Gameplan for flying with toddlers---Help!

[molly2004]

Hi, there. We'll be flying with our 17 month old twins a week from Thursday. I'm seriously concerned! One is "containable"; the other?...well....

Anyway, I just wondered if anyone has a gameplan for when they travel with toddlers. I have activities to keep them busy (I hope they work!). We have 8:30 AM flights with a 45-minute layover at about 10:15 AM. Here are the things I have in mind to do to make things run smoothly:

1. Get on the plane at the last boarding call.
2. Feed the kids breakfast on the plane after it starts cruising. They normally don't eat breakfast until 8:30 anyway.
3. Play until until we land.
4. Grab lunch and change diapers during the layover but not feed the kids until we are up in the air again and cruising, etc.

Do any of you globe trotters have any ideas what else we can do? Am I dreaming, thinking I can feed them during the flight? I just thought it would be an interesting activity that'll keep them still for about 1/2 hour.

I'm not counting on either of them sleeping for any portion of this trip. They are just too interested in what's going on around them to sleep.

Any thoughts would be very helpful! Thanks!

 

[barbarabini]

I bought a portable dvd player for it. I also brought crayons to color and some cookies ( ply them with treats)
If worse comes to worse, you can give them benadryl - call your doctor. DO they have their own seats? Mine did - it was definitely easier. Those seats were a reduced price. Last, i gave her a bottle on take off and landing. It helped her ears

 

[PatricenPete]

I flew to Boston with my DS in June. He was 8 months at the time. It was a reasonably short flight, but I had lots to keep him entertained.

I brought my portable DVD player so that he could watch his movies. (he loves Baby Einstein) I also second the advice to give a bottle or sippy cup at take off and landing. DS never batted an eye during either! You could bring some cookies or cheerios. Just keep them constantly entertained/occupied. Buy a new toy and don't give it to them until they are on the plane.

 

[Mom to Jordan]

Feeding them is a great idea as chewing can help relive ear pressure. I would make that meal last as LONG as possible. Take small amounts of lots of different choices and feed them slowly. You can take a small soft sided cooler to keep things cool. LOTS of fluids are important during a flight. When they are not eating, expect to play with them a great. REad to them. sing to them talk to them!!
I would not let them know that getting out of their car seats is a option. Thet way they at least can not go anywhere!!!

Good luck!!

Jordan's mon

 

[Tigge50447]

I took a little box and decorated it with streets on the top of the box. I then put 3 little cars inside the box, a small magnadoodle I got at walmart for like $2. and some stickers, fish crackers, pipe cleaners a disney book with the magic pen, also at walmart. He never saw the box until the plane took off. He loved it. He also feel asleep in the plane on the way there and back.

 

[SammieG]

how long is your flight(s)?

It shouldnt be too much of a problem if there are 2 of you entertaining them. Just know that you wont manage to do anything else yourself. There was never a time in my life when my son had 2 people giving him totally undivided attention for 9 hours!!!
I am sure it the same for your twins - even if its split between you and your partner.

We are the experts on international travel.. my son has made 18 cross atlantic trips to Disney in the last four years.. (9 and a half hours each trip!).. one thing I found very useful for him was a harness - this was very useful taking him for walks around the plane (we walked around and around). there was not enough room to hold his hand without tripping over him, but the harness allowed him to walk and for me to hold on and make sure he was safe.

Sippy cups are good for take off and landing, but be aware.. they leak with the pressure changes.. so put them into a waterproof bag and away from your stuff.

Lunch is a good idea.. but give them finger food that they have to "do" something with.. like Raisins in a box (they take hours to eat!!), Cheerios, pieces of fruit... etc..

 

[pjupton]

We've flown a few times with our boys in the infant carseats, once with them in laps, once with them in convertible carseats, and will be going to WDW in October.

I'd suggest sending DH ahead to install carseats, then you bring them onto the plane shortly before take off. We found the flight attendants and fellow passengers to be unbelievably kind and helpful!

One thing my guys really enjoyed was reading/shredding the airline magazine.

Also, be aware that their tray tables may not go all the way down without hitting their legs if they are in carseats, so coloring is out.

They might suprise you and sleep, especially if they usually fall asleep in the car.

Have fun!

 

[HotMama]

We just flew with our DD 20months. She did really great. We brought a new Elmo book for her to look at, along with a new coloring book and crayons, and a portable DVD player (that we bought just for that plane ride and it worked GREAT!) Good Luck and Have Fun!

 

[scouthawkk]

DS was 23 mos for his first air flight last August. He did much better than we expected. We did all of the above. DH did the pre-boarding to install the carseat, I followed at the end of the line when our row was called (gate checked the stroller). Snacks kept him occupied, as did watching the clouds outside his window. Plus had new toys to give him on each leg of the trip.

We had a bit of a layover, during wich we did the diaper change, let him run around a bit (it helped that the airport had a small little play area). I also had a small bag of balloons. I just blew one up at the airport (both while waiting for original flight, and during layover) and let him bat it around and played catch with him. When it was time to board, we either passed the balloon off to another little one that was waiting for another flight, or tossed it in the trash can. They also came in handy at the hotel!

 

[MMPC123]

subscribing

I am flying with my 18 month old this Oct for the first time, keep those GREAT suggestions coming!!

thanks for this thread!

 

[nono]

Our daughter (18mo.) doesn't know that there's a flight shorter than 5 hours (she hasn't gone to WDW yet). She's done what is called the world's longest flight (Newark to Hong Kong at something around 16.5 hrs) and several visits to the west coast (5-6 hrs).

Food is a great distraction, so definitely plan some snacks in addition to the main meal you are going to have. So are presents...and the most familiar of toys. I try to bring two new gifts and several of her current favorite toys from home for the flight.

Two other items that she's gotten enless pleasure out of on the plane are colored straws and a boxed bar of travel soap. She can burn a lot of time playing "in and out" with that bar of soap!

Also, I remind her before we go that there will be some times during the flight that she needs to just "sit and think." And, she actualy does! Not for hours on end, but those 15 min. increments are like gold!

There's a book called "Planes" by Byron Barton that is a board book to help familiarize small ones with planes. We read it regularly.

Finally, I have her either switch out of or into pajamas on the flight...we either fly early morning or fairly late in the day. That can chew up a whole 1/2 hour by itself -- waiting in line for the bathroom, changing, then chatting with others we meet on the plane on the way back to our seat, then getting settled in again.

I think the biggest thing is for you not to stress. If you are calm and relaxed, you'll deal with whatever comes up in the best way possible. Have fun!!!!

 

[nono]

Oh gosh, and the most important thing of all: pack triple the amount of diapers you think you'll need in transit! What if you get delayed on the tarmac, or miss a connection, etc...And, some kids can get "diaper blowouts" due to the pressure change.

Personally, I put my daughter in old-fashioned plastic pants just for the flight as an extra layer of protection. Also, we carry a change of clothes for all of us, just to be on the safe side.

 

[MelodyMack]

My #1 tip for traveling with mini munchkins - GET THE PORTABLE DVD PLAYER!

We were boarded on a plane with our then 18month old ands at on the runway for over an HOUR! Other parnets were offering to BUY ours because their kids were starting to get antsy before we even left the runway.

WORTH EVERY PENNY!
Mel

 

[molly2004]

How do you handle toddler tantrums on the plane?

 

[Colinsmom]

How do you handle toddler tantrums on the plane?

Creativity in the form of distraction. "Barfy" the barf bag puppet chased away a tantrum that started about half an hour before we landed. Boy, was I sick of being that corny for that long, but the giggles beat the pants off of the screaming!!

 

[grlpwrd]

.... "Barfy" the barf bag puppet chased away a tantrum ...

How cute, too!

OP, check this site for more ideas on traveling with toddlers: http://www.momsminivan.com/toddlers.html It's geared for road travel, but good ideas nonetheless.

GL!

 

[MayMom]

We will also be flying with a toddler next May/June. She will be 26months then. I love this thread - great idea...
On a side note. What airline are you flying? I was a flight attendant for Southwest and I know they ask families to board first. Just wondering.....

 

[disneymom225]

We are flying w/ DD at the end of AUgust for the first time-Yikes! So we don't really know but someone, somewhere suggested a roll of Scotch Tape. It's not noisy, fairly self-contained and the sticky factor apparently keeps kids entertained for hours. Also-pipe cleaners. I don't have first hand experience but I am hoping these all work! Good luck!

 

[molly2004]

Barfy....

Scotch tape...

Terrific ideas! Thanks!

Grlpwrd, I'm definitely bookmarking that site!


Just another question...

what are your thoughts on taking a stroller up to the gate. The kids are walking now (for about 6 weeks) and we have harnesses for them. Do you think a stroller would make things easier or crazier? We have a connecting flight in Atlanta (one hour layover) and have one carryon (a backpack). Otherwise, nothing else. Would a stroller help out that much? When I used to travel before kids, the rule was carry as little as possible. I'd hoped the same applied here.

 

[pjupton]

what are your thoughts on taking a stroller up to the gate. The kids are walking now (for about 6 weeks) and we have harnesses for them. Do you think a stroller would make things easier or crazier? We have a connecting flight in Atlanta (one hour layover) and have one carryon (a backpack). Otherwise, nothing else. Would a stroller help out that much? When I used to travel before kids, the rule was carry as little as possible. I'd hoped the same applied here.

How else are you going to contain them? They may not move fast now, but at 17 months, they will be RUNNING in OPPOSITE directions. (we're just back from the park - 20 months old - I'm wiped out from chasing them).

If you have to go very far between planes you will want it - you don't want to carry them when they are kicking and screaming to get down nor do you want to let them walk while you repeat "stay with mommy, hold mommy's hand" 156,234,839 times between gates. I tried the harnesses at the airport... they got all tangeled up in each others lines and they got pissed when they got to the end of their tether and couldn't go any farther. Plus they got trampled by other people. So far, I'm not impressed with the harnesses at all. I'm glad they only cost me $10.