. We were lucky enough not to have to make her wear headphones, but I would bring some just in case. Doll out her favorite snacks too. The fruit snacks for my daughter worked great for take off and landings. We didn't give her the pack we just dolled them out slowly. Also if she doesn't have a travel doodle pro, get her one but don’t give it to her until she is on the plane. She will love it and it entertained my daughter for a good hour and then on our cruise for several more when we needed her to be quiet like at dinners. Hope you have a good flight.

Is this a 10 hour flight, or ten hours of travel split between more than one flight? If you are expecting, and it is 10 hours, I would definitely suggest getting her her own seat...we always had out son sit on our lap until age 2, but we were on 2-3 hour flights typically...and I was not pregnant! If she has her own seat and is in a car seat, she will be confined, but it is something she is likely used to from car travel. You can not take liquids through security, although you can take a sippy cup filled with milk through (or you can take empty cups and fill them with milk that you buy in the airport). My son just turned 3, but at that age (we travel a lot) he was very into stickers, particularly foam stickers that they sell at craft stores - they occupied him for up to an hour at a time, are easy to travel with, and are not terribly messy. Also, he likes the doodle pro (magnetic erasable drawing board). Bring lots of snack options (cut fruit, dried fruit if she eats it, cookies...)and good luck!!!
We have never taken a DVD player, although others say that it is a lifesaver...we set up the expectation with our son that he sit in his seat and he nearly always is just fine sitting and playing. Little cars are fun, books (paperback so they aren't heavy in your bag), try to get bulk head (although it is often reserved these days for people with disabilities - and the flights lately have been booked pretty full)...Have a great trip!

We have traveled a great deal with our toddler, just got back from Cancun last week. A couple suggestions....

#1) The airline you travel is important, we picked Frontier this last flight and it was a dream, they are ranked the #1 airlines and for a reason. The seats are much more roomier, all their seats are leather and have the nice head rests that bend so you can use them and the more important thing is they have tv's on the back of each seats.. a life saver with a 22 month old. Our friends all flew American, ranked at the bottom and all they did was have problems, flight delays, etc.. it was a nightmare and with a toddler, can't even imagine.. I love Alaska and who we typically always fly because we have tons of airmiles and you can pick our your own seats online and view if any seats are open in the middle and change them up until the last day. Don't fly American if you help it!!!

#2 ) OK, the biggest advice I can give you is book an aisle and a window for you and your husband. it's worked like magic for us almost always.. We always get the middle seat free and with a 23 month old, this is a true blessing! makes the world of difference, can't imagine a 10 hour flight with my toddler in my lap. If you do end up with someone in the middle, they will always switch to an aisle or window for you and like we had on our flight home. We asked the person who was seated in the middle if they wouldn't mind finding another seat so we can have this one open for our toddler and there were 3 other seats open on the plane and it was not a problem.. most people try to accomodate you when it's for a child!

#3) Dvd players with a good charge, good headphones that will block out the flight noise and that your toddler will keep on. My toddler doesn't like to wear headphones unless we have the right ones and make sure they're not cheap ones because it's hard to hear sometimes over the flight noise. New toys, snacks, books and a couple favorite toys, always good idea as well!! HAVE FUN!!!

Benadryl Benadryl Benadryl. I tsp will relax her and help her sleep for atleast part of the trip. I talked to my Dr., and she said it is harmless. Being trapped in a metal tube for 10 hours is hard enough on an adult, let alone a small child. The more she sleeps the better!!! Good Luck!

Buy those $4-$5 light up toys that spin and have different colors, books with flaps to open and books with sound buttons. They will let you take a bottle of milk for the baby. We breastfed when young and brought powdered formula and just added water the 2nd time. Little bags of gummy snacks or pretzels. A musical sleep toy that he sleeps with at home but we will never try benedryl again. He just got cranky and screamed until he crashed. Whereas, just milk during take off was much better. We just kept him on his nap and sleep schedule. We even took some late flights so he would just sleep. While pregnant I bought knee highs for me to keep back varicose veins and rotated my ankles and stood in the back to stretch. Not at the front they shoo you away. Good luck.