Occupying a 1 1/2 on the plane?

[meghan74]

the previous post reminded me that i always try to get the bulkhead row so that we don't have any seats in front of us. i cannot stand spending 3 hours telling my DD to stop kicking the seat (especially when she really isn't doing it on purpose).

 

[MarkBarbieri]

Don't give your ds any fruit snacks or lolipops for a month or so prior to going this way he will want them & eat them.

I'd be real careful with this approach. With our kids, if you give them sugary snacks, it gives them a boost of energy that can be hard to contain in a plane seat.

 

[Jaymie]

When we bring our car seat, we also have our stroller, so we try to balance it on top of the stroller (somewhat) while we're walking through the airport. We put our carryone bag or diaper bag under the stroller too. Then we just gate check the stroller and it's there as soon as we get off the plane. Sometimes our DS will even sit in the stroller with a book, toy or snack while we're waiting to board the plane.

My DH also boards first with the carseat, gets everything settled and then I wait until most people are boarded to get on with our DS. That way he's not sitting in the seat for an extra 30 minutes or so while we wait for everyone to board.

 

[tjmw2727]

the previous post reminded me that i always try to get the bulkhead row so that we don't have any seats in front of us. i cannot stand spending 3 hours telling my DD to stop kicking the seat (especially when she really isn't doing it on purpose).

If you can't get a bulkhead row consider having an adult member of your party sit in front of the child in a carseat.

Either I or my dh would sit in front of the child in the carseat and the other would sit next to her. Taking off shoes helps as well !!

TJ

 

[TinkerbellMama]

DH, DS, and I will be "going home" to VWL in March. I'm VERY nervous about the plane ride with DS, 1 1/2. DS is a really good boy but sitting on laps/ not being able to go, go, go might be a challenge. What are some things you do to distract/occupy your kids that young?

We're hoping to book on MidWest Express Airlines which seat 4 across so we dont' have to annoy a stranger sitting directly next to us. But do you do anything nice for the people around who you might have to suffer your cranky baby?


Denice T.
Olathe, KS

The best thing I found for traveling with a baby/toddler is breastfeeding! But using a car seat is a close second...not only for sanity, but for safety! Did you know that even if you do not purchase a seat for ds, you may be able to use his car seat in an empty seat (even with assigned seating, someone may volunteer to switch to accommodate you, if necessary)? New toys, special foods (especially treats like cookies which may be in short supply in daily life), etc. will all help. As for the suggestion of Benadryl...I would NEVER EVER consider this. Then again, I am against drugging children unnecessarily, in general (no one get snitty...it is medication and CAN have side effects, and should be used only when MEDICALLY necessary).

 

[LuvOrlando]

The best thing I found for traveling with a baby/toddler is breastfeeding! But using a car seat is a close second...not only for sanity, but for safety! Did you know that even if you do not purchase a seat for ds, you may be able to use his car seat in an empty seat (even with assigned seating, someone may volunteer to switch to accommodate you, if necessary)? New toys, special foods (especially treats like cookies which may be in short supply in daily life), etc. will all help. As for the suggestion of Benadryl...I would NEVER EVER consider this. Then again, I am against drugging children unnecessarily, in general (no one get snitty...it is medication and CAN have side effects, and should be used only when MEDICALLY necessary).

I see, so doing what a Dr. says is not medically necessary. I don't know how my 2 kids have been surviving all these years without the me realizing what a terrible Mom I am for giving my kids Benedryl when told to do so. Thanks for the insight and for putting it all in perspective, Dr. Mom.

I posted because an open question was posted and neither me nor the other parents who recommended Benedryl need this nonsense. Who needs this? I don't. Good luck OP, its obvious the ones with all the answers have set up here and will lead you down the correct path while us drug pushers would have lead you towards certain doom. I'm out of here.

 

[jenseib]

I was at a party today and we got on the subject of kids on planes and I was amazed at how many people said there Dr.s told them to use benedryl. It isn't to drug the kids either and make them sleepy. It is to help wit hthe pressure of the ears and throat and makes them less anxious as well. I will definately ask my DR. about it too and use it when we travel as well.

 

[all4fun]

OK, I'm going to stick my neck out here a little bit. Please no one shoot the messenger....[ducking for cover]

Here's some really good info about Benadryl, which is actually an antihistamine/allergy drug:

http://www.askdrsears.com/html/8/T088800.asp

and here's another article about flying with children that address the use of Benadryl (written by a Doctor) http://pediatrics.about.com/od/weeklyquestion/a/06_fly_benadryl.htm

And here's information given by a former FA of 13 yrs that also flies frequently with her three children: http://flyingwithchildren.blogspot.com/ (also a good site for general tips on flying with kids):

Many parents are concerned about ears. I'll say right away that I think ear problems are vastly overrated. I simply didn't see that many problems when I was working and I worked mainly long-haul international trips at high altitudes. Crying actually helps their ears, which is what a baby would automatically do if bothered.

That is just her opinion of course, but I tend to agree from my own personal limited experience flying numerous times with ds - the only time he had a really bad problem was when he had a bad head cold. Every other time ascending and descending on the plane wasn't a big deal.

I know a lot of people worry about this... I certainly did! I hope it helps put some of those worries to rest.

 

[CharmedLife]

When we bring our car seat, we also have our stroller, so we try to balance it on top of the stroller (somewhat) while we're walking through the airport. We put our carryone bag or diaper bag under the stroller too. Then we just gate check the stroller and it's there as soon as we get off the plane. Sometimes our DS will even sit in the stroller with a book, toy or snack while we're waiting to board the plane.

My DH also boards first with the carseat, gets everything settled and then I wait until most people are boarded to get on with our DS. That way he's not sitting in the seat for an extra 30 minutes or so while we wait for everyone to board.

Yes yes yes!!! This is EXACTLY what we did when our kids were younger... used the stroller to haul our stuff around the airport (including the car seat) and then gate-checked it... DH would get on the plane first and get everything set-up while I stayed out until the last minute to keep the baby off the plane as long as possible.

Also - once your child has his/her own seat, regardless of their age, they will have to be seated and buckled up during take-off and landing - they will NOT be allowed to sit in your lap even if they're screaming.

 

[NotUrsula]

It's important to realize that doctors are human beings, too, just as prone to being embarassed by a tantruming child in a confined space as any one of us might be. Peds who suggest Benedryl have usually used it themselves to prevent such situations with their own kids. They are usually trying to make a parent's life easier when they suggest it. Personally, I'm not dead-set against using prophylactic sedatives (mild ones) if you know that they will be effective for the particular child, but the truth is that most of the time they are not necessary if you come prepared.

As to ear pain: Of itself, Benedryl given right before a flight will not prevent or stop ear pain. For that you need a decongestant, not an antihistamine. However, ear pain due to pressure change tends not to happen when one is sleeping, as the relaxed condition of the body helps to prevent it. For ear pain, a prophylactic decongestant or a topical analgesic (to stop pain that has already occurred) would be my weapons of choice. While crying does help when the pain happens, it tends not to eliminate the pain. I will give meds as needed to eliminate it entirely, not because I don't want to disturb others, though I don't, but because I don't like to leave my child in pain when I have the means to stop it. Having experienced the agony of a ruptured eardrum on a flight, I'll move heaven and earth to spare my child that pain.

Two other notes: 1) If you are using a carseat you normally do not want to get a bulkhead seat, as most of the time a carseat cannot be properly installed in a row where the armrests cannot be lifted. 2) ALWAYS carry a change of clothing not only for the child but for yourself, and a LOT of wipes and ziploc baggies for cleanup. Airsickness happens. FYI, the most common time for a child to become airsick is AFTER the landing, when the plane is taxi-ing in or has stopped at the gate, so be sure to keep your eyes on them carefully during that period.

 

[jpeka65844]

OP here! Thanks for the great advice so far! DH and I wound up booking Southwest instead of Midwest Express. They're the only 2 airlines that fly non-stop from Kansas City and we figured THAT was more important than anything when flying with kids. Midwest prices inched up and up in the past week and they wound up being more $$.

So...I'll take everything with a grain of salt and hope it works! Not sure about the medicating thing. DS has never really had medicine before; not sure if we'll go that route. Let's just pray he'll be in a good mood!!!


Denice T.
Olathe, KS

 

[j_lehr]

I flew with my nephew when he was 20 months old and omg, never again. He didn't want to sit on my lap or his mother's lap...he wanted to run up and down the aisles and would cry...no make that scream, because we wouldn't let him. He got bored very easily of everything we brought him - both toys and food. I thought he would sleep, it was a 6 hour flight...nope, not one wink.

So my advice....his him his own seat so you can use a car seat because even if he cries...at least he is not going anywhere. I would also not let him nap before the flight. A dvd player probably would have been helpful for us...so if you got one of those with his favorite shows...that might help. And most important...just have some patience. You already know what to expect...don't let it bother you or ruin your trip...after all, he is just a baby. And forget the people around you...an earlier poster said it well...if they don't like it, it's their problem.

Have a great trip!!!
Jes