When Toddlers loose it on the plane...

[faindrops27]

Oh--let it go! Everything will be fine--when DS was about 16 months old he screamed for 30 minutes as we started our decent. He finally threw up all of over me and the business man next to me and fell asleep. I carried a puke covered baby off the plane and made a quick dash into the bathroom. I apologized profusely to the man next to me--he said it was okay, but I know he was POed big time.

I still think at 20 months a seat for him would be best--you have to decide about the carseat, I know it doesn't work for my little guy though. He's better off in the big seat. We showed him the seatbelt sign and told him that the pilot said he has to have it on. He's not always happy about having it on, but as he complains, he looks up to see if the light is on and then just sighs (he's now 3 y/o).

Wow, surprised the man did not make a scene. That is pretty bad. On his suit..
Anyway, OP. At less than 2. Carry on a car seat, and buckle him in it. Just tell him beforehand that the car seat is his special seat that he will use on the plane to get to Disneyworld. Bring, some books, snacks, two of his favorite toys. Interact with him often. And that is it. Let him suck on some juice, on take off and landing. He should be fine. This coming from a mother of 3. Who took 2, under the age of 3. So, I should know.

As for letting the child sit in that big seat. No way. He will, shimmy out of the belt. If he is active as you say. Make sure you have that car seat. No lap. It is a disaster waiting to happen. Someone posted they let their child sit, on that dirty floor? Oh no. I would not recommend that, to many germs. But, anyhow. I say take the seat.

 

[AKL_Megs]

I am a flight attendant, and this is what I suggest.

First, have him in the carseat. It is what he is used to, it is what he knows. He knows that in the car, he is strapped in and that is that. On the plane, it will be the same thing. Plus, toddlers are notorious for NOT wanting to be in that seatbelt, and they MUST. It is safer and easier to have them in their carseat.

Have a bottle or sippy cup ready to go with something that he will drink. If he likes milk, purchase milk before you board. Same thing if he likes juice, water, etc. Your best bet, especially for the 3-hour segment, is to get him to sleep, and nothing is more sleep inducing than takeoff. While you taxi, hand him his bottle or sippy cup, get him the right temp. with a blanket, and let him drink and fall asleep. The swallowing will help with the pressurization, which is the reason babies/toddlers cry on a plane 90% of the time.

If you can keep him asleep for most of the flight, that would be great!

If not, I suggest little tiny snacks, like fruit snacks, cereal, fruit pieces, etc., something perhaps he doesn't get often but enjoys, something new, for him to eat and play with.

If you have a portable DVD player and a movie he likes, that is great!

Another great idea is a brand new book or two, something new to look at, and new toys. Something he won't see until he is on the plane and needs something to occupy his attention.

Before landing, I suggest another bottle/sippy cup. Ask the FA for water if you don't have anything. Descent depressurization is worse than climbing, even for adults! The swallowing again, will help.

A cheap idea for new toys is a simple pad of paper and crayons.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

You may not be allowed to hang out in front of the bathrooms. All the flights I have taken they tell you to go back to your seat as it's a safety issue. You have gotten some great advice on this thread. I'd also recommend buying him his own seat, so many flights leave you with very little leg room, and if the person in front of you reclines you might discover you have very little room to hold him or give him distractions.

Also be proactive, friendly and appologitic to your neighbors. The people around you are less likely to get upset if they know the parent is trying and is a nice person.

It's only the front bathrooms that people cannot congregate in front of for cockpit security. In the rear of the plane, you can wait outside with no problem.

 

[Monica]

I have flown with my girls many times starting at 6 weeks old. I always bring stickers, band-aids (they love to play with them), a travel wipes container (my daughter loved to pull them out and put them back in at that age), snacks, a few books, a small puppet, some dollarstore finds and color wonder markers. I don't overwhelm them with a ton of options but have a few back ups (especially for the trip home when they are tired and cranky). Straws are great in a pinch too (you can blow them, blow a ball of paper across the tray). Just relax and it will help him relax.

 

[Zeebs]

Wow, surprised the man did not make a scene. That is pretty bad. On his suit..
Anyway, OP. At less than 2. Carry on a car seat, and buckle him in it. Just tell him beforehand that the car seat is his special seat that he will use on the plane to get to Disneyworld. Bring, some books, snacks, two of his favorite toys. Interact with him often. And that is it. Let him suck on some juice, on take off and landing. He should be fine. This coming from a mother of 3. Who took 2, under the age of 3. So, I should know.

As for letting the child sit in that big seat. No way. He will, shimmy out of the belt. If he is active as you say. Make sure you have that car seat. No lap. It is a disaster waiting to happen. Someone posted they let their child sit, on that dirty floor? Oh no. I would not recommend that, to many germs. But, anyhow. I say take the seat.

We travelled for 3 months took 8 flights, visited 14 different airports where they rolled around and played with cars etc, sat on the floor in the plane if there was enough room, stayed in more than 15 different hotels/motels where I didn't wipe anything down with disinfectant. Visited Disneyland Hong Kong and Disneyland took no antibacterial gel. And guess what no body got sick not even a sniffle.

So for the sake of a few germs on my child, and the happiness of them and other people around him I think a bit of sitting on the floor won't hurt them.

Kirsten

 

[Mouseaholic!!!]

If you can remember these instances, I HIGHLY doubt you were as young as the OP's child.

I guess you didn't read my post.......I remember one...but in discussion with my MOTHER - who was there, by the way, from before birth on.......SHE is the authority on actions prior to my memories. She simply didnt allow outbursts in public.

I was taken everywhere - all the time from shortly after I was born. One week after I was out on the family boat for example.

Bottom line - tantrums were not allowed - period.

If she and her sisters could manage it with their children....hummmm......it bet others can as well.

 

[2binak]

I guess you didn't read my post.......I remember one...but in discussion with my MOTHER - who was there, by the way, from before birth on.......SHE is the authority on actions prior to my memories. She simply didnt allow outbursts in public.

I was taken everywhere - all the time from shortly after I was born. One week after I was out on the family boat for example.

Bottom line - tantrums were not allowed - period.

If she and her sisters could manage it with their children....hummmm......it bet others can as well.

I stand corrected - If you can remember that instance, I HIGHLY doubt you were as young as the OP's child.

 

[Mouseaholic!!!]

I stand corrected - If you can remember that instance, I HIGHLY doubt you were as young as the OP's child.

I agree - I was not an infant.

Luckily for me, my family traveled all the time and I did travel as an infant....not to WDW....but air travel to visit family and vacation destinations. Nope - don't remember those.

Now, I can barely keep my eyes open until I board and sleep through most of my flights....perhaps it was the same when I was an infant.

If so - no WONDER my mother said I was so well behaved when we traveled!!!

 

[stella27]

I guess you didn't read my post.......I remember one...but in discussion with my MOTHER - who was there, by the way, from before birth on.......SHE is the authority on actions prior to my memories. She simply didnt allow outbursts in public.

I was taken everywhere - all the time from shortly after I was born. One week after I was out on the family boat for example.

Bottom line - tantrums were not allowed - period.

If she and her sisters could manage it with their children....hummmm......it bet others can as well.

Did your mother offer any tips on how to simply not allow outbursts in public? My 6 and 8 year old are generally well-behaved in public, but I have not yet managed to bend the 20 month old to my will. I dread the flight with him and plan to be well-prepared and keep him entertained, but I have often thought that it's a lot like carrying a cat in your lap for 2.5 hours. You can try to soothe the animal and manage the impact to others, but ultimately it's just a wrestling match. I may have to try telling him that his behavior in public is unacceptable.

 

[Alexander]

We travelled for 3 months took 8 flights, visited 14 different airports where they rolled around and played with cars etc, sat on the floor in the plane if there was enough room, stayed in more than 15 different hotels/motels where I didn't wipe anything down with disinfectant. Visited Disneyland Hong Kong and Disneyland took no antibacterial gel. And guess what no body got sick not even a sniffle.

So for the sake of a few germs on my child, and the happiness of them and other people around him I think a bit of sitting on the floor won't hurt them.

Kirsten

I was the parent who wiped everything down and would NEVER allow my kids to sit on the floor until---I alone was stranded at an airport for 18 hours with my 8 month old and my 7 year old. After oh say 10-11 hours, I didn't care where my 8 month old crawled as long as he remained happy. I even set up some chairs into a huge playpen type area because he was started to cruise on furniture. The one incident alone broke me of worrying about dirty floors and germs. No, I don't recommend my kids eat off of the floors of an airplane, but if my 3 y/o is happier sitting on the floor and playing on the seat (like a table) hey, go for it!

Bottom line - tantrums were not allowed - period.

If she and her sisters could manage it with their children....hummmm......it bet others can as well.

I'm guessing you don't have children. Come back and give advice when you do! Seriously, just because your mom and aunt claim they wouldn't tolerate tantrums doesn't mean that you didn't throw them. What works for one child most likely will not work for another even within the same family. I really don't think you should be giving parenting advice unless you've walked a mile or two, or three in our shoes. If you are a parent, then I apologize and congratulate you for having perfect children.

 

[Avonlady1001]

I'm guessing you don't have children. Come back and give advice when you do! Seriously, just because your mom and aunt claim they wouldn't tolerate tantrums doesn't mean that you didn't throw them. What works for one child most likely will not work for another even within the same family. I really don't think you should be giving parenting advice unless you've walked a mile or two, or three in our shoes. If you are a parent, then I apologize and congratulate you for having perfect children.

Well said.

 

[piglet33]

I would recommend buying him a seat and keeping him in his car seat. Once he realizes that that's where he has to stay, he'll settle down. I agree with the snacks and the bottles to keep him occupied. You might also consider bringing a portable DVD player or laptop and let him watch his favorite shows. You also might want to keep him up longer before his nap time so he will be most likely to sleep on the longer leg.

I also agree with getting him his own seat and putting him in his carseat. My daughter has been flying since she was 11 months old, and I always bought her her own seat. Once the plane would start to take off, she always fell asleep. It will be so much more comfortable for your son AND you. I know I wouldn't want to hold my DD for 3 hours on a plane.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

I'm guessing you don't have children. Come back and give advice when you do! Seriously, just because your mom and aunt claim they wouldn't tolerate tantrums doesn't mean that you didn't throw them. What works for one child most likely will not work for another even within the same family. I really don't think you should be giving parenting advice unless you've walked a mile or two, or three in our shoes. If you are a parent, then I apologize and congratulate you for having perfect children.

AMEN!!!

 

[malibuconlee]

That's weird. Baby bottles are supposed to have different requirements. In what way were they checking the bottles?????

They test them in some way. Larger airports can do it without opening the bottles, but smaller airports have to open every one even if it is sealed.

When we flew from Kansas City to El Paso to look at houses I took the Similac premixed bottles thinking it would be easier than trying to get water when we needed to mix a bottle. You would have thought we were terrorists. Granted I overpacked, but I wanted to make sure we had enough, plus you never know when you'll hit a delay. They had the equipment to screen without opening on the way out, but the El Paso airport is smaller. The agent said he would have to open them to test the liquid. I told him to just throw them away because once they are opened they need to be refrigerated so it wouldn't do me any good (we definitely had a connection each way). Luckily I had powder formula with me. It was easy to get water from the flight attendant on each plane. They were very nice and offered to heat it for us, but my daughter doesn't need/like it heated.

As for lap vs. own seat. We've only flown once with my daughter when she was 7 months old. Getting that car seat on and off two planes was a hassle. We even had to argue with the flight attendant about her riding rear-facing. She looked it up in the manual actually and did see that it was OK to put it in rearfacing. OK argue isn't the right word, but it was a disagreement. The return flight we just checked her car seat and she was awesome sitting/sleeping on daddy's lap during both flights and it was less stressful on us not having to move it.

 

[momgjgc]

Distracting him is the key. My son was a handful to travel with but with ditractions and the droning of the engines he would fall asleep. I've flown by myself with my 4 kids from NY to Chicago about 3 hours. I have been givent o dirtiest looks and comments about hoping they aren;t sitting next to us. In reality, my kids are really good fliers. They know the rules and besides some crying from the littliest while taking off on her first flight she is the best of them all. I have had the experience of having a mom send her toddler to "play" with my kids so she could get some rest. I sent her back to mom with a thanks but no thanks look. The poor kid had only a diaper on and was about 2 years old. Mom said she made a mess of her clothes so she took them off.4
Good luck it is only a few hours then you can enjoy your vacation!

 

[miprender]

He screams during long car rides but 1) he's buckled in his car seat and 2) it's just me, DH and DS NOT a plane full of strangers!

I didn't get him his own seat because he would end up sitting with me 98% of the time so I didn't want to waste the money but maybe I should consider getting him his own seat on the plane now.

It's nice to know I can walk the aisle with him if needed. I didn't think I would be able to!

I haven't read through everything, but I know how you feel.

We flew with DD5, DS3 ad DS16mths and I was worried about DS16mths. At first we did not have a seat for him, but the longer I thought about holding him for 3hrs the sooner I realized I did not want to do that. We were able to use some credits we had with SW and I just kept him buckled the whole time in his car seat and he was fine. I also bought his favorite blankie and teddy and he fell right asleep after takeoff and woke up when we landed.

He also did this for our flight home.

 

[CPT Tripss]

They test them in some way. Larger airports can do it without opening the bottles, but smaller airports have to open every one even if it is sealed.

When we flew from Kansas City to El Paso to look at houses I took the Similac premixed bottles thinking it would be easier than trying to get water when we needed to mix a bottle. You would have thought we were terrorists. Granted I overpacked, but I wanted to make sure we had enough, plus you never know when you'll hit a delay. They had the equipment to screen without opening on the way out, but the El Paso airport is smaller. The agent said he would have to open them to test the liquid. I told him to just throw them away because once they are opened they need to be refrigerated so it wouldn't do me any good (we definitely had a connection each way). Luckily I had powder formula with me. It was easy to get water from the flight attendant on each plane. They were very nice and offered to heat it for us, but my daughter doesn't need/like it heated.

As for lap vs. own seat. We've only flown once with my daughter when she was 7 months old. Getting that car seat on and off two planes was a hassle. We even had to argue with the flight attendant about her riding rear-facing. She looked it up in the manual actually and did see that it was OK to put it in rearfacing. OK argue isn't the right word, but it was a disagreement. The return flight we just checked her car seat and she was awesome sitting/sleeping on daddy's lap during both flights and it was less stressful on us not having to move it.

It's at times like this that you need to politely and firmly ask for a supervisor before the TSAer opens anything. If the bottles were factory labeled and sealed, it should be a no brainer to let them pass.

 

[Tozzie]

It's at times like this that you need to politely and firmly ask for a supervisor before the TSAer opens anything. If the bottles were factory labeled and sealed, it should be a no brainer to let them pass.

There is no way for the TSA to know if they were actually factory sealed or not.