Flying with a toddler tips

[Jalapeñomel]

We have a direct flight to California on Monday, and when the trip was originally booked by my folks, they made our youngest a lap child...we tried to convert her to a seat, but we can't do it because...reasons. 

Anyway, it's been like 8 years since we have flown with a wee little one, and we have never done a direct flight. Give me all your tips on how to handle this with a 17 month old. 

Thank you and good day! 

[shauni27]

I did this all the time when S was little. I would wear him, bring fun new toys, loads of snacks, and then hope he would nap, lol. He almost always did for at least a chunk of the flight, and then we would entertain him and walk up and down the aisle, play games, let him just people watch, etc.

For snacks I have seen people buy tackle boxes and fill them with a million different snacks so it looks really fun and new for the kiddo. Lots of variety. We brought books, interactive toys, sensory stuff like playdough, etc.

[dcrunnergirl52]

Take a look at Mothercould on insta (https://www.instagram.com/mothercould/?hl=en) or Tiktok. She has tons of great toddler travel tips/hacks and also has an 18 month old.

[sent]

Bring Lysol wipes. The only flight I did with a lap child, DD was around that age. She puked on the flight. Luckily, the woman sitting next to me was very gracious.

[sent]

And bring Ziploc bags. They come in handy for all sorts of stuff, like stashing the used Lysol wipes.

[livinitup]

When DD was around that age, we flew a few times, once from NY to CA, too. Even when she had a seat she exclusively sat in my lap (sometimes H’s lap) anyway.

It goes faster than you think. They stand and sit and nap and poke around just like when they are home. It’s remarkable really. YOU WILL BE OKAY.

[Jalapeñomel]

Mar 31, 2023 7:45:24 GMT -5 livinitup said:

When DD was around that age, we flew a few times, once from NY to CA, too. Even when she had a seat she exclusively sat in my lap (sometimes H’s lap) anyway.

It goes faster than you think. They stand and sit and nap and poke around just like when they are home. It’s remarkable really. YOU WILL BE OKAY.

My son was so easy as a baby, and very chill. Nu is not, so I think I have more anxiety about it than I really need to.

[Jalapeñomel]

Mar 31, 2023 7:15:04 GMT -5 shauni27 said:

I did this all the time when S was little. I would wear him, bring fun new toys, loads of snacks, and then hope he would nap, lol. He almost always did for at least a chunk of the flight, and then we would entertain him and walk up and down the aisle, play games, let him just people watch, etc.

For snacks I have seen people buy tackle boxes and fill them with a million different snacks so it looks really fun and new for the kiddo. Lots of variety. We brought books, interactive toys, sensory stuff like playdough, etc.

So are you telling me that I can buy that Caboodle I’ve been dreaming about since 1993?

[shinyhappy]

Lots of alcohol….for you. 🤷‍♀️

[shauni27]

Mar 31, 2023 7:48:14 GMT -5 Jalapeñomel said:

Mar 31, 2023 7:15:04 GMT -5 shauni27 said:

I did this all the time when S was little. I would wear him, bring fun new toys, loads of snacks, and then hope he would nap, lol. He almost always did for at least a chunk of the flight, and then we would entertain him and walk up and down the aisle, play games, let him just people watch, etc.

For snacks I have seen people buy tackle boxes and fill them with a million different snacks so it looks really fun and new for the kiddo. Lots of variety. We brought books, interactive toys, sensory stuff like playdough, etc.

So are you telling me that I can buy that Caboodle I’ve been dreaming about since 1993?

no joke, my 37 year old little sister still uses a caboodle for her makeup when she travels, lol. 

[shauni27]

oh yeah, bring an extra change of clothes for kiddo AND for you, or at least an alternate shirt and leggings. I learned that on this board. Hopefully you will not need them, but you never know!

[Jalapeñomel]

Mar 31, 2023 7:59:59 GMT -5 shauni27 said:

oh yeah, bring an extra change of clothes for kiddo AND for you, or at least an alternate shirt and leggings. I learned that on this board. Hopefully you will not need them, but you never know!

My son threw up on the plane on the way to Spain. It was rough! 

[shauni27]

Mar 31, 2023 8:05:18 GMT -5 Jalapeñomel said:

Mar 31, 2023 7:59:59 GMT -5 shauni27 said:

oh yeah, bring an extra change of clothes for kiddo AND for you, or at least an alternate shirt and leggings. I learned that on this board. Hopefully you will not need them, but you never know!

My son threw up on the plane on the way to Spain. It was rough! 

noooooooooooo! terrible.

[mccallister84]

What airline are you flying?

If it’s southwest just put them in the seat next to you. If the flights full you’ll have to put them on your lap, but hopefully they’ll be the one extra seat. We flew with lap children multiple times and each time they were able to keep the seat.

Also, if it’s southwest make sure you don’t forget the birth certificate. They won’t let you fly with a lap child without proof of age.

[mccallister84]

Also we would change the diaper into an overnight diaper right before boarding. I also never found the plane to be the worst part. Once you’re in the air, everyone is contained and whether it’s easy or not you’re going to make it to your destination.

[Jalapeñomel]

Mar 31, 2023 8:39:47 GMT -5 mccallister84 said:

What airline are you flying?

If it’s southwest just put them in the seat next to you. If the flights full you’ll have to put them on your lap, but hopefully they’ll be the one extra seat. We flew with lap children multiple times and each time they were able to keep the seat.

Also, if it’s southwest make sure you don’t forget the birth certificate. They won’t let you fly with a lap child without proof of age.

Alaska Airlines...we have the row, no empty seats by us. 

[emilyinchile]

Direct flight is the best! They're little enough that they don't really see a difference between exploring a plane vs a terminal, so least total travel time for the win.

We flew 14 hours to London with L when he was 13 months/home at 15 months and not yet walking, so he crawled around the aisle and galley which was gross but honestly whatever. On the way home he was more into screens, so I got YouTube premium and had Songs for Littles downloaded, which was clutch. Alllll the snacks, ideally ones that come in many pieces and take as long as possible by having her get out one Cheerio/rice cake/puff at a time. One of those little pop it plastic bubble toy thingies was new for the trip and a total success (obviously replace with whatever your daughter is into, L has always been a fine motor kind of guy). I brought stickers but didn't use them, and for our next trip I have one of those "paint with water" books that I think will be a hit. I also brought only soft toys because L was into throwing at the time, and I could see him beaning another passenger!

In terms of logistics, bring changes of clothes for all of you. FI and I switched off so we each got an hour of interrupted alone time every so often. Can you reserve an aisle? That was key for us, and as I mentioned we spent a lot of the overnight time when the rest of the place was sleeping in the galley chatting to the flight attendants on the way there because they were awesome - hopefully you get a good crew!

And finally, the best advice I got from two seasoned expat mom friends who each have 3 kids: no matter what happens, the plane WILL land, and it will end, so just hang in there.

[Jalapeñomel]

Mar 31, 2023 8:49:05 GMT -5 emilyinchile said:

Direct flight is the best! They're little enough that they don't really see a difference between exploring a plane vs a terminal, so least total travel time for the win.

We flew 14 hours to London with L when he was 13 months/home at 15 months and not yet walking, so he crawled around the aisle and galley which was gross but honestly whatever. On the way home he was more into screens, so I got YouTube premium and had Songs for Littles downloaded, which was clutch. Alllll the snacks, ideally ones that come in many pieces and take as long as possible by having her get out one Cheerio/rice cake/puff at a time. One of those little pop it plastic bubble toy thingies was new for the trip and a total success (obviously replace with whatever your daughter is into, L has always been a fine motor kind of guy). I brought stickers but didn't use them, and for our next trip I have one of those "paint with water" books that I think will be a hit. I also brought only soft toys because L was into throwing at the time, and I could see him beaning another passenger!

In terms of logistics, bring changes of clothes for all of you. FI and I switched off so we each got an hour of interrupted alone time every so often. Can you reserve an aisle? That was key for us, and as I mentioned we spent a lot of the overnight time when the rest of the place was sleeping in the galley chatting to the flight attendants on the way there because they were awesome - hopefully you get a good crew!

And finally, the best advice I got from two seasoned expat mom friends who each have 3 kids: no matter what happens, the plane WILL land, and it will end, so just hang in there.

Do you have headphone recs? Did your LO wear them?

[rupertpenny]

I agree with emilyinchile, you must keep in mind that the flight can only last so long. I've flown with kids that age many times, often trans-pacific, always as lap children. That age is hard because they don't stay engaged with any one thing very long, but the good thing is that almost anything will engage them. You may even get tens of minutes from the in-flight safety card! Kids that age also like to look at in-flight entertainment and don't care if they can hear it.

In any case, bring lots of snacks, extra clothes for everyone, wipes, baggies, and small toys. Walk the aisles periodically if you can. I like having a carrier with me, mostly to use when they fall asleep so I can use my hands.

[emilyinchile]

Mar 31, 2023 8:54:38 GMT -5 Jalapeñomel said:

Do you have headphone recs? Did your LO wear them?

No, he'd never worn them before, so we didn't bother to get them and risk him hating them. Like rupertpenny said just watching the moving images on a screen is entertaining, so I kept the volume low enough that I didn't feel like I was annoying other passengers and just sang along with the songs myself to complement.

[heygrey]

I did many long haul flights with DS as a toddler. Those jelly window cling holiday decoration things were a hit. He could stick and restick them to the window and tray table and they don't make a mess. I usually threw them away after flight because they were gross, so buy 2 packs if you think she'll like them.

I liked the stroller for the airport, but would wear DS from the gate to plane because getting him out of the stroller at gate check held up the line too much. I could strap him in and walk the aisle easily on the plane. Airlines have varying policies about wearing a baby while seated so I usually had to unclip when we sat down.

If you're packing baby food pouches, watch the size. I had to throw away a ziplock of them once because they were over the liquid weight limit. I think the security guy was being a jerk, because there are rules about flying with a baby and allowable baby food, but no one came to my rescue and I didn't have time to argue it. I was also without my main source of food for a toddler for the next 8 hours so that sucked. Since then I just made sure they were under 3.4oz and haven't had an issue.

I always set a timer on my phone when we are wheels up so I know how much longer until we touch down again. Even on the trips that sucked, they always ended.

[simpsongal]

Mar 31, 2023 7:59:59 GMT -5 shauni27 said:

oh yeah, bring an extra change of clothes for kiddo AND for you, or at least an alternate shirt and leggings. I learned that on this board. Hopefully you will not need them, but you never know!

Yup, I'd say 2 sets and ditto the ziplock rec.  My DD threw up on me like 4-5 times when we went to Hawaii.  And she was not usually a spitter or one that ever got sick.

Nontraditional toys like pipecleaners are a good idea too.

[Jalapeñomel]

Mar 31, 2023 10:00:40 GMT -5 heygrey said:

I did many long haul flights with DS as a toddler. Those jelly window cling holiday decoration things were a hit. He could stick and restick them to the window and tray table and they don't make a mess. I usually threw them away after flight because they were gross, so buy 2 packs if you think she'll like them.

I liked the stroller for the airport, but would wear DS from the gate to plane because getting him out of the stroller at gate check held up the line too much. I could strap him in and walk the aisle easily on the plane. Airlines have varying policies about wearing a baby while seated so I usually had to unclip when we sat down.

If you're packing baby food pouches, watch the size. I had to throw away a ziplock of them once because they were over the liquid weight limit. I think the security guy was being a jerk, because there are rules about flying with a baby and allowable baby food, but no one came to my rescue and I didn't have time to argue it. I was also without my main source of food for a toddler for the next 8 hours so that sucked. Since then I just made sure they were under 3.4oz and haven't had an issue.

I always set a timer on my phone when we are wheels up so I know how much longer until we touch down again. Even on the trips that sucked, they always ended.

 I've always had to remove the SSC on take off and landing. I'm not quite sure the safety issue around it, as it seems like it would be safer for the kid to be strapped to me, but I complied! 

[rhian]

Whenever we travel, we hide any favorite toys we plan to bring for several days beforehand, so that they seem more novel and exciting when we bring them out. I also try to pack toys/snacks/etc in a way that makes it easy for us to pull them out one by one and without my son seeing everything all at once. And I bring them out in order from least favorite to most favorite, so that I have exciting things to offer him towards the end, when his patience/attention is really winding down.

[k3am]

Mar 31, 2023 8:54:38 GMT -5 Jalapeñomel said:

Mar 31, 2023 8:49:05 GMT -5 emilyinchile said:

Direct flight is the best! They're little enough that they don't really see a difference between exploring a plane vs a terminal, so least total travel time for the win.

We flew 14 hours to London with L when he was 13 months/home at 15 months and not yet walking, so he crawled around the aisle and galley which was gross but honestly whatever. On the way home he was more into screens, so I got YouTube premium and had Songs for Littles downloaded, which was clutch. Alllll the snacks, ideally ones that come in many pieces and take as long as possible by having her get out one Cheerio/rice cake/puff at a time. One of those little pop it plastic bubble toy thingies was new for the trip and a total success (obviously replace with whatever your daughter is into, L has always been a fine motor kind of guy). I brought stickers but didn't use them, and for our next trip I have one of those "paint with water" books that I think will be a hit. I also brought only soft toys because L was into throwing at the time, and I could see him beaning another passenger!

In terms of logistics, bring changes of clothes for all of you. FI and I switched off so we each got an hour of interrupted alone time every so often. Can you reserve an aisle? That was key for us, and as I mentioned we spent a lot of the overnight time when the rest of the place was sleeping in the galley chatting to the flight attendants on the way there because they were awesome - hopefully you get a good crew!

And finally, the best advice I got from two seasoned expat mom friends who each have 3 kids: no matter what happens, the plane WILL land, and it will end, so just hang in there.

Do you have headphone recs? Did your LO wear them?

Not who you were asking, but we used these headphones with both kids starting around 2 with no issues. And they grow okay - they fit DD as a toddler and she ended up using hers for covid remote school 8 hours a day for well over a year with no issues. 

[bugandbibs]

If you are okay with screens, download stuff from your Netflix or Prime account. I am a huge fan of making busy bags with pencil pouches (they still save my sanity and my kids are old). Larger cloth ones with the clear vinyl front work best. Fill one with Magnatiles, another with a sketch book and crayons/stamp markers, and another with small one piece toys like ponies, cars, trains, etc that if dropped are sturdy. Rotate as needed. Something for her to suck on for her ears.

My kids would wear headphones, I just bought toddler sized one. Sometimes they wore them around their neck, but I figure that it was still quieter for other people. Ditto the clothes, Ziploc bags and emergency use items. You just never know.

[al dente]

Bring more snacks then you every imagine them eating, then double it lol. We just did a short hour long flight and flew through all the snacks I had packed for the whole trip. I found traveling at this age difficult, but my kids are not chill nappers and like to scream and flail lol.

[liverandonions]

I put straws in a puffs container and poked holes at the top - sort, dump repeat. Didn't care if we lost any, didn't make noise. You could do pipe cleaners or pom poms etc. something that would be engaging to a toddler

[namasteak]

Unlimited snacks & screen time works for us.

[sparkythelawyer]

A tablet with all the good cartoons downloaded onto the device and some kiddo headphones are your friends.