My husband and I will be traveling on a pretty long flight at the end of the month with our 13 month old daughter. She is and always has been a very active child - walking, running, climbing, chattering away, etc. She hates to sit still, especially if there are interesting things around her (which I imagine a plane will provide plenty of). I'm not worried about the stress to myself so much as driving everyone else around me crazy. I hate to be that lady with the screaming (or running) baby on the plane. Any tips to keep her occupied? How has anyone else handled potentially irritated neighbors?
First of all, let me thank everyone for all the advice. It was wonderful to receive so many responses.
As many people mentioned, the trip was not nearly as bad as I thought it would be. The timing of the flights (one was in the middle of the night and the other was very early in the morning) turned out to work in our favor; my daughter slept for about three-fourths of the flight. We had planned on using Benadryl to help her with the pressure changes and with sleeping, and as per doctor's request, we tried it out a few nights before. Of course, she had the opposite reaction and was bouncing off the walls. So we took the flight medication free.
In the one-fourth that she was awake, she did great. I found snacks to be the best distraction. Raisins, fruit snacks, and cereal (one piece at a time) worked great. Most of the time, she just looked out the window or flirted with the people sitting around us. There was a little crying, mostly when she was trying to get comfortable. However, our flights all had at least two other small children, both of whom cried more than her. It was pretty great not to be them!!
Thanks again for everyone's help.
hi tamara..
i have heard for children tylenol or benadyl works good... a trick i got advice on is to make treat bags for some of the attendants and the few passengers next to you. put a few candies and a note that says somthing along the lines of " hi my name is Tamara and this is my first time flying sorry if my child may bother and please bare with us...
anyhow everything will go good treats and a movies are a good idea too
I just took lots of things to occupy her when she was of the age to get restless. She was in her carseat, so she treated it no differently than a ride in the car. I really think having her car seat was the saving grace. She was used to not being able to run around the car, so it was nothing different to her.
We got up and walked around on our lay overs, but I kept her contained to the car seat on the plane. Our longest flight was 3 hours at a time, and she did fine during that time. I imagine if it was much longer than that, they'd need a break though!
Next summer we'll be taking our baby to Australia. Long flight from hell, and I've been dreading it for years. The baby will be one and a half at the time.
I've thought about it and thought about it some more, also not wanting to be that parent who has the screaming kid. But you know what I've decided? Kids have a right to travel too. When I used to fly a lot for my job and didn't have kids, sure, I'd wish babies wouldn't cry but I never blamed them for it. I felt sorry for the poor little things, what with the ear pressure and all of that.
So if anyone gets all up in your face, you tell them that your baby has as much right to travel as they do, and you're doing your best to keep her happy, so back off because complaining won't help and might make it worse.
In other words, have that look on your face that says, "DON'T F*** WITH ME" and nobody will bug you. Then, on the inside, stay as calm as you can so you don't transfer your anxieties to the baby. Remind yourself that it's only a few hours, which sucks, but it will end and then everything will be fine. Tell yourself over and over that you're not doing anything wrong. Give yourself some slack and your baby too...sure, if she was six and being a little screaming mimi, that'd be an issue but babies can't help it so there's no point in getting worked up over it.
All that being said, the tips I've been told are to not let the baby sleep in the airport so she'll be more likely to sleep on the plane, and to nurse her on board before take off to help with the ear pressure (and for the standard calming effects). And as others have said, have a new toy or two on hand to buy yourself some quiet time with those.
Good luck, and I hope you enjoy your destination. :)
Hello. I have a now 14 month old daughter! She is also VERY active. She has been traveling since she was a newborn.However 2 weeks ago I took her on a 3 hour plane ride and she did great. I like to take her old car seat that she used as a newborn. I find that she likes to look at me while on the plane. I brought lots of crackers and juice and the hostess will bring her something else to eat and more juice. Try to get the bulkhead seat. If not its ok. there is EXTRA room for them to walk there in the front. I think that you will do ok with her. just bring as much as you can to entertain her. Maybe she will sleep if you are lucky! Babies and toddlers are surprizingly good on the plane! She has been to 11 states in 14 months includingt a 6 hour ride to Hawaii! She has done great each time! I think that you will not have to much of a problem with her. I have heard that some of the hostesses on the plane will walk with them down the isle while serving drinks! have a great vacation.!!!! Lert me know how it goes!
We traveled to Boston and Maine when my daughter was 13 months old. You can ask your pediatrian about what types of medicene to give her and the doseage. I gave her Tylenol and it helped her sleep.
I packed new toys for her that she had never seen...crayons, coloring books, bubbles, books, different kinds of fruit snacks and treats that she had never seen. I gave them to her one at a time to help pass the time.
People travel with children all the time. Yes, some people are grumpy when they fly and hopefully you will sit next to someone who can keep her entertained as well. That is helpful. She WILL want to walk up and down the aisle, don't worry about it. This trip is a very small fraction of your life and when you look back, it won't seem that bad, even though it will seem like a lifetime while you are traveling.
Good Luck,
D.
I have flown with my son many times (he is now 5) and he was also a Very active little guy. I always bring things he has never seen before (ie. new toys and books) and a brand new set of crayons or markers. Also if she will sit still for books the library has books on tape just for the little guys. All you need is a walkman and some headphones. That always kept my son entertained for quite a long time. When he really starts to get restless I always have snacks on hand too, special treats just for the plane.
My Doctor had told me I could give him Benadryl to make him a little more sleepy and subdued but I never had to... I have also heard of folks giving dramamine, but since your baby is under 2 I would check with your doctor on that one first.
Good Luck!
Oh and dont worry about the people around you, most will be really understanding, those that arnt... well they get over it =)
I have traveled many times with my (now) 2-1/2 year old, and I was always pleasantly surprised at how understanding, helpful and kind most passengers are toward me and my son. I would bring some new toys (or hide them for a few weeks) but not too many as she will probably be more interested in her seatmates and the plane itself. But you do have to sit for some of the flight, so have some toys, fun food/candy, etc. You've already booked your flight, but in the future if you can avoid early morning or late afternoon flights, that's when most businesspeople fly and they are the least likely to be understanding as they are usually working on the plane. But I do think you'll be surprised at how nice most people are...good luck and enjoy--it will be more fun than you think!
When we took our 2 year old to Hawaii, who is now 7, all he did was kick the seat in front of him on the plane almost the entire trip. The air pressure got to his ears. But now they say if the child can chew something or drink, then the air pressure will not be so bad. Take lots of new toys for child to keep them busy. Even maybe invest in a portable DVD player and bring along some child DVDs. Hopefully, your child will fall asleep most of the trip. I do not beleive in the Robitussen deal to make the child sleepy. Hope this helps.
Hi I am a mother of 4 children my daughter is 5 years old, my son is three, my next son is 17 months and my newborn daughter is 3 months. My two sons are my handfuls. My three your old was and still is very active, when he was a year I traveled to Florida with him and my advice is take the late flight one that is around 6:30 or 7:00 p.m... That way she will sleep majority of the way. We travled to Florida so we had to switch flights, on the second flight he cried the entire flight. Thank goodness it was only a 2 hour flight. On the way back I learned from that experience and kept him entertained since it was a daytime flight packed alot of snacks, and brought a portable dvd player with his favorite dvds like barney and the wiggles. That seemed to keep him entertained for awhile, and in between the flights I let him run around at the airport so that it tired him out when it was time to get back on the plane, needless to say he slept the whole way home. That's another thing if you are changing flights make sure there is at least a 2 hour layover in between so that the little one has time to stretch her legs and run around. Hope this helps. We just traveled to Disneyworld last November and all these things helped me out alot. Aloha, R.
hmmmmm. Very Active baby running around the plane. Have you considered natural drugs? I had a doctor-- when my first child was very young and she told me that she drugged her child up with some cough syrup that kept the child knocked out for the entire flight! Or too dopey to bother everyone in hearing distance. I thought that was unethical at the time. Now well, so many people are very nervous fliers esp since 9/11. You have to consider their lack of nerves on a long flight & to have no choice but to travel entrapped with a running around child. It may push someone right over the edge and there is no parachute or exit door shoot for them to exit... I don't normally advocate the use of any drugs for kids, except that which could save their lives. I do know there are many sleep aides/calmatives that are all natural with no negative side affects. Dr. Bachs stress mouth spray or drops is made from non toxic flowers. You can buy it at any Health food store or even at New Seasons Market where it is currently on sale. A good family naturopath can give you over the counter solutions with Valerian, an herb and the enzyme in turkey meat(melatonin)?that are natural sleep aides. Age and weight would play in here. I would also recomend trying whatever out before- flight time- at home. If you need the name of a fabulous NP(Naturopathic Physician) just email me. Good Luck!
:) Ask your pedi about Benadryl...:) lol
I traveled by myself with my daughter at 13 months, I'm not going to lie to you it was hard. I would recommend bringing a portable DVD player. A bag of little fun toys that are new to her, evey time she gets bored let her pick one out. Definetly a sucker it helps on the life off and landing to make their ears pop and keeps them quite. If she takes a bottle bring milk because they didn't have any on the plane. On my first flight it wasn't that full so no problems. The second time it was jam packed and I felt so bad for everyone around me I apologized profusely. I think most people felt bad for me. Good luck!
Hi Tamara, A friend of mine with twin almost 2 yr old girls just flew for the first time it was an hour and a half flight and they did pretty good . She bought before the flight new toys to keep them busy and brought there portable dvd player. I have also heard of giving benadryl or something that makes her drowsey. good luck Im not that brave yet.
It won't be as bad as you think. Bring snacks and a portable dvd player with some of her favorite shows. Don't forget about her ears poping If she is still using a bottle or pacifier use that but, I brought gummy candies for my son who was off the bottle. Anything they can chew or suck on even some of the sippy cups work. Good luck and have fun.
try a portible dvd player and her fav. movies
