I am nervous as hell to fly with DS alone. It's only one flight and I booked it in the morning, kinda hoping he would take his mid-day nap during the middle of it. He will be one by then.
Anyone have tips? He's been walking for weeks now and throws a fit if I sit him in my lap if he sees open floor. Should I just suck it up and walk him up and down the aisle for the first half of the flight in hopes he tires himself out? Toys don't really work for more than a minute, then he wants to move again. Oh gawd, someone help me.
Btw, I usually wear him in the Ergo when we fly. However, that's usually with DH carrying our bags. Should I buy an umbrella stroller that I can fold with one hand just to make my life easier? Our UBV is amazing but it's a pain to go through security. We usually check it in before security.
No, I was being cheap. I think we will have to do that going forward too. Our carseats are massive, are you going to buy those strap thingies to use instead? We have a Britax Boulevard and a Recaro PRORide and both are heavy.
Post by atouchofklasse on May 31, 2012 21:38:55 GMT -5
We have a Cosco Scenera(?) we plan to use on flights.
I'd strongly consider getting him a seat. Wear him in the Ergo, attach a car seat to a rolling suitcase to roll through the airport, skip or check the stroller.
There is no way in hell I'd take DS as a lap child on my own right now. They're too big and too squirmy!
We had to start buying DS a seat at 1. The tickets weren't that much though, and we probably wouldn't of gotten him one for $517. I think DS was just starting to watch the occasional cartoon and we brought along an ipod and kid headphones (have volume limiter) for that.
I always dressed him in something cute, because at least if he was screaming he was cute and screaming.
Post by vanillacourage on May 31, 2012 22:39:12 GMT -5
Are you taking your carseat (to use on the plane or at your destination)? If so look into the Go Go Kidz travelmate in lieu of a stroller in the airport.
I've traveled cross country with DD by myself with a connecting flight in the middle of potty training. I did get her her own seat (but used frequent flier miles). Didn't take a carseat (we were visiting a friend who had an extra), but used the CARES harness. The harness was great because she knew she had to be buckled in just like her carseat, but was hard when she fell asleep - I had to prop her head up with my arm and it was really uncomfortable for me. Stickers worked wonders to keep her occupied. Lollipops for take off and landing and other snacks that she wouldn't normally get. She loves my iPod or iPad, so I let her play with those if she needed to. When I've taken shorter trips with her, I check her carseat (but still get her her own seat) and gate check her stroller. We also bought a Cosco Scenera to fly with (it's really light, but a bitch to install, especially rear facing). GL! It's really not that bad to travel by yourself!
Post by stephogirl on May 31, 2012 23:50:49 GMT -5
Run him.
Get there about 30 minutes earlier than you normally would and run him. Keep him moving as much as possible. Run up and down the airport, if necessary. Then (make sure you have his fav drink on hand), snuggle him up with his fav blankie/stuffed animal and hopefully he'll fall asleep.
I may be flamed for this, but Benadryl was my friend when we flew with DS1 when he was 2. My ped even approved it. If you are thinking about trying this, make sure you test it ahead of time. Benadryl makes some kids super hyper - which obviously makes flying even more hellish than it should be.
Post by Wines Not Whines on Jun 1, 2012 5:32:34 GMT -5
I may be doing this with a 2 year old. I'm not too worried about the actual flight, but I'm worried about how to get us and all of our stuff through the airport solo. The carseat is the hard part. I don't think one person can handle a kid, carseat, and stroller in the airport.
I may be doing this with a 2 year old. I'm not too worried about the actual flight, but I'm worried about how to get us and all of our stuff through the airport solo. The carseat is the hard part. I don't think one person can handle a kid, carseat, and stroller in the airport.
Sure they can! I have traveled with my DD by myself about once every two months since she was born. Our flights varied in length from 2 hours to 6 hours. Sometimes with a layover, and sometimes without. She is 2 1/2 now. Here's what I did before she turned 2 and had to buy a seat:
I check one bag. Then I carry on:
A backpack - this has lots of toys, books and snacks in it, as well as a change of clothes, diapers, and the ergo.
Her stroller, which she sits in until we get to the plane (depending on how much time there was I let her walk around in the airport while we were waiting at the gate). I fold it up at the bottom of the jetway and they gate check it.
Her carseat, which I store in a rolling bag. I hook this onto the stroller while we're in the airport so it rolls along with us, and then if there is an extra seat, I take it out and use it. If not, it stays in the bag and gets gate checked.
Before she was 2, if there was no seat available for her, she sat in my Ergo on the plane and does not get out at all. No matter how long the flight is, she stays in there (longest was from east coast to west coast, so about 5 1/2 hours). Some might find this mean, but she was used to the routine, and as a result she doesn't think you can get up on an airplane. Even now she will sit in her seat the whole flight and not get up unless she needs to use the potty.
It took a few trips of trial and error for me to work all of this out, but it was a breeze once I had a system. You can do it!
Oh - and we have a Britax Marathon seat (I think - I get the models confused), and a travel bag similar to this one: www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2960524 We use one of those stroller hooks to attach the handle of the bag to the stroller so it wheels along with it.
Post by cookiemdough on Jun 1, 2012 6:58:17 GMT -5
Our first flight with our son was when he was around 1. It took us almost two years before we took him on a plane again, lol. Everything was working against us though...no nap, significant airline delay, holiday crowds and the most important...diarrhea. Small infants are pretty easy but 1 is a hard age. there is just not that much that will entertain them for a long period of time and they are too young to get why they need to sit in your lap rather than explore. You will survive though and have funny stories to show for it. : ).
I may be flamed for this, but Benadryl was my friend when we flew with DS1 when he was 2. My ped even approved it. If you are thinking about trying this, make sure you test it ahead of time. Benadryl makes some kids super hyper - which obviously makes flying even more hellish than it should be.
We've done this too. That was when he was in his phase of yelling "Get me out of here" repeatedly on planes.
I've taken DS on about 20 flights. On 4 of those flights it was just the two of us and he didn't have his own seat. We didn't start buying him his own seat until about 15 months.
I agree with a pp's suggestion to run around the airport and use up all of his energy. I also think flying during nap time is key. We prefer a window seat because I can lean up against it and DS can sleep on me. Maybe we are just lucky, but DS tends to fall asleep after take off and sleep for at least a few hours. My son hates toys and won't play with the ipad or watch tv, so we didn't even have that going for us, but we made out fine.
We do take an umbrella stroller and gate check it. It makes it easier to get through the airport. I also recommend bringing lots of snacks and plenty of water/juice/milk.
We flew when DD was 16 months and 20 months. First time she had her own seat, second time she was a lap child, and it was just her and me. She did fine. She was somewhat fussy on the plane as she wanted to get down and run around, but I just found stuff to occupy her. That could be anything from something in our carry-on bag to the in-flight magazine.
I didn't bring a stroller when we went solo. I carried her in the Ergo as much as I could, and let her run around when we got to our gates or along the terminal. You may find that your airport(s) have a family security line, which will make things go much smoother.
How long is the flight?
If you do bite the bullet and get a seat, make sure your car seat will fit. We flew Southwest and it has very small seats. We ended up buying a new seat ($40 on clearance at Amazon) just so it would fit on the plane.
I do not use a carseat on the plane. I don't see how any car seat we have would even get close to fitting in an airplane seat. The one time I did have an open seat next to me, I just sat him in it, buckled him in and he loved it because it was so different. I just held him in my lap for take off and landing at the direction of the flight attendent.
As far as occupying. A banana did wonders. As did wearing him out between flights. I let him push the stroller with my backpack in it around the terminal. He didn't really want to play with any toys or books on the plane, but the next time I think I'm bringing my ipad and some headphones (since he's taken a liking to an old pair of mine) and let him have at it.
Snacks! The first time I flew solo with DS was the first time he had Fruit Loops. Get some extremely forbidden snack (the big cereal cup was great because he could take them out and put them back as he pleased on the tray table) and save them should you get desperate. Mini M&Ms are good too.
I just took my VERY active 20 month old DS on a 3 hour flight by myself - it is possible! I wore him and rolled my suitcase with the carseat bungeed to it - I gate checked the carseat. I also had a backpack. We didn't need a stroller because my friend at the other end had an extra.
I suggest having options and lots of them. We did not have a seat for him. I had milk, snacks, breakfast, new toys (hit up the dollar bins at Target), books, and dvds. DS doesn't have the attention span for toys either, but since they were new and I pulled them out one by one he was into them and I considered 10 minutes on one a win (because that added up to an hour).
I also recommend just having a thick skin. Security took me an extra minute, but I didn't care. People can go around me if they need to and I was efficient as possible anyway. On our return flight I had this bitchy old couple in front of us who made comments as soon as they saw DS (and he was happy and quiet at the time). I just let it roll off my back. If he cried, he cried. I of course did what I could to calm him, but he is a baby/toddler, it's going to happen and everyone will survive.
I agree to try to not let them out of the seat if you can. Once they know they can get out, it's all they will want to do. If it's not an option (like in the car), they probably won't fuss much .. probably.
I did this. I actually got lucky and got booked next to an empty seat when I checked-in. Just ask. DD moved around a lot but also wanted to be with me because we were (obviously) in a new and strange place. So she was much more interested in being on my lap and we did a few strolls up and down the aisle while in flight.
I gate checked our rolling carry-on with the car seat attached. DD even road in her car seat a little in the airport.
I brought too much carry-on stuff to play with - but I always do. And I always wish I packed lighter. I do agree that a few "new" toys - on different parts of your bag is a help. Bring them out at different times.
You could get lucky and be fine. I did, a few times.
No, I was being cheap. I think we will have to do that going forward too. Our carseats are massive, are you going to buy those strap thingies to use instead? We have a Britax Boulevard and a Recaro PRORide and both are heavy.
The Boulevard might work. I flew (by myself with DS) with the Britax Marathon. Strapped it on our stroller to wheel through the airport (And DS could sit, strapped in, in the seat on the stroller) and only had to carry it a few steps onto the plane itself.
I have not yet found a plane (even Southwest) that I can't install a car seat on. I have flown with the Graco Safeseat, Britax Marathon, britax Roundabout50, and Evenflo Maestro. I have not had to fly a puddle jumper yet though.
I generally have a backpack on (That has all the diaper bag stuff on it -- as well as a change of clothes for both DS and myself. I carry 1 diaper for every hour of travel time. Leaves extra for in case of delays.). A waist pouch (for money, my ipod Touch, ID, tickets... its my "purse") and a carryon bag I can sling over my shoulder that carries toys and snacks for DS.
Ds is now almost 5, so I'd be willing to try him in just a seatbelt on our next flight if we had a solution to the needing car seat on the other end (one such solution might be booster training him and carrying the seat part of the booster onto the plane in a carry on bag.)
I've done this a few times. We haven't bought a seat for DS yet. Even once I flew by myself with a carseat, a non-checked bag, and a stroller and DS and managed to get to the rental car facility all by myself. It was crazy and not fun, but I did it and I felt like super women after I did.
Some tips -Check your car seat for free -Be the last person to get on the plane -Let your LO run around crazy before the flight -Find a snack that your LO loves, hide it away and pull it out when shit hits the fan.