Flying tips with a year old

[moparop]

We are flying next week with my 15 month old. She does not have her own seat and I am looking for good ways to entertain her on the flight.

Thanks!

 

[deegack]

Get her her own seat. I know you don't want to hear it, but I just got back with my 15 month old and there is no way we could have contained her for a 2 1/2 hour flight. The trips on the buses were extremely difficult and she is a good kid. I get complements all the time about how well behaved she is.

Once she is in her seat (in her car seat) she is comfortable and happy. So we read books, play with the little people we brought and watched a dvd, all of which would not have worked if she was on my lap.

 

[famofsix]

I don't think it will be easy with a 15 month old but it can be done

What are her interests?

 

[pixidustmom]

We did this last year with my DGS. He was 15 months too. I didn't have a seat saved for him, but we got lucky to have most of our flight not full. So we were able to put him in between us.
We had books, DVD player with Disney movies, paper with crayons, and snacks. He really did good considering. The hardest part was when he was really tired and we had to switch planes just as he finally fell asleep. This was an unplanned switch too.
Good luck.

 

[MommytoaSweetie]

It can be done! We've done it with a 14 month old (3-4 hour flights), 22 month old (2-2.5 hr), 10 month old (2.5 hr with almost 3 year old in own seat) and we'll be doing it with a 23 month old coming up (2.5 hr with 4 year old in own seat). Yep, we're crazy. But really, it's not that bad. I mean a few hours is NOT that long. Honestly, none of our flights have been bad... our girls are great and often sleep. Definitely get a portable DVD player if she'll watch anything (mine wouldn't at that age, but I'm sure some would), bring new toys, have lots of snacks available, bring books, don't be afraid to softly sing silly songs, and try to make the best of it.

 

[MScott1851]

Good luck, OP! I had debated whether or not to get my DD a seat for our upcoming trip in December, but when I realized that she is NEVER still for more than 10 seconds at home, I broke down and bought one. It was almost a budget buster, but I'm just not that brave.

We're taking her touch and feel books, a DVD player (although I don't think she'll wear the headphones), some snacks, and some window clings. I also planned our flight for right at her normal nap time, so I hope she sleeps!

 

[dhardawa]

Absolutely get her her own seat. Not only is it safer (turbulence can be deadly for people - including babies - who aren't restrained), she'll be comfortable and in a familiar environment that she already associates with having to sit still in.

 

[snow_white's_mom]

I flew with DD when she was 18 months and she didn't have her own seat. We brought a portable dvd player, crayons (the small restraunt packs so it didn't matter if they fell on the floor), some of the small disney characters from the dollar store (packed in little ziplocks for easy access and changing out of toys), books, small snacks, and I made her a little photo album with pictures of the castle, characters, and different things around the parks that I found online and printed out. For take off and landing we had her drink out of her sippy cup to help keep her ears from hurting.

 

[3pletprincesses]

I travelled with triplet one year old a few years back twice in a little over a year. Once was a 3 hour flight to Disney and the secodn time was a 6 hour flight to Europe. For florida we had our tiplets all on lap because we had enough people going with us to be able to do it that way and everything went fine. We flew with Jetblue and the girls watched some tv, I gave them snacks and brought a few toys for them. The second time was to Europe and the girls were 16 months old. To go I had 2 lap babies and the return trip was 1 lap baby because I flew with my dad to go and solo to come back. Everything went well once again. They slept most of the flight both times. If you have a baby that sleep in the car, chances are the baby will sleep in the plane too. Try to plan the flight around nap time if it's possible.

Make sure to bring something for her to drink during take off and landing.

 

[turtlechick6]

How long is the flight? For me I would never travel on an airplane without getting my child their own seat. It is safer in case of turbulence to have them strapped into a car seat and you get your own space, they have their own space, they won't try to run around or squirm because they should be used to sitting strapped into car seats and know they can't get out of them.

That is just my personal choice. The only exception might be if it was a VERY short flight of 2 hours or less otherwise I just won't want to hold them longer than that.

Bring a sippy cup or bottle for them to suck on to relieve pressure on their ears. Bring snacks to keep them occupied and in case you get stuck on the plan a long time. Bring books, some new little toys to keep them happy. Maybe a dvd player for longer flights.

 

[robinsegg]

Our 17mo is going with us in a couple of weeks. We don't have a seat for her (she absolutely *hates* being strapped in a carseat very long at all and *loves* being held). I plan lots of snacks, some of her favorite toys, some "new" toys (stuff her older sibs used to have), walks up and down the aisles (yes, she'll hold my hand and stay with me). We also sing songs, teach her signs (we use modified ASL to help her talk starting at 3 weeks). There will be her dad, brother, sister and me (mom) to help entertain her, so I'm not too worried, as long as she can be with me or her dad.

 

[Erica09M]

My youngest flew for the first time when she was 23 months old. We took snacks, a drink, and lots of quiet things for her to play with. We also had our laptop, so she could watch a DVD, but our flight was so short we didn't even get through the entire movie. I took stickers, crayons, and paper. That was probably her favorite time killer, besides eating LOL But also had little Disney figurines and books. Looking at your location, your flight probably isn't much different than ours was (we flew out of Indy- about 2.5 hours flight time).

 

[luvmy2babies]

I'm not doing it with ds because he is way too busy and since dh is no longer with us, we'd have to share our row with a stranger and being the only adult I want my hands free.

But when dd was 18 months and dh was with us, I did it. We flew from here to San Diego, a total of 6 hours in the air. I had a bag full of Lord knows what, (toys, books, crayons, paper) but the best thing…snacks. Keeps the hands and the mouth busy. We also read and looked out the window. She was generally a quiet baby. She slept on the first leg (very early flight) and was awake on the 2nd. Mainly she just "talked". I still remember when we were about to take off on the way home. She was waving and yelling "Bye Bye!" at the window. Half the plane was cracking up.

Also remember to try to keep her feet to the side so she doesn't kick the seat in front of you.

If she colors or if your other 2 children color, Crayola I know makes triangular shaped crayons that don't roll if dropped. I got dd some for our trip next week.

 

[maxiesmom]

We're taking her touch and feel books, a DVD player (although I don't think she'll wear the headphones), some snacks, and some window clings. I also planned our flight for right at her normal nap time, so I hope she sleeps!

If she won't wear the headphones, you may want to re-think bringing along the DVD player. Unless your daughter will watch the pictures without sound. You are supposed to use headphones on an airplane for any gadget that makes noise. If you use the DVD player without headphones the FA may make you turn it off. And if another passenger complains, they will make you turn it off.

I think it would just be easier on you to not have the DVD player there, and have a child that can't understand why they are not able to use it.

 

[brymolmom]

If she won't wear the headphones, you may want to re-think bringing along the DVD player. Unless your daughter will watch the pictures without sound. You are supposed to use headphones on an airplane for any gadget that makes noise. If you use the DVD player without headphones the FA may make you turn it off. And if another passenger complains, they will make you turn it off.

I think it would just be easier on you to not have the DVD player there, and have a child that can't understand why they are not able to use it.

I agree on the headphones...but my kids at that age would watch Baby Einstein videos with no sound and it would still distract them. So I would recommend a video like that - lots of colors, etc instead of dialog and just leave the headphones in - so the sound doesn't bother others, but let her just watch the screen.

One tip from when my kids were young - they didn't know that you could even have sound without headphones. I never turned it up without the headphones. So they knew they had to wear them - or just watch without sound.

Lots of snacks are key. Slowly dole out goldfish or M&M's...one at a time to help that take up more time.

 

[cseca]

Coloring book with triangle crayons. Books/magazine to read/leaf through. Snacks.
If you know her favorite character/item you can get something new to get out on the plane. Our DD loves Pooh and Elmo, we have some pooh and elmo books we got at target $1 area that we saved just for flying.

 

[PSULion]

My DS is a bit older (turning 2 in Disney next month) but the key to entertaining him is new stuff. When we are at a restaurant I can give him his favorite toy from home and he completely ignores it. Then I give him absolutely anything at all that he hasn't seen before and he is enthralled. I have a whole drawer full of dollar store/target dollar spot stuff for just this reason. For our flight we are filling a bag with a whole bunch of cheap new stuff which we will dole out very slowly over the flight.

 

[amym2]

I have to agree with the others who said to buy a seat. Kids are used to being strapped into car seats and know that they have to stay seated and buckled, it's the rules. But holding a child in your lap, they do not understand that they have to stay seated. We flew once with a little boy in front of us who spent the entire flight leaning over the back of the seat, drooling on my DD. Every time the parents tried to make him sit down, he would scream, so up he would go. If you absolutely cannot get a seat (they are often 1/2 price for under-two's) then make it very clear that they HAVE to stay seated.

Personally I would never let my kid ride in a car without a car seat, so the same goes for a plane. I was on a flight once when a little girl seated in her dad's lap hit her head on the ceiling during unexpected turbulence. I said right then that I would never take that chance when we had kids, and I never have.

 

[robinsegg]

I have to agree with the others who said to buy a seat. Kids are used to being strapped into car seats and know that they have to stay seated and buckled, it's the rules. But holding a child in your lap, they do not understand that they have to stay seated. We flew once with a little boy in front of us who spent the entire flight leaning over the back of the seat, drooling on my DD. Every time the parents tried to make him sit down, he would scream, so up he would go. If you absolutely cannot get a seat (they are often 1/2 price for under-two's) then make it very clear that they HAVE to stay seated.

Personally I would never let my kid ride in a car without a car seat, so the same goes for a plane. I was on a flight once when a little girl seated in her dad's lap hit her head on the ceiling during unexpected turbulence. I said right then that I would never take that chance when we had kids, and I never have.

That would probably work great for a kid who will be happy in their seat for 2.5 hours (the length of our flight). Our 17mo would *not* be happy, unless she managed to fall asleep. In a car, we could (and do) stop and pull her out to let her have a different position, etc. If I do that on a flight, there are 2 consequences I'm not happy with:
1. It will make her think it's ok to get out in a moving vehicle.
2. It negates the whole point of having her in her carseat to begin with.

Otoh, if I put her in my wrap (literally tying her to me) anytime we're asked to strap in and anytime she's sleeping, we won't disturb *everyone* else because she's screaming after the first hour and we won't be sacrificing very much safety, imo.

That said, this is our first flight. If we ever fly again, she'll already be over the 2yo age cutoff, and it won't matter anyway.

 

[kimkoz]

I'm sure with flying in a week buying a ticket is not an option. We're flying with a 18 month lap child soon. Of course my first pic was buy a seat but with the crazy fares we needed to save some and there are plenty of adults to help.

Snacks are key. Don't worry about giving too much. It will keep her busy. It's vacation right, we can always enjoy a little too much. Maybe something she likes but you don't give too often. In our case its grapes. She loves cut up grapes but it really isn't the season right now but I still grab them here and there since they are a little more prices now.

Depending on if she is a bottle or sippy - I'm right now having a hard time taking away the bottle - sickness and teething is making it hard. I like to go cold turkey but if the trip was close to my cold turkey planning I'd rather just bring the bottle just in case and worry about cold turkey after the trip. The bottle may be soothing if she still uses it. *And for all those moms that wil give you dirty looks, they can just deal. Some babies just need a couple months after a year, its not like I'm putting juice in there. lol.

Movie - My DS flew at 20 months and watch the movies with no sound. It was still fun for him to have a mini tv just for him. Maybe a new movie that she has never seen before

Reuseable stickers or window clings. She can stick them to the tables and they come off easy.

My daughter at 15 months now loves those silly bands that her brother has. Of course I only give them to her when I'm right here but she enjoys taking and putting them on me. Maybe an idea

Good luck - It will be fine Have fun.