Air Travel with Toddler and Infant

I'm a future grandmother who travels frequently so my advise based on what I experience on flights is ....make sure your baby uses a pacifier, get up and walk the children whenever possible to distract them instead of trying to keep them from screaming and crying in their seats. A portable DVD player keeps them entertained. Someone told me to hand out little gift bags to neighboring passengers with items such as ear plugs, snacks, water, magazines, etc. Don't let the children kick the seats in front of them. Hope these help...

1 mom found this helpful

Hi,
I did this last year on a cross country flight and it was a disaster because I was not prepared, so here are my tips. If you can, but three seperate seats. Keep the baby in his infant carrier and most likely he will sleep the whole time. Just change/feed him right before getting on and during the flight. You can check your stroller gateside, so that is helpful. For the 2yo, I would bring an entire bag of stuff to keep him entertained. If you have a portable DVD player, that is the best thing. Bring lots of his favorite shows. Bring a lot of little SNACKS too! So in case you sense a meltdown coming on, you whip it out, food always works with my kids, haha! Bring a lot of books, and activities, like crayons, etc.... Hope this helps, GL~!

I moved with our oldest two when they were 3 months and just turned 3. We flew to NY because my husband was already here. I don't know how long of a flight you are going on but here are my suggestions...

1) Pack one bag that will fit under the seat in front with things you will need during the flight so you don't have to keep getting your bag down. In that put a change of clothes, two diapers, wipes, any accessories you need (ointments, etc.), binkies, snacks for your 2 year old, sippy cup, bottle or cover up if nursing, and anything you might need quickly like your wallet. This way you have one bag to hold on to even while in the airport.

2) Take a double stroller! Traveling by yourself it will be a Godsend! You can check it at the gate and tell them you want it when you get off the plane.

3) Special bag for your 2 year old that includes active toys (some cars you can play with in the airport for instance) along with quiet activities like Color Wonder books. When at the airport, don't expect your 2 year old to sit still. That will be necessary on the plane. Let him run around right where you are sitting if it isn't too crowded. Get on the floor in a corner and play with him. Most likely the baby will be mostly content in his carrier if you have a seat for him or in the stroller. Take enough toys to "change it up" so you can give him something "new" if he starts to get antsy. My sons also loved to get a drink from the plane to put in their sippies. I would usually water down one of the juices. Oh! As silly as it sounds, take out just a couple of things at a time. It will make getting yourself back together at the end so much easier if you aren't trying to get crayons, movies, toys, cups, etc. all back in the bag. Just worrying about a cup and say a couple of cars at the end is so much easier.

4) If you can get a seat for the baby, do it! It made it much easier to have a safe place to put the baby if I was holding him but my 3 year old needed help or if the baby was sleeping so I could spend real one on one time coloring with my older son. I would get my 3 year old to sit in his seat on the aisle while I strapped the infant seat at the window. It made it easier not to have to reach over or climb over the infant seat.

5) If you have a portable DVD player, take that and some headphones along with your 2 year old's favorite shows. You'd be amazed how much time that can buy you!

6) Remember to have both little ones drinking on the take offs and landings. My oldest son's ears affect him on the entire ascent so he needs to eat or drink almost the entire time until the plane gets to a certain altitude.

7) Make sure to do a bathroom/diaper run not long before you are supposed to board. Sure beats trying to do it there in the seats if you can help it.

8) When in line for security, BREATHE. I used to get flustered because here I had to take the baby out of the seat, put the seat AND the folded stroller, and all our bags on the belt and keep track of my 3 year old, plus get it all back together at the end. I hated feeling like I was holding the line up but most people are very understanding when they see you traveling alone with multiple young children. I have often had TSA employees come up on their own and help my oldest son get his shoes back on for instance or open the stroller back up for me. Flight attendants are a huge help usually too.

9) Personally I try to be one of the first people on and grab a seat as close to the front as possible but NOT the first row. Many people like that because of the room but I find it is more helpful to have the trays within reach of the kids. Honestly, I don't move when we land until just about everybody is off the plane. I don't like to feel like I am being pushed from behind when I am trying to make sure I have my children and me together. It makes it so much easier I find.

Well, that's the best I can come up with at the moment. I hope it helps. :) Best of luck and have fun!!

L.

May I suggest that to make this flight the best for you, your children, and out of respect to the other passengers, try to keep your children as reasonably quiet and still as possible... for your 2 year old with favorite little toys, games, snack-finger-foods, sippy-drinks, etc. The flight attendents ought to be helpful to you in any way they can. Bon Voyage!

I flew when my youngest was about 4 months. I just had lots of things to keep my just over 2 yo occupied so that I could keep the baby, I kept the baby in a sling so my hands were free and I could more easily breastfeed. The baby slept a lot. Just make sure you have snacks, drinks, toys, favorite comfort item like stuffed toy.

Travelled with a 4 month and 18 month old several years ago and had a wonderful trip, despite two flights and a three hour car ride in one day! I nursed the little one often, and packed a backpack full of toys and snacks for her big brother. It was really great. Definitely bring what makes them happy, and dress them in comfy clothes so they can sleep well.

Stay home! Ha ha. Good luck.

Stay home! LOL. If you will be traveling alone it will
be tough. A flight 2 hrs or under might be doable.
Good luck.

Dear J.,

Seems to me I did this in years past - having lots of little novelties to space out over the trip for your toddler helps. I seem to recall wikki stix were very useful. At least two sippy cups, so one rolling under a seat doesn't leave you in the lurch, and (best advice I got): a change of clothes for YOU as well as them, because it's no fun to be wearing the result of an accident.

When they're a little older, it often works to find another kid on a long plane trip and temporarily trade toys.
Have fun!

Zabby

I've done this! When my kids were:
6 weeks and 15 months old
5 months and 19 months old
10 months and 2 years old

My last trip I learned that a 2 year old can sit in a seat without a carseat. The benefit of bringing a car seat (aside from having to carry it) is that you can put the baby in it for a while and hold the 2 year old.

Bring as little as possible with you. My trip for xmas I carried on the plane (Dad couldn't fly at the same time): umbrella stroller, front carrier is essential with a 3-month old (I have a bjorn and an ergo), diaper bag, carseat. You can check carseats for free - they don't count in your checked luggage. If you check something expensive, package it well. We had a Britax Marathon $269 casualty on a flight to Denver and were screwed by the airline (but fought for a year and finally were reimbursed for the new one).

Let people help you. Plan to at some point ask a flight attendant to hold the 3 month old. Think before you drink, because peeing on an airplane when you have 2 little kids is VERY difficult. (I had to wait until my 2 year old was asleep, get someone to be there if he woke up, and then take the 10 month old with me to pee).

Little toys - crayons and notebook; hot wheels; sippy cup. Bribery foods (for us this would be cookies or m&ms). Barnum's animal crackers are AWESOME! You can take food and drinks through security - just declare everything as baby food.

I could go on and on, since I have done this so many times. So message me if you want more advice or ideas. Good luck! Try to have fun.