5.5 hour plane ride with 11 month old - tips?
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Anonymous
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Hi there-
We're traveling for X-mas with our 11-month old. This will be his third plane trip but the first that is so long at an age where he's mobile. He's a great sleeper so I'm expecting at least one 2-2.5 hr nap. We purchased him his own seat and we are bringing his car seat on the plane for safety and comfort reasons. We have our own row to ourselves as well. I've purchased some new board books, hidden his favorite toys for a few days (so they appear "new" when we're on the plane) and have written my list of things to pack in the diaper bag about 100 times. What else do I need to know, other than if everything goes south, we'll be treating the surrounding passengers to cocktails? |
Anonymous
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See if the flight attendant can give you some hard cookies or crackers--my daughter was occupied for like an hour with the Biscoff cookies that Delta serves, and on another flight, the guy rustled up some dried toast (weird, but she gnawed on that forever).
Walk him around as much as you possibly can before boarding/during layovers. Expect him to be cranky about not being able to walk for so long. Walk him up and down the aisle whenever you get the chance, because there will be so much time when you won't be able to. |
Anonymous
| Extra clothes. Lots of snacks. Pray. |
Anonymous
| The medicine that makes him sleepy? |
Anonymous
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food is your friend. lots of toddling up and down the aisle to get baby tired if he's walking.
and long trips are the *only* time I let my one-year-old have screentime. i'm downloading a couple of shows or apps for our roadtrip this weekend; the ipad can keep her mesmerized for 30 minutes at a time. and since I don't let her use at all the rest of the time, it is brand new everytime we take a long trip. |
Anonymous
Put your nanny and baby in coach and fly with your partner in first class
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Anonymous
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I did a 6 hour flight with my very active DS, once at about 10 months and once at just over 1 year.
I will warn you that my DS is also a great sleeper and he napped really well for the flight at 10 months. At the just over a 1 year flight, I got a half hour nap out of him on a 6 hour flight. (Yes, I wanted to cry.) We also had a car seat with his own seat and he still didn't nap. I think it was because he was just a bit too aware at that point of everything going on around him. At both ages, we put him in the window seat and rigged up a blanket between the seats so that he couldn't see us while he was trying to fall asleep or having slight wakings during the nap. I thought this helped. Just be prepared for anything. What worked for us: Snacks, snacks and more snacks. Lots of tiny finger foods that took a long time to eat. Cheerios, puffs, etc. All of my normal routine or "rules" for appropriate snacks went out the window. We put him in the window seat and let him stand and turn and play with things in his car seat. He had a tiny bit of room to move around (he was walking well for the 1 year flight and walking unsteadily/cruising at 10 months) and I think this made him feel less trapped and antsy. I never let him get a taste of walking in the aisles. I thought this would open up pandora's box and then he'd never be satisfied to stay in his seat. But again, my DS is very active. DH and I switched shifts every hour and then the person who was "off" really checked out. If you both try to be engaged for 6 hours, you'll go insane. Someone gave me this tip and it was a good one - bring a roll of painters tape. Stick the tape all over the back of the seat in front of you and let him pull them all off. Best of all, it will end!!!! Good luck. |
Anonymous
| OP here - thank you thank you for all of these great tips. The painters tape is so unique we will do that for sure! And I like the idea of one parent getting a break for a bit so you're not both exhausted at the end of the flight. The person who posted about first class, boy that made me swoon! It would truly be a Merry Christmas if we could pull that off. |
Anonymous
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It seems counter-intuitive, but see if you can board last. I know you have the car seat to set up, etc, so you may not be able to, but in my experience, the waiting for everyone to board is one of the worst parts. Mainly because there's not a ton to see out the window and the anticipation builds. Lately it's felt like boarding + waiting to take off takes forever.
See if the gate agent will let one of you on with the car seat to set up while the other parent walks DS around the terminal a bit more. I don't know if they'll let you, but it's worth it to ask. Also, for finger foods, I loved those freeze-dried yogurt drops when DS was that age. I could dole them out one at a time, they weren't messy or very sticky and since they dissolve, they're not a choking hazard. You've flown before so you may already know/do this, but it took me a few flights to realize that gallon ziploc bags are a LIFESAVER. I sorted everything into ziploc bags and THEN put them in the diaper bag. That way if I needed a new toy, it was easy to grab the ziploc full of toys rather than dig through compartments or the whole diaper bag. Snacks, change of clothes, diapers, books, everything goes into a ziploc. Then if you have to bundle up dirty clothes, you have something to contain the yuck too. DS discovered Hot Wheels cars about that age too. He loved spinning the wheels, watching me 'drive' them on the seat tray, etc. Small cars and trucks are perfect plane toys. DS is 5 now and I still buy him 1-2 new vehicles for plane trips! |
Anonymous
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This is a really excellent tipsheet:
http://flyingwithchildren.blogspot.com/ Pack minimally for what you need on the flight, and check everything else. Make sure you pack for a quick trip through security. I keep all our liquids (mine and kiddos) in one ziploc baggie--includes small travel-sized kit of everything we need for 24 hours (in case of travel delays or lost luggage). So in addition to my toothpaste/moisturizer/other toiletries, you might add a bottle of baby motrin and some diaper cream. Pack this into an exterior pocket or on the top. If you have liquid foods/snacks, pack them into a second (can be bigger than quart) ziploc. I keep an empty sippy cup in there too, and fill it after security. Totally agree with the ziplocs-for-everything idea. One is your diaper-changing pack; another for a full change of clothes; one more for snacks; another for a clean shirt and undies for yourself. I always brought a water bottle with a sport top and an e-reader for myself--the key to both of these is that if your kid falls asleep on you, you can operate them with one hand (maybe not such an issue if you have another seat, though--we always traveled with my son as a lap child). Snack catcher can be an excellent and novel new "toy." Apps on your phone. Blanket for peekaboo. The barf bag (you put stuff in!! you take stuff out!!). Pictures on your phone of the people you are going to visit. |
Anonymous
| Hit the dollar store before you go - stickers and post it notes are a lot of fun for the little ones. Also, we make a game of my pincher type hair clip - the small ones. I put it on DS's shirt, sleeve, around his finger, etc. He tries to take it off, gives it to me and I attach it somewhere else. |
Anonymous
| My ten month old daughter got the most joy out of ripping up a skymall catalog. It kept her more entertained than any of the toys we brought. |
Anonymous
10:04 again. Forgot to say this tip. I 100 percent agree. We would have DH board at the normal time and he set up the car seat and got all of our stuff arranged. I waited with baby and was the dead last person to get on the plane to minimize time just sitting in the seat. By the way, the expressions on people's faces as you walk down the aisle of a full plane with that baby are pretty hilarious. It's about 30% of the people just ignoring you, 30% smiles and coos (from women, mostly...sorry men) and 40% stares of horror with the practically visible thought bubble of...please don't let that lady and her baby be sitting anywhere near me. |
Anonymous
I did that on a trip to India, though it was business class and loved it. |
Anonymous
] I saw a family do this on a trans-atlantic flight once. First class tickets for both parents, three kids, and nanny with a baby. Guess who got to stay up the whole flight with the baby while the mother snoozed with her eye mask on? Definitely the way to go! |