Flying Tomorrow with 19 month old- HELP

[Anonymous]

Looking for tips. We bought a seat so bringing car seat on which should help. Our 4 yo loves the I PAD but I'm not sure how to keep a VERY active and strong willed 19 mos happy and contained.

Has anyone done Benadryl?

Thanks in advance!

[Anonymous]

Bring a couple of new books, and a couple of new toys, plus two favorites. Walk the baby around a LOT - you will find someone who loves babies and is happy to play with it. I always bring cash to buy drinks for the people around me if my baby becomes That Baby On the Plane.

[Anonymous]

HOLY FUCK, no. Don't do benadryl. Jesus, we took 18-month-old DD to Asia and it was a 24-hour flight and we didn't drug her. What, most T-day travel is 5 hours or less Seriously hope you were joking about that.

iPad, stickers, new books (we do from library), a blanket for peek-a-boo, snacks, and lots of distraction. Take turns with DH so you don't get burnt out. Seriously, though, unless it's 8 hours or more, no way is flying THAT hard.

[Anonymous]

I flew cross country at 14 months and I brought snacks, juice boxes, bottles, books, a music box, musical toys. They don't have milk on most flights - learned that the hard way.

Plastic spoons and cups were a hit. So was ice. She fed me her snacks for a good portion of the time too. We walked the aisles a lot but she got upset when the seatbelt sign got turned on and we couldn't walk anymore.

I basically did everything I could to entertain her and we did ok for 3 out of 4 flights. Difficulty with naps and a long layover were our downfall.

Good luck! I was alone, so I think two of you can handle it.

[Anonymous]

Ugh, good luck, I find this to be the hardest age range to fly. Next month we are taking my 4 y.o. and 18 month old on a 1.5 hour flight and god help us, we didn't get the toddler a seat. You've already done a great thing just getting the extra seat.

On my last flight, with both kids, ALONE, we had to stay seated the entire time due to turbulence. It was the worst 2 hours of my life. Be prepared with other strategies in case walking around is not a possibility.

[Anonymous]

Flew at 18m. First hour was fine, then we had 1.5hrs of screaming, shrieking, punching, bucking, did I say screaming? I really do not know how she managed to throw a tantrum for 1.5 hours. She was so upset that she made herself vomit five times. No toy or snack (even the special high value ones) would distract her. We also had her favorite books and toys and some new ones purchased just for the flight. It was horrible, and the people around us were so nice and understanding, but it was so horrible.

Before we came back, we did a practice run with Benadryl and it worked, so we gave her Benedryl on the way home and had an uneventful flight.

We usually fly Southwest and try to snag the very back row in the plane to minimize disruptions, should we cause any.

[Anonymous]

Having the carseat will help - it will feel like a car ride to him. Stickers, post it notes, painter's tape. Bring a container with a lid to put things in and out of. Books with flaps or are touch and feel. Snacks (especially ones that take a while to eat).

If overlapping with nap times, bring his lovey if he has one. Bring a couple of his favorite toys.

Keep in mind that pressure in the ears and ear infections can make them upset. Having something to suck on will help, especially during take off and landing.

Don't do Benadryl. It makes some kids hyper, and unnecessarily over using medication is not healthy.

[Anonymous]

There was a thread on dosing your kid with Benadryl for flights a few months ago. It should convince you not to use it. (although the PP's story would give me pause too.)

Besides the above suggestions - ours falls asleep as soon as the engines go on, so you may get lucky like that.

One thing about the car seat which I didn't know until we switched to the Britax - it puts DS into perfect kicking position. I pre-apologize to the person in front of DS and we offer that person to switch with DH (no one has taken us up on it and everyone has been very nice.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Bring a couple of new books, and a couple of new toys, plus two favorites. Walk the baby around a LOT - you will find someone who loves babies and is happy to play with it. I always bring cash to buy drinks for the people around me if my baby becomes That Baby On the Plane.

That's a very nice thought, but just a FYI, the last several flights I have taken specify that drinks (and snacks/meals) must be paid for with a credit card. In past years, when paying with cash was an option, I remember flight attendants getting on the PA system, asking if anyone had change for a $20, etc. They must have just decided to go to a cash-free system to avoid that.

[Anonymous]

If candy is a rare treat at your house, I suggest candy. Something big and time-consuming like a BlowPop will buy you a good half hour. This should be hidden and a last resort, because the kid will end up a big sticky mess but it gives your ears a break from the shrieking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:HOLY FUCK, no. Don't do benadryl. Jesus, we took 18-month-old DD to Asia and it was a 24-hour flight and we didn't drug her. What, most T-day travel is 5 hours or less Seriously hope you were joking about that.

I suspect the giant laughing smiley face after the benadryl comment was enough for most people to get that it was a joke.