Flying with toddler, tips, suggestions?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A 21 month old is not a baby. You will drive everyone around you (and yourself) crazy.

And while you're at it, pray for no turbulence. Pray hard.

Another prick!

[Anonymous]

Why not just give the kids something to knock 'em out...throw him in a duffle bag, and stow it in the overhead compartment. In the event of turbulence, THAT would actually be safer than holding him in your lap.

[Anonymous]

OP, while I think the haters could be less rude about it, I think that you are making a mistake with this one. The last time I flew with my very calm well mannered child as a lap child was when she was 18 months old. Her size at that point made it really hard for anyone to get comfortable on a 3 hour flight.

I understand that tickets are expensive and that the rule technically is up until their second birthday, but please be aware that your child is not an "infant" anymore. Your child is a walking, talking little person who is unlikely to be content to just remain still the whole flight.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why not just give the kids something to knock 'em out...throw him in a duffle bag, and stow it in the overhead compartment. In the event of turbulence, THAT would actually be safer than holding him in your lap.

I hope that every flight you get on from now on results with you being seated next to the loudest babies who cry non stop during the entire flight, while kicking tour seat repeatedly that would be divine karma

Hugs!

[Anonymous]

My first thought was get the child his/her own seat. I swore I would not waste money doing that...until I flew with my 13-month-old as a lap child. Not even a full two hour flight, and it just wasn't worth it for him or us. He's far more likely to conk out in his own car seat, and he's easier to keep contained strapped in to the familiar seat.

[Anonymous]

OP, if it makes you feel any better, I am a NP who is flying with a 21 month old to Hawaii next week. Good times! Have at me, haters!

We're bringing iPad with videos and aps, headphones, lots of snacks, some new small toys, magazines to destroy, painters' tape as recommended on prior threads. Yes I predict he will be somewhat annoying to other passengers anyway, and I do feel bad about that. I don't know that our paying $900 for a separate ticket for him would have done much to alleviate the annoyance, though. Obviously we decided it was not financially worth it to do that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why not just give the kids something to knock 'em out...throw him in a duffle bag, and stow it in the overhead compartment. In the event of turbulence, THAT would actually be safer than holding him in your lap.

I hope that every flight you get on from now on results with you being seated next to the loudest babies who cry non stop during the entire flight, while kicking tour seat repeatedly that would be divine karma

Hugs!

Hmmm

Me: Concerned about the welfare and safety of a stranger's baby, as well as the comfort and well being of other passengers.

You: Vindictive, hateful, wishing ill on others. Could care less about the safety of young children, as long as you can save a buck or two.

Yes, bring on the "divine karma!"

[Anonymous]

omg, it's only a 2 hour flight. A lap baby will be inconvenient but you will be fine. And the person sitting next to you won't die of it.

[Anonymous]

It's not recommended to fly with children out of car seats. In the case of turbulence, your child could be launched with deadly speed into God only knows what, killing them or another passenger. If a coffee pot has to be stowed, why shouldn't a child be in properly restrained in their car seat?

[Anonymous]

I flew solo with DD a lot at that age and milked the opportunity to go free up until the week before she turned 2. Maybe she's an excellent traveler, but it was really never a big deal.

Tons of food -- we like dried fruit -- to relieve pressure. Puffy headphones, not earbuds, for your device (phone, tablet, whatever). Crayons were a bust for us, since DD would try to color on the window/tray table. Stickers, invisible ink (for sale at airport gift shops), and other removable art supplies are better. And dress in layers -- both the kid and you -- because the temperature on the plane shifts, and it's a very sweaty experience to have a giant toddler on your lap.

[Anonymous]

To Florida? No biggie. It will be over before you know it.

The best advice I ever received was, "No matter how miserable you are, the flight will end at some point. You will feel 100 times better when you step off the plane. And you will feel 1000 times better when you get to your destination."

This advice kept me sane during my trans-pacific flight with 2 kids under 2 without DH.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's not recommended to fly with children out of car seats. In the case of turbulence, your child could be launched with deadly speed into God only knows what, killing them or another passenger. If a coffee pot has to be stowed, why shouldn't a child be in properly restrained in their car seat?

Theoretically yes, but I have NEVER been able to find any actual documented cases of lap children injured by turbulence (or of or other passengers injured by turbulence-launched lap children), much less killed.

You and your child will survive, and so will everyone around you. Take an iPad or iPhone, some painters tape, lots of snacks and drinks, some dollar-store toys, and double the number of diapers you think you'll need. Bulkhead seats are great because you can let them sit or stand on the floor in front of you and stretch a bit more. Buy a drink for the other folks in your row or in front of you if your child gives them grief, but don't sweat it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, if it makes you feel any better, I am a NP who is flying with a 21 month old to Hawaii next week. Good times! Have at me, haters!

We're bringing iPad with videos and aps, headphones, lots of snacks, some new small toys, magazines to destroy, painters' tape as recommended on prior threads. Yes I predict he will be somewhat annoying to other passengers anyway, and I do feel bad about that. I don't know that our paying $900 for a separate ticket for him would have done much to alleviate the annoyance, though. Obviously we decided it was not financially worth it to do that.

I hope it goes well, but I suspect you'll be dreading that return flight the whole time you're there.

[Anonymous]

I think someone said it but it bears repeating. Space is going to be an issue. Unless you are an anorexic five foot one and your toddler is below the curve for height and weight you are going to be cramped. If the person in front of you tries to put their seat back (which they have every right to do) you are going to be even more cramped.

We had a seat for our toddler and put him in his car seat. Even that was bad because he was so high up he could kick the seat in front of him. And he could reach the knob to put down the tray table, but not put it back up, which was frustrating for him and annoying to the woman in front of him. It's going to be a lot easier for your toddler to do that on your lap. We have since purchased the Cares harness and that was the best thing we did. DS loved it.

[Anonymous]

Try nanny in the cloud ( I think it's nannyinthecloud.com or nanniesinthecloud.com)

Nannies already are in that flight - you just pay them to help you during check in, wait and flight.

So say I was a nanny and I booked a flight to California on April 12. I would go to the website and I update my profile to show what flight I was on and inform parents (who also have profiles) that are on that flight. Than I would do it for my return trip.

I'm not sure what you pay I think it's like 15 for one kid or something close to that. My friend did it when she flew to France, alone, with twin 11 month olds.