So my daughter just had her first plane ride to Disney

[Bamagal]

It was horrible. She freaked out because she has to sit in her seat for a hour and a half. She kicked the seat in front of her twice and the lady went bollistic and called the fight attendant over to get onto us. She is three by the way. I held onto her legs the rest of the way as much as a I could. She had a few outburst of words and I kept trying to calm her. I seriously think my daughter was claustrophobic but would not take the aisle seat. How am I going to fly my child home? I'm so nervous. Should we just sit at the back of the plane? I'm not trying to judge anyone but my seat was kicked the whole flight by a kid behind me and I never complained. I think the lady took it too far especially glaring at my child. My dr suggested Benadryl when I told him we were flying. Anyone ever medicate their child to fly? I just need to make her calmer and me talking her through it didnt help at all.

 

[mouseketeer_mom]

Well, perhaps I'm not the best example but... yup, I'd use benadryl or dramimine. Not so much for the comfort of others (she's 3!!!) but for her.

 

[dsneprincess]

I am sorry this happened to you. Please remember there are crabby people everywhere who just live to be mean. 2 kicks to a seat on a plane is NOT a big deal! Did you have her in a carseat? If so, flying home maybe go without the seat because then their legs don't reach the seat ahead when they kick. My DS2 doesn't fly that great either & he's flown a bunch of times. I put him at the window seat, he pulls the shade up & down, I let him stand when the seatbelt sign is off, we give him a pacifier or lollipop for his ears. If you are flying an airline like SW where you can pick your seat, try to sit near someone else with kids. Or put your child behind a child so if she hits the seat it is not a big deal.
Do NOT let this person wreck your trip. It is a 90 minute plane ride home, not the end of the world. We have been with screaming children (sometimes our own!) for longer than that in flight. Enjoy your vacation & don't worry about the trip home; it will work out.

 

[dsneprincess]

Well, perhaps I'm not the best example but... yup, I'd use benadryl or dramimine. Not so much for the comfort of others (she's 3!!!) but for her.

Just remember that Benadryl & Dramamine can have the opposite effects in children, ie. make them more hyper than drowsy.

 

[Bamagal]

Thanks for the encouragement. It was SW and we had A22-24 for boarding passes so there wasn't any kids in there yet. Hopefully flying home, I can find one and put her behind them. I keep repeating to myself let it go but I'm so worried. I only want to use medication if that's what she needs. I just need to keep repeating, this will not ruining my trip, this will not ruin my trip happy thoughts!

 

[bumbershoot]

Just remember that Benadryl & Dramamine can have the opposite effects in children, ie. make them more hyper than drowsy.

Antihistamine had the opposite effect on DS. His dentist got ridiculous on me and insisted on one for a little bit of work. DS had never been in the main room of the office before, and of course was curious. Dentist decided that the work would be impossible. Forgetting that he does "work" in the private room (where DS had only been until that day). It was AWFUL. DS was fine during the appointment, it hadn't hit yet, and he was in the quiet, private room that he was used to. But once we started for home and for the rest of the day, AWFUL.

I don't recommend giving things like that for frivolous purposes. And flying *behaviour* is a frivolous reason.



Was she in a carseat? If so, is that how she could reach the seat to kick it? If so, gate check the seat. Was she on the seat? Perhaps have her cross her legs so she isn't kicking. Different people have different levels of "appreciation" for being kicked. I had the guy behind me digging into his seat pocket on our last flight, and you can imagine what THAT felt like. If it had continued I'm not sure what would have been my breaking point. I'm really NOT into being kicked, and I have moved mountains to prevent my son from kicking the back of someone's seat, because I know very well how incredibly annoying it can be.

Bring things for her to do. Bring familiar food for her to eat. (try to not bring things containing peanuts, out of courtesy of people who might possibly be allergic, or eat those at the gate where people can get away, rather than on the plane) Don't choose a flight to try something brand new.

I love Ear Planes, if she was hurting from the pressure. DS at 8 has decided he's over those, but still gets a little bit of pain, so I bring Trader Joes Organic lollipops; they don't have anything to trigger him (anything based on corn syrup (note: that's why the antihistamine syrup messed with him, because that's the syrup) and possibly/probably artificial colors) because they are colored with things like beets. The lollipop helps him continue to swallow which helps him not have pain.

The nice thing about the flight home is that she's not new at this anymore. She knows what it's like. And I don't think there's anything wrong with talking her through it...I think that talking about experiences is very helpful, even when behaviour isn't perfect in response to it. You just need to increase your toolbox of things to keep her occupied. Coloring books/pages (does the Merida meet and greet at WDW have coloring pages like the DLR one does?), some crayons... Can you buy a little set of Duplos for the way home?

I'm not sure an aisle seat would help, but maybe a window would? She can look out that way. With an aisle seat she *might* get knocked into by people and even the beverage cart. DH sure gets hit by the cart, and it's several hundred pounds on wheels. Ouch.

 

[tjmw2727]

Relax - make sure you are so she will be!!

Talk to her about things you are going to do to make the flight more comfortable. Favorite comfy clothing and if she has a lovie or blanket definately bring that. A sippy cup for take off and landing as well as a lollypops can be entertainment, snack and help with ear popping. Put a member of your family in front of her - dh always sat in front of my dd in case the seat gets kicked - you can also take off her shoes.

Most passengers understand that toddlers will talk and sometimes cry and as long as the parent is engaged it doesn't bother them.

Pick up a few quiet fun toys on the trip - books and magazines read together as well as the old standard finger games sung softly.

Talk with her during the trip about the ride home, let her know what to expect in calm terms and let her know she can do it and you will help her.

Good luck - and enjoy the vacation!!

 

[Betty Rohrer]

to take the kicking from other woman's piont of view, if she has back trouble yes even the 2 kicks could cause her major problems getting off the plane. this could hold up unloading for everone as the bring in staff to get her off. yes i have been there, nonDisney trip. diffently not good way to start a trip.

 

[DisneyNutMary]

OP, I'm so sorry your trip was so stressful for you. I often wonder why people seem so surprised, on flights into Orlando, when kids on the plane are chattery, or have ants in the pants. It's to be expected.
In answer to your question about Dramamine or Benadryl, I have given my kids a children's decongestant for flights. Not for the purpose you have in mind, but to relieve the pressure changes in their little ear canals- I know the takeoff and landing are painful to me, and I know what causes it, I can't imagine how it must feel to a three year old who doesn't know what causes it.
Don't stress yourself out for the flight home. Do your best to make your daughter comfortable, and don't worry so much about the person in front of you- chances are you'll never see that person again.

 

[Bamagal]

Thank you guys! I am going to hope for the best and forget about until the day we fly home. We had toys, coloring books, snacks, sippies, and earplanes but she just couldn't handle it. I think us sitting near the front was not a good idea. We were too close to business travelers. I'm going to head to the back of the plane heading home. We are a traveling party of 2 so no one to put beside me. All that matters is we're in Disney!

 

[maxiesmom]

Are you flying with others in your group, or is it just you and your daughter? If you have others along with you, ask one of them to take one for the team and sit in front of your daughter. That way you don't have to worry about the FA being sicced on you.

I agree too that if she could reach the seat in front of her because she was in a car seat, don't use the car seat on the way home.

 

[wdwmaw]

Thank you guys! I am going to hope for the best and forget about until the day we fly home. We had toys, coloring books, snacks, sippies, and earplanes but she just couldn't handle it. I think us sitting near the front was not a good idea. We were too close to business travelers. I'm going to head to the back of the plane heading home. We are a traveling party of 2 so no one to put beside me. All that matters is we're in Disney!

The back of the plane would be a good idea for you. For her, mention the flight several times a day until your return trip. Keep asking her what her favorite part was and tell her your favorite part, keep this positive and don't mention the kicking or the holding the legs down. Give her something to make her drowsy, if you know it won't have opposite effect. This will decrease her anxiety levels as she will be more relaxed. Get a kitchen timer before you go. Don't seat belt her in untill you have to. Set the timer for 30 minutes or so and tell her she can get up and you will walk with her to the bathroom when the timer goes off. Hopefully she will get so involved in the timer that she will forget she is sitting. Another thing to do is get a stress ball, or something for her hands and have her squeeze it . This should put the stress in her hands and not the stress her legs are wanting to put on the chair in front of her. Another thing to do is take her shoes off when strapped in and squeeze her feet with pressure, has the same effect. The timer and pressure items (hands squeezing and foot rubs) are just distractions that work wonders for anxiety. Heck I saw one mother using the childrens nail polish, doesn't smell, and she painted toe and finger nails during the flight. Boy she painted slow and that kid sat so still the whole way.

 

[crashbb]

Is it just the two of you? You say you had A22-A24, so that would be three of you (though I know that sometimes a number can get skipped). If there are three of you, you can put the third person in the seat in front of her - then you don't have to worry about kicking. We also remove the shoes - more comfortable and less kicking.

 

[stitchlovestink]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mouseketeer_mom

Well, perhaps I'm not the best example but... yup, I'd use benadryl or dramimine. Not so much for the comfort of others (she's 3!!!) but for her.

Just remember that Benadryl & Dramamine can have the opposite effects in children, ie. make them more hyper than drowsy.

I was just going to say that!! my older DD...well benedryl didn't exactly make her hyper but I swear she wouldn't blink or sleep when I gave it to her. So I'd try a dose first on the ground and see how she reacts to it IF you decide to go that route... just my .02. Good Luck!!


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[Bamagal]

Is it just the two of you? You say you had A22-A24, so that would be three of you (though I know that sometimes a number can get skipped). If there are three of you, you can put the third person in the seat in front of her - then you don't have to worry about kicking. We also remove the shoes - more comfortable and less kicking.

Sorry! A22-23 I was on my phone. We are already asking about the plane ride home and she is in allergy meds already so instead of giving it to her at night, I will give it to her when we arrive at the airport.

 

[LadyBeBop]

to take the kicking from other woman's piont of view, if she has back trouble yes even the 2 kicks could cause her major problems getting off the plane. this could hold up unloading for everone as the bring in staff to get her off. yes i have been there, nonDisney trip. diffently not good way to start a trip.

If I flew SW, and wanted to make sure I didn't get behind a kicking toddler, I would have paid for early boarding, and made sure I sat in front of an adult.

 

[LockShockBarrel]

If I flew SW, and wanted to make sure I didn't get behind a kicking toddler, I would have paid for early boarding, and made sure I sat in front of an adult.

So everyone should pay extra, all children are misbehaved and we shouldn't expect them to behave anyway by what you've just said.

 

[kdog_1981]

I'm not medicating my kids (unless sick). Take shoes off!

 

[MariDisney]

If there are 3 of you I would put one adult in the seat in front of her. Sorry it was such a difficult trip!!

 

[NotUrsula]

I don't know if you have a car with you, but if you don't, do you wear PJ's with drawstring waists? If so, you can probably manage to put her in "hobble pants" for the trip home.

"Hobble pants" are a trick I've been using on my kids for decades now. It is named after the method of keeping a horse from kicking or running, called hobbling.

I buy a pr. of drawstring PJ pants that are long enough to dangle a couple of feet past the child's own feet, and for the flight I put them in the pants and tuck just the ends of the legs under their butts. In this position they can comfortably move their feet side-to-side, but they cannot kick forward more than a couple of inches. It's effective, physically painless, and does not tie the child down in any way should an emergency evacuation become necessary.