Flying with a 3 year old, help please!

[kamik86]

Thanks for the thoughts everyone and keep them coming!

She's relatively easy to entertain and I'm used to do that on long car rides, but I don't want to bring the kitchen sink like we do when we drive.

Remember the flight will be much shorter then the drive so you won't need as much to entertain her. You will still need to bring some stuff just not as much.

One thing to be sure of... Have at least one thing that isn't electronic so she can have something for take off and landing (the actual take off and landing will probably be cool enough to entertain her, but the taxing part is kind of boring)

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

Anyone want to recommend a good pair of toddler headphones?

We use Kidz Gear Wired Headphones for Kids for our grandson.

 

[scootch]

I took my kids by myself to WDW when they were 2 and 5 I bought a bunch of dollar store toys. They went thru them before we took off. So on the way home, I asked to board LATE.... and that worked so much better. Did yearly trips alone as they grew, but still used that advise. Don't be the first on board, that makes you sit for an extar 20 min or so confined in the small space. Don't forget something for descending and ears, snacks work fine since she is too young for gum.

 

[nemofans]

We took a car seat once when my 1st DS was 2 yrs old. We bought one of those large backpacks for the car seat to try to help carry it. WHAT A PAIN! After that, we bought a CARES harness & love it! It is so easy & takes up barely any room. I feel secure that he is safe. Now we use it w/our 2nd DS. It cost us $70 & is worth every penny. We do fly often though & have used it w/both our boys.

Each of my boys have their own backpack that I fill w/surprises & they carry on their backs. I put snacks/gum, a new book (DS7 got a riddle book that he & DH enjoyed reading to each other), post it notes/paper, small coloring books/activity books, travel games/cards, & Ipod/Ipad w/games & movies on them. I also put some practice math worksheets too. I add wet wipes, crayons, pens, & stickers as well. Lollipops also help keep them quiet. I bring a disposable sippy for DS3 & a small neck pillow for naps.

 

[Alexander]

We also used to try to be the last ones on the plane, and sit as far forward as possible to get off sooner. The least amount of time sitting on the plane is the best situation. I know a lot of people like to pre-board with kids, but then you are just sitting there waiting. It doesn't take long to sit down and get buckled, so pre-boarding just means more waiting/sitting.

I also let DS do a lot of walking and wandering around in the airport before we'd board. When he was little, I'd let him climb on the chairs (if there was no one around to bother). The more active he could be before we get on the better he sat for the flight.

He's only 5 now, but a seasoned traveler. He has no problem just hanging out at the airport and no matter what we bring for him to do on the plane, he's content to just sit for the flight and sometimes dozes off to sleep.

 

[tjmw2727]

Thanks for all the responses! I'm leaning toward just using the lap belt with her. She's super excited about flying and I think she's going to think it's so special not to have to sit in her car seat. It's only a 2.5 hour flight.

Anyone want to recommend a good pair of toddler headphones?

Sounds like she will be fine with the lap belt esp since you don't need a carseat at WDW. We found the kid size headhpones sold at walmart/target etc to be just fine for toddlers.

something like this:
http://www.amazon.com/Maxell-190338...GQPW/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1338510897&sr=8-6

New and interesting snacks can take up some time as well and help with any potential ear pressure - any chew & swallow helps. We did the gerber graduate chewy snaks at that age but a lollypop, pretzels and any other fun new snack and a sippy cup will help as well.

Stickers are also fun for this age as are the information bookets and the sky mall book in the seat pockets My dd once played with a roll of scotch tape for an entire 3 hour trip at the age of 2ish... I got lucky on that one!

 

[bumbershoot]

I did a ton of searches on here and it seemed like everyone was recommending the car seat or harness. I think she's more likely to sit still in her seat, but I'd love to avoid lugging it around if we can.

For a 3 year old, it's more of a personality thing. For 2-and-unders, when being a lap baby is possible, then it's "bring the carseat and use it on the plane", because kids that little often have a problem staying in a lapbelt, and having their own seat is much safer in case of extreme turbulence than being held by a parent. But after that...personality.

I brought the carseat until DS was nearing 4, and then one trip our flight was canceled and we were put on the next flight leaving, oh, NOW, and the thought of lugging the seat down to available seats (it was on SW) keeping it over the heads of passengers on a nearly full plane just made me want to cry. So I gate checked it right then, DS was totally fine, and that was the end of that. But he was a seasoned flyer by then.

One thing to be sure of... Have at least one thing that isn't electronic so she can have something for take off and landing (the actual take off and landing will probably be cool enough to entertain her, but the taxing part is kind of boring)

YES. And don't bring the electronics out until the electronics can be on! That recent thing in the news (3 year old wouldn't sit in seat, family had to take a different flight), IMO, could have been partially avoided by not bringing out the electronics while sitting on the tarmac.

Bring a nice little book, or coloring book, or something low-tech and simple for the times when you can't use electronics. Also let her know many many times that at some point during the flight the electronics will have to be turned off, and give her warning of that! I would estimate half an hour after takeoff and before landing, you're going to need the low tech stuff, so make sure those expectations are set!

Don't be the first on board, that makes you sit for an extar 20 min or so confined in the small space.

Yes, I totally agree!

 

[millerette]

Anyone want to recommend a good pair of toddler headphones?

We bought DD a pair of Sony pink kids headphones on clearance at Best Buy. She loves them and they do have a volume control on them which is good. We will just set the volume on the ipad. :0)

 

[amomma23]

We usually give our 2 and 5 year-old kids a dose of Tylenol about 30min before we depart. It really helps with ear sensitivity. We also keep baby wipes in our backpack. I'm not a total germ nut, but I like to wipe down the tray table and kids' hands before they have any snacks. Don't want to start out our trip with a stomach bug or anything.

 

[mco65]

You do NOT have to bring a car seat for your 3 year old but it will make the flight a bit easier if you can strap in their car seat on the plane. We used these sit n stroll for our twins until they were ~4..
http://www.strollerdepot.com/items/sit-n-stroll

They were great because they doubled as a car seat and stroller and we needed a stroller for the parks anyway... The only draw back to these is you can not simple fold them up like you can an umbrella stroller.. they do collapse so the wheels and push bar go in but you had to LUG them on and off the buses which was not always easy.. but doable and we did it with two...