Five Hour Plane Ride

R.,

Not only am I a flight attendant but I am a mommy of three and soon to be four! If I could offer some suggestions for you....For future flights I always recommend a carseat. It's exhausting to hold a child in your lap so long and also it's a lot safer to have a child buckled in then being held in your arms. There is a new device that was recently approved by the FAA for air travel. It hooks to the actual airplane seat and is quick to install. It can be found at www.kidsflysafe.com. It creates a five point harness for your child and is much easier than lugging your carseat on board. I suggest just checking carseats all together and using this instead. Now for your current trip may I suggest packing in your carry-on luggage: extra clothes for your daughter and an extra shirt for you, extra diapers and wipes ( always expect the unexpected ie:weather delays, mechanicals etc.), portable dvd player with an extra charged battery, lots of snacks and any baby food needed, toys ( maybe even wrap a few new ones to be opened up once onboard) bottle or sippy cup to help baby unblock ears, and medications that may be needed. Getting liquids through security nowadays can be challenging. You can bring baby formula or juice with you but it must be in a bottle or sippy cup. Once you pass security you can purchase bottled water, juice or milk and bring any quantity onboard that you may need. It's always good to bring bottled water with you because the airlines never board enough. And most airlines have eliminated food from economy class so make sure you have enough food for your little one. One year olds like to be on the go. Being in an aluminum tube for long isn't easy. Get up and stretch as much as you like but if I could just offer my two cents from being a flight attendant just be sure the seat belt sign is tured off first. We are required to tell you that it is on and have you sit down. I know sometimes it may seem like we are being mean but we can each be individually fined from the FAA for not telling you this. Also just be sure you don't walk through other cabins when taking your walks. This is for security reasons and even though it's just you and a little one we have to be consistent with everyone. And if you could just hold off on walking around while the flight attendants do their service it makes our jobs a lot easier, better service to all the passengers and safer for you. I beverage carts can weigh up to 300 lbs when fully loaded. I hope that you have good flight attendants and that they are helpful to you. Unfortunately there are a few bad apples out there and especially the ones that don't really care for children can make your flight not so pleasant. I hope you have a great vacation. Just remember to relax and don't stress out too much. I hope I was helpful. N. p.s. I know doctors will sometimes tell you it's ok to give children benadryl but sometimes this has the opposite effect on a child and will wind them up! This happens with my two year old. ps.s. I noticed someone recommended the Baby B'Air. This doesn't have FAA approval. There are some international carriers that allow it but in the US you can't use it. For take off, landing , turbulance and anytime the seatbelt sign is on you are not allowed to use this device. Just wanted to give you a heads up.

2 moms found this helpful

DON'T get her to walk before the trip! Ha! That was a disaster for me and I can feel your anxiety. Lots of snacks, Portable DVD player with Baby Einstein, and the Highland Teething Tablets to mellow her out! You could also give her a 1/2 dose of children's Liquid Benedril. She'll sleep the whole way!! Tee Hee. I know I'll get criticized for that remark but honestly...How many of our mothers pulled that kinda stuff and we're okay right? Good luck!

1 mom found this helpful

OK, great question. From personal experience spoken from the heart. First, make sure you have something for your daughter to suck on for take off and landing to equalize the pressure in her ears or she will scream with pain. A bottle would be great, as the airlines don't recommend breastfeeding at those times where it could be bumpy.
Have lots of quiet toys and games with you. I usually took cut out felt figures with me and we did stories, putting the felts on a surface where the felts stuck to it. Any toy that is quiet, stuffed animals, dolls, etc. are great! Have good and healthy snacks for her, as a one year old doesn't have a long attention span. If you have other family members with you, pass her around when it's safe, so she sees different things, and gets to interact with different people, all of whom you trust and love.
Ask the doctor if an herbal Sleepy Time Tea or Tension Tamer from Celeste would be OK, so you could put that in a bottle and let her drink it. This would calm her down or maybe help her go to sleep for a while.
But FORMOST, make sure you are totally relaxed and not stressed about anything, as our children are our mirror image.
Hope this helps. Have a safe and a good trip!

A little bit about me:
I traveled with my baby when she was 4 months old from the USA to Switzerland, a 12 hour trip. All went well. I am a former nurse and a teacher NK - 8, German and French, and now combined both profesions into the one I love most, teaching people proper skin care.

I think I can help! I used to travel a lot with my now 6-year-old daughter (on 10+ hour flights). My #1 tip is a mini DVD player. Stock up on Baby Einstein, and don't have guilt about it. Desperate times call for desparate measures. Also, buy a few new/cheap toys (coloring pads with those Color Wonder Markers, Polly Pockets, magnetic doodle pad, books, etc. and wrap them (even just with tissue paper and a bow in case security makes you unwrap them--which I doubt they will). Bring out a new "present" every hour of the trip. Bring a bunch of snacks, and some she's never had before. It's all about the "new" while on a plane because it keeps them distracted. She'll likely love the headphones and random things on the plane. I always had a lot of anxiety about traveling, and my daughter always surprised me by being way better than I expected. I always tried to travel during nap time, and I was always shocked if/when she'd fall asleep. The white noise of the plane seemed to work wonders, because I by no means had an easy child! Good luck, and think positively.

I did a lot of traveling alone with my daughter while my husband was deployed my daughter's first year and I don't envy your situation. Accept that (barring major turbulence) you will spend a lot of time walking up and down the isles getting to know the flight attendants in the galley and the people on the isle seats. Bring toys for her to play with and books to distract her with. If you are hopefully flying Jet Blue they have televisions in the seat rests she can watch. Bring snacks too that will keep her occupied. I would also suggest you get her a new toy that will be something exciting to play with and might keep her occupied for a time.

I just returned from Orlando (5 hour flight) and it was okay for my 17 month old. I planned the trip around sleep time, and that worked out well. I packed plenty of snacks, and toys to play with, as well as bottles for the trip up and down (for ears).

Good luck! It isn't easy with a lap child for 5 hours! I was exhausted, but my daughter was fine.

Hi there...we too travel alot to the East Coast. My husband's family lives in FL so we know all about the 5+ hour plane rides...we have a 4, 3 and 1 year old! We've learned many tricks over the years...mostly flying at night so the kids will sleep. Ours also went through the phase where they would not sit in their car seat, which we quickly learned was a mistake on our part, only because it was so much harder to keep the little ones entertained while sitting on our laps...unless they were still babies.

Some of the things we do...pack a bag with toys the kids have never seen. We love the dollar store or the dollar spot at Target. Bring lots of snacks...especially the kind the kids love, and also those that are only reserved for plane rides...the disgusting sugar snacks I refuse to buy any other time...because it keeps their interest!! Make sure you have lots of bottles or sippy cups...and know that the plane will have juice and water, and usually a very limited supply of milk. Also, if she has a favorite blanket and/or stuffed animal, be sure to bring that. Something we do now too is my husband always travels with his laptop...so we bring a few DVDs and let the kids watch those from his laptop. Baby Einstein has traveled all over with us!

Some advice our pediatrician gave us...which I am sure alot of parents will argue...was to give the little one some Benadryl or something like it about 45 minutes before takeoff, for several reasons: 1 - it will help her ears from getting plugged up, and 2 - it will probably allow her to sleep for part of the plane ride. We didn't do this at first, weary of "drugging" our kids. We learned however, after many not so fun trips, it really made it easier on the kids, on us and on everyone around us on the plane.

The other thing we learned quickly was to always make sure the kids had something to suck on when you are taking off and landing...that is when the pressure on their ears was the worst. It was great while I was breastfeeding...but after that we had bottles or sippies. Now that they are older they get little lollipops during those times.

I hope some of this helps...and good luck!

I had to fly to New York when my oldest was 14 months. She is an active one also and hates to stay still. We also had a 5 hour drive after the flight..fun.
We booked our flight as a red eye so she would be more likely to sleep but since you have already booked that does not help. What I do suggest is bring some new toys that she has never seen before that should buy you a little time. Also if you have a portable DVD player get a couple movies or shows she has never seen. If all else fails let her walk up and down the the plane if possible. Good luck to you!

We travel a ton with our kids, and always have. What worked for us at that age was lots of snacks, scotch tape (kids can put it any and everywhere), play-doh, books, let her do laps around the plane, tennis ball for in the airport (chase it, toss it, roll it, etc.), if Benadryl works for your child to help her sleep... use it! The "Trip Fairy" always came the night before and loaded up backpacks with special treats/games for long flights. Good luck!

I have done a fair amount of travelling with my now 2 year, 8 month old daughter. She's flown on over 32 flights all over the country- my family lives in NY and my DH family lives in OH, and unfortunately we have had some family illnesses and deaths in the last year. Anyway, we always travel with a backpack that has entertainment for our very active and wiggly toddler. We bring the following (without fail) on every flight:
1. Several small toys that don't roll or make much noise- for example: little people or figures, stacking cups, doll and accessories. We usually pack them into separate baggies so we can take them out 1 at a time to play with.
2. 3-4 baggies of favorite snacks- crackers, cut grapes, cheese sticks, cheerios, and at least 1 "extra special" treat (100 cal packs of cookies or the like).
3. 2-3 small books- at least 1 favorite and 2 novel.
4. A coloring book (surprisingly doubles well to absorb vomit if your child happens to be ill- don't ask!!)and crayons- the Crayola Color Wonder books with markers can be a hit.
5. A few special surprises- usually picked up at Target's dollar spot or a 99cent store. These can be stickers, small pads of paper, whatever.
6. The child's favorite "buddy" or blanket.
7. Infant/childrens Tylenol - you never know if an earache or fever will strike. My daughter notoriously gets sickest right before or during a trip- and it can make a long flight even longer if you aren't equipped with pain/fever remedies.
8. Antibacterial wipes for hands and clorox wipes for the plane armrests/ tables (these are optional, but because our daughter had gotten sick so often during trips, we have gotten a little crazy about it).

Always bring a sippy cup or bottle of milk and/or water (these can go through airport security with a child until age 3)and encourage your daughter to drink during take off and landing to minimize pain from build up of air pressure in the ear.

During the flight we try to interest her in everything we can on the airplane (doors, lights, buttons) and delay taking anything out as long as possible because sometimes she can go through a mountain of activities in 2 minutes. Remember to get up and walk around when you can- you would be surprised how friendly and amused other travellers can be by this.
Just an FYI- check on the diaper changing facilities on the plane- this can sometimes be a tricky endeavor. Some airplanes don't have changing tables in their bathrooms, but flight attendants can be very helpful in these scenarios.

Finally, if by some chance your daughter is miserable and loud the whole flight (this hasn't happened more than 2x with my child)- remind yourself that many other travellers have had kids and will tolerate more than you think, and those that don't will get over it fairly quickly (and if they don't, oh well). My DH often remembers how intolerant he was as a non-parent traveller and feels guilty for the families he was bothered by then.

Good luck!

Hi there -
I have traveled extensively with my 3 children who are all under 6 from the time they were super small. I have found these things are the most helpful...
Pack a few new items in a grocery bag inside your diaper bag. This will make it easier to find will your reaching with your hand and not being able to pull the diaper bag out and onto your lap to actually see what your looking for. Everything to entertain will be right there in that bag. Crayola makes washable crayons that are shaped like triangles. This will keel them from rolling, get a few small notepads. Colorwonder sets are great too, since the markers won't mark on anything else. At the party supply, target or wal-mart you can find little tubs of play-dough used in goodie bags. Take a few of these and a couple of cars to drive over the play dough hills, makes cool tracks! There is also the aqua markers. ONce your on the plane you can fill the marker with water and let your daughter draw on the special pad. I also found a little cheap purse that had a play lipstick, mirror and phone in it. We always buy a new little doll such as a fairy or polly pocket. You could find little horses, dogs, anything small that she can use her imagination with. Lastly, I found a old pair of plastic tweezers (probably from a bug finding kit) that I packed along with the snacks. It slowed down the eating when they use the tweezers to eat their raisins, fishy, cherrios, fruit snacks. I packed all the snack items in a separate baggie for ease. You can make your load lighter by getting a travel pack of wipes, it really will be all you need. Be sure to pack extra baggies to seal stinky diapers in. I also had a staff of things for each leg of the trip since often things got dropped and lost along the way. Oh, McDonalds happy meal toys are cool too since they are cheap and small. When we travel with my husband, he always brings the laptop to play movies on. If your daughter is a TV fan, this is great!
Good luck and remember to try to not be overly bothered by the other passengers, most of them have been in your shoes and no matter what we are all just doing our best in any given situation. A busy toddler never killed anyone!

Hi R.,
We fly to NY twice a year so I'm used to that flight to NJ. We did the first flight when my son was 6 months old and didn't buy him a ticket - but we lucked out and got 3 seats together (we didn't use a car seat either). I know you said the plane is full but as soon as you get to the airport try to find out if there is an empty seat on the plane if you can - sometimes you luck out. Sometimes people on the plane are nice enough to move to help you out. You'll be more comfortable that way. In the future, it's best to buy a seat for your daughter if you can (the seats should be 1/2 price for kids under 3) - because 5 hours is a long time to have a kid sit on your lap and the bigger she gets the harder it will be to keep her there.

2nd - buy a cheap portable DVD player. This was the best purchase we ever made. They last a few hours and they can keep your daughter entertained. If you can't get her to keep the headphones on, put it on during the movie so the other passengers won't be bothered by it. My son is 5 now and just started wearting the headphones last year. Make sure you bring the charger so it is ready to go for the return trip.

Also bring her favorite blanket or stuffed animal with you, books, snacks, some toys.... Hopefully your daughter will nap on the plane. My son would fall asleep at the first sound of the engine - one flight he slept 3 hours. I actually got to read. Maybe your daughter will do the same.

Remember that your daughter should nurse or use a bottle for take off and landing so her ears don't pop.

Good luck!

L.

I recently flew into Newark with my two girls (5 and 18mths) I just packed a variety of items: several snacks for them to choose from, a few new toys from the dollar store to play with, and BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS! Also if you have a dvd player, baby einstien videos are the best!!
I tried to make sure it was nap time during take off so my youngest could have some warm milk and fall asleep.... it actually worked!!
I hope that helps somewhat. Its always unpredictable, so just be patient with yourself and your baby.
Good Luck!

Hi - I'm hoping that your flight takes off around her naptime. If that isn't the case, check with your pediatrician if giving her benadryl 30 min prior to take off would be okay. She'll probably sleep for 3 or so hours - for most of the flight. I would also suggest, having a bag full of activities/toys/games/movies that she helped you pick. Having a portable DVD is really helpful. Definitely bring snacks. And I would also suggest that one week prior to the trip, you help her get excited about getting on a plane, meeting the flight attendants and the exciting place that you will be going to. Also when the flight takes off, make sure she is sucking on a bottle or sippy cup or chewing something (snack) so that her ears do not hurt. I would suggest that 2 weeks prior to the trip - you do not want her to get sick specially a cold. Good luck.

Dear R.,
I took our daughter on such a plane ride (a few years ago). I found that taking along things she liked to do (books, coloring, small toys), snacks that were her choices and her favorite stuffy and blankie made the trip a bit easier. Also, if the flight leaves closed to nap time, that might help, too. Remember to talk to her about the plane ride. You might even get toys or books related to what you will be doing once the plane lands. Its all about preparation!
GOOD LUCK!
W.

My husband and I have traveled extensively with our son from the time he was born through present (2 1/2) years old. He was always on our lap, until he was 2. Our longest trip was about the same distance that you're going. What you MUST invest in (even if your againist TV/Videos) is a DVD player. At that age Baby Einsteines videos will capture her attention well. You can rent them (usually) from your local library or video store. You and other passengers will greatly appreciate it! Books also have worked really well for us. Lots of thin, soft covered books that pack well... again you can check those out at the library. before one of our trips, I went to the local $1 store and got a few "new" things to show/introduce to my son. They were inexpensive and kept him entertained for a while because they were all "new" to him. One more thing that helped us was one of those water coloring books (Aqua pads). You fill the pen with water and the child can "color" the pages. You can find that at Walmart or Target. All of these have help us tremendously in keeping our son entertained along with helping us and the passengers stay sane! Have a great trip!!

I made a cross-country plane trip with my 14 mo. old a few months back & the following helped me get through it...
1) Portable DVD Player/movies
2) Picture Books
3) Cheerios (the plastic two-side dispensing travel pack is the best)
4) Bottle(s) of milk-he hadn't been on the bottle for a couple months when we took the trip, but to help with take-off/landing pressure changes I heard it helps their ears to be sucking on something & he was so excited to see a bottle again he didn't seem to notice the take-off/landing. I froze one bottle & had another one ready to drink. They didn't give me any hassle about the "no more than 3 oz of carried on liquid" regulation, I'm guessing since it was a bottle & I clearly had the baby.
5) Pacifier (even if she's off of it it will save your frayed nerves if she loses it!)

Request a "bulkhead" seat (at the front of the cabin). When the seatbelt sign is off, she can stand in front of you and it will be easier to get up and down. the downside will be that during takeoff and landing all your gear will need to be stowed in an overhead, because you will have no seat in front of you.

If you're willing, give her an age/size appropriate dose of benadryl - she'll nap and there's no residual.

be sure the family knows that YOU'll be the one who needs the nap upon landing!

I am against candy however, LOLLIPOPS take a while to eat and are great to keep her occupied. Just keep a wipee handy! I also think not having to deal with the carseat is a good idea. We took a little backpack with small quiet things to do. tiny books, metal lunchbox w/ magnet dolls or letters. Something new is always good. If your DD has a favorite stuffed animal use a ribbon to tie it to the bag. You don't want to lose a favorite friend! check on what snacks or drinks you are allowed to take. Especially if you are flying during the time she normally eats. Good Luck, Nikki California

Pack her her own bag. Her favorite toys, snacks, cuddly things, maybe a laptop with her favorite movies. Anything she really enjoys which will help her pass the time. Also, just take walks up and down the aisle, she may enjoy meeting all the new faces.

(It's hard for us to last that long!) That's what I've always done with my daughter - she packs her own stuff now (she's 13 - yesterday), but really enjoys traveling because I always made it fun for her. Have a nice trip! M.

My daughter was 6 mo. when we flew to Australia. Super long flight. This is what I learned. Have a bottle or sippy cup (a pacifier would work too) for her to drink on take off and landing. The sucking helps with the cabin pressure changes. We purchased some small books and toys (inexpensive) and wrapped them, then every so often (you pick the time span depending on your little one's attention span, length of flight) let them open one gift. We hid the rest so each time would be a surprise. Bring her own special toys and snacks and alternate to keep her busy. You can also bring, if you have available, a portable DVD player and have her watch her favorite cartoon or a NEW movie. Hope this helps! Good luck!

Goodmorning R.,

My Grandson just traveled from San Diego to Minnisota , Both my Grandsons Travel Quite frequintly,Here is what my Daughter does she prepares the children by showing what its like to fly , simulations so to speak , show pictures and get her comfortable with what to expect,travel with the car seat you will need it in arrival and transport. remember to that it is a whole new experience in the air and the time change and all you,ll be surprised that she will be too tired to fuss to much . even take her nap away the day before and keep her up late so she will sleep thru the whole flight like it is nap time has happend . my one year old grandson flys like a champ.the 5 year old Sean can tell you how a plane engine is made it is good stuff. God be with you,safe journey we look forward to hearing how it turned out . L.

I don't know what time your flight is, but I took a night flight to NYC from LA when my son was around that age. I made sure that I was seated behind a bulkhead ( no seat in front of you just a separating wall) and I brought a small quilt in his bag and put it on the floor surrounded by little pillows and a toy. After "take-off" I sat him on the floor at my feet and played with him and then the vibration of the plane made him kind of sleepy nad he curled up at my feet. I had brought another blanket to cover him and he slept for the entire 4 hours left in the flight. Give it a try. MAke it a game... and adventure special treat for her!!!!

You can purchase a harness called the Baby B'Air http://www.babybair.com/
if you're worried (as I was) about sudden changes in altitude, etc. It's great for adding a little more security. Also, you can bring your infant car seat with you to the gate and ask if there is an extra seat for her- if there is you can use it, if not, just check it at the gate along with the stroller. This is especially easy if you have the type that snaps into your stroller.
As far as distractions go, our daughter really enjoyed looking out the window. Before the trip, we read books about plane travel, and bought a little plane toy, so she was interested already. We purchased small toys and put them individually into paper bags, so she could easily "unwrap" a new treat when she got bored. A bunch of post-it notes and tape also made for interesting and creative fun.
Good luck!

My pediatrician told me it was OK to give my 18 month-old Benadryll to mellow him out for the plane ride. We've flown 4 times with our kids and it has worked like a charm. I felt guilty at first for doing this but then realized that it was appreciated by everyone. My child got to sleep and feel calm, the passengers didn't have a nutty toddler making them crazy, and I was calm.
Another friend of mine has flown with her 3 kids to the UK a few times. Her ideas are to have a small present to open on the hour every hour that you are in the plane, be sure to bring the portable DVD player (with an extra battery pack!), and a huge bag of M & M's.

Hi R.! My husband, 20 mo old daughter and I fly from LA to NJ often because his family also lives there. I would recommend bringing a sticker book, small toys, food, snacks, maybe some videos she can watch on a portable dvd player or laptop... I would also recommend walking around with her on the plane whenever she gets fussy. Normally the flight attendants are very understanding and accommodating. If you don't already have experience changing your daughter's diaper on your lap... you may want to practice because many of the planes do not have changing stations! Oh, and be sure to bring some ziploc bags for dirty diapers too! My last recommendation would be this... IF there are empty seats on the plane... see if you can get people to switch seats so your family can have your own row. As a thank you gesture, we have offered to buy a drink for people that are kind enough to move. Good luck... I'm sure your daughter will do great! :)

We fly quite often because my husband has family in another state. It's never easy. The easiest flight we had was a red eye and the baby slept the whole way home from Maui. We are just always prepared with many distractions. A backpack full of toys, and even a portable DVD player helps. Maybe Baby Einstein DVDs? My kids love the Disney movies and that worked for short amounts of time while they were that young. I always have extra clothes for the kids, becuase we've had puking and pooping accidents (I even learned to put in an extra shirt for me!) Good luck!

The advice below is already covering most of what I would tell you. Just like to add that when I first traveled with my son when he was 2 I brought books, and crayons and toys and all kinds of stuff to keep him occupied. All I ended up doing was dragging that stuff allover the place. Limit what you bring for her to play with. Chances are she'll play with the one toy more than all the other things put together and you don't have to keep track of so much stuff. My son was FAR more interested in watching the onboard movie (which was scoobido) and playing with his seat tray than anything else.

Hi R.,
My husband is also military, so our little girl has had to fly a lot with us. The idea about the portable DVD player is good and seemed to help us. But also if you can get seats up in front where your daughter can play on the floor when the seat belt light is off, that was good for us one time. Also make sure your daughter has something to suck on/chew/drink during take off and decent, so it will help with her ears.
My daughter loves books, and we brought color crayons and lots of colorbooks for her. Switch back and forth to different activities to distract her, and don't plan on her napping even if you fly during her nap time. She may be overstimulated and unable to sleep, but hopefully she will. Either way, one time my husband insisted on giving our daughter a little Benadryl to help her sleep on the flight and all it did was make her cranky because she was tired, but she still did not sleep that time, so learn from our mistake on that one.
Best of luck!
E.

Hi,
Be sure to have many toys on hand to amuse her!
Be sure to find many hand games you can use to keep her amused such as finger plays, counting rhymes, etc... You could also begin teaching her math with crayons, you know one to five and reciting them.
Good luck.

Hopefully you will get lucky and she will sleep for a lot of it. At that age though my son had stopped sleeping much on the plane. Don't be afraid to walk her up and down the aisle. Also bring lots of toys and books that she hasn't seen before. The dollar store is a wonderful resource for this. Also you can get things that are normal household objects for her to fiddle with like curlers that she can open and close or stick to things, measuring cups that nest with each other... that kind of thing. Lots of snacks help a lot. A laptop or mini- dvd player with some baby einstein or an animated movie would be a good distraction for a short bit too. Just be ready to change it up a lot. Though you want to be careful how much you bring because getting through security becomes a nightmare if you have too much stuff. Good luck!

I always take red eye flights with my kids. I know they will sleep. Are you planning on buying her a ticket or will she ride on your lap. You can always buy hera ticket and then hold her if neccessary. I also give my kids tylenol to help with any pain in their ears. Have her use a binky, a bottle, nurse or give her a sippy to drink as you are taking off it will relieve the ear pressure. I use the tylenol to help with any from the popping ears and it makes my kids sleepy. Have a couple toys on hand for her too. P.S. Many airlines don't show movies on flights taking off after a certain time of night so if youare flying at night a portable dvd player might come in handy if she has a favorite movie. I learned that the hard way.

My advice (since I just went throught the plane ride from h_ll with my 2 year old) is Benedryl and a portable DVD player. I am not one to drug my kids or place them in front of the TV and because of this, I didn't do either of those things on the way to our destination. The flight was horrible, not just for us, but all the people around us. I wanted to jump off the plane and if I would have had a parachute, I would have done it. I immediately called my pediatritian for advice on the return flight. He recommended Benedryl, but said to try it first a few days before we left as some kids have the opposite effect and get overly hyper on Benedryl. We tried it two days before we left and wound up using it for the flight home. My son still did not sleep, but was so much more calm and controlable. I also had tons of stickers, books, coloring things and toys for the flight. And SNACKS... don't forget the snacks! Good luck.

Hi R.,
I have some suggestions that may help. We flew with our daughter when she was 14 months old, and she sat in my lap, too. For our trip I bought two new, small toys to let play with (one for the first flight and one for the return flight). I also brought a few familiar toys as well. A portable DVD player and a few Baby Einstein DVDs also helped keep her occupied and quiet.
We found that juice boxes worked well for getting her to pop her ears since she is too young for gum. I also stashed a small bag of M&M's as a last ditch, if-all-else-fails bribery tool. Now, I am not an advocate of routinely bribing kids to get them to obey, but on rare occasions (such as a plane trip) it can be a life saver!
Hope this helps! Have a great vacation!
C.

Taking some children asprin on hand in case her ears hurt her when the plan go up. Have her run and jump around alot before you board the plane to get her tired.
Good luck, it's not that bad it's an adventure you will be able to look back on this trip and reminis when she gets older. Enjoy!

And if you like to save booking travel on line & travel at wholesale log on to www.ireneperez.worldventures.com and click on > "DREAMTRIPS"
Make it a good one!

I have been taking my daughter on trips since she was two months old. Make sure they are sucking or drinking on something on take off and landing for the ear pressure. I always fly overnight so that she is mainly sleeping. WHen we travel even now I put her in her babybjorn to prevent her falling out of the seat. Also I started having her watch her personal DVD player everytime we traveled in the car and made some long trips around the city. Now when we travel I just get out her favorite Elmo DVD and she has no clue we are doing anything different than when we are in the car.

I was in the same boat with my son when he was your daughter's age and we were flying to Hawaii (also five fabulous hours!). We had him on our laps... which isn't easy with a squirmy child! However, here is what we did to make things as easy on everyone as possible:

1) Use a Baby B'Air harness that loops through your seatbelt and then attaches to a harness on your baby. While it's not ideal having the baby strapped to you during the flight, the bonus is that they are ATTACHED to you, which both acts as a safety seatbelt and helps keep them in their place somewhat.
2) If your child likes to watch movies, buy, rent or borrow a DVD player with some of her favorites for the ride. It can be a lifesaver.
3) Make sure you have a pacifier or a bottle(that the crew can fill with water for you once you get on the flight) to use during take off and landings to help "pop" her ears.
4) Bring a few small "surprise" gifts that are wrapped and bring them out when your child starts to get fussy. Just the act of ripping the paper and having something new to play with can be just the distraction that you need.
5) I know this is controversial, but if anyone suggests that you give your daughter Baby Benedryl to help her sleep on the plane and it's something that you are okay with (check with your doctor for the correct dosing first!), PLEASE make sure that you try it out before your flight at home first. There are a small percentage of children that have the opposite reaction to Benedryl, and instead of becoming sleeping, they act like they've had shots of espresso! My son (of course!) was one of those.

and finally...
6) Introduce yourself to the people who are sitting around you and offer to buy them a drink or their movie head phones if you can afford it. It works like charm and no one will mind if your baby is fussy! It helps you relax, too :)

Good luck with your flight!

There's no getting around it, it can be a rough 5 hours. It's a good idea to mentally prepare and brace yourselves, as to not to stress out. You'll have be calm, take things as they come, and really not worry about what people might think/say - lots are parents themselves and actually feel bad for you if you are having a hard time. But really....just do what you have to do.

I have traveled with my daughter since she was 3 months old (domestically and internationally). We went to Europe when she was 6 months as well as 14 months old, so I have a little experience.

All I can say is, be prepared to walk up and down the aisles, bring a picture book, portable DVD player with Elmo or Baby Einstein etc. (she might still be too young to care/concentrate for any long period of time, but it's very nice to have it), bring a cuddly toy, crayons,stickers, magnet board. In this case I believe in indulging a little, you just have to get through it, so do what you have to do. You can also give her a little Tylenol before takeoff.

Good luck

Oh I forgot to tell you - as soon at the attendant is at the counter at the airport, you should go and ask if the bulk head is available, pretty often you have luck, that way there won't be anyone sitting in front of you - it just gives you a little freedom :o)

The best thing I did was schedule my children's sleep time around the flight. I made sure they were nice and tired (of course not overly, because that can make things worse at times). Shortly after take off they were both crashed out. Also a lot of entertainment and snacks. They have their own traveling backpacks filled with things to do, and munch on. It also helped by preparing my children for the upcoming trip. I don't know how one your little one is, but explaining to them where we are going how we were going to get there, proper plane behavior, practice sitting still, all these helped make the trip a little nicer. (My longest was 9 hours) Also just because the plane is booked to the max, doesn't mean it will be a totally filled flight. If you know before you board the plane that your child is going to be a handful, try talking to the flight attended, sometimes if there is an open seat they are willing to move people around to make the flight more comfortable for everyone. You maybe able to get your daughter her own seat. Good luck with the plane ride.

You need a portable dvd player and some new movies/ shows to watch! I know she is little, but maybe Baby Einstein. I would also pack a lot of snacks and purchase some new toys that are light and easy to take... I bought my son a little tv remote control for his first trip and it entertained him quite a bit! Also, even though you didn't purchase a ticket, try to fill up a seat for her (put her in it)That way if there are any extra seats on the flight, you will get one. (We usually fly SW, so you choose your own seats)

Good luck and remember to go easy on yourself! Just do the best you can and the people around you will just have to deal!

R.,

My husband and I are from Kentucky which is a 4 hour plane ride from Vegas. We usually take the latest flight available so that our son (19 mos.) will sleep. He has flown about 6 times since 3 mos. and we have found that flying at night is best.

hope this helps

I have a 13 months old baby girl, I am french and live in Corona, CA. She's been to France already twice since she's born and the plane ride is 11 hours. She is a good baby so I did not have any problem with her flying but my only advice is to give milk, water or juice when you take off or you land for ear pressure. It really bothers kids. Other than that, if your kid can't stay still, then, you will have to walk with her in the aisles during the flight. Make sure you bring toys to entertain her and depending on when your flying during the day, you may want to ask for a bassinet if the flight is during her nap time(not really sure if airlines provide those for domestic flight, but you can double check). The only problem with those is that they are not very big. When we flew to France last December, my daughter was 11 months old and the bassinet was kinda too small.
It may seems a long ride but if you entertain your baby and if you have help with you (husband & family), everything will be fine.
I hope my experience helped you.
S.

We recently took a trip to Rhode Island with our 4 children. I packed a backpack for each of the kids with activities, blankets, and toys. It worked great! and kept them busy for the whole flight. Maybe this would work for you as well.

Make sure to give her something to drink during take off (not while taxiing)or a pacifier if she will use it to help her ears adjust to the pressure. I like to pack a bag of new items that my kids haven't seen before. Sometimes stickers buy some time (especially if you put them on your nose and let her take them off). My favorite airplane toy is the light up wand things that spin (Disney and Target carry them). The moving lights seem to get my little ones attention without anoying music for the other passengers.

If you have a portable DVD player those work great i'm thirteen but i do have a three year old brother and we go to Vegas alot and that's like a four to five hour drive so we just hook up the DVD's and he's set. if you don't have one i think you can get them at wamart, target, or maybe even Radioshack anywhere from $80+ btu that's just my opinion. thanks foir listening!

My son is the same way; he just can't sit still. My first suggestion is to try to always take the red eye. Try not to let your baby nap before the plane ride. This way she will be tired and sleep a good portion of the ride. Bring lots of snacks and quiet entertainment like books and crayons. If you can get on the plane early and get the bulkhead seats you will have lots of leg room and she can actually sit and play on the floor infront of your seats. Just be sure to put a blanket down for her. The first time I flew with my daughter (she is seven now) my pediatrician advised that I give her a dose of tylenol about 30 minutes before take off. This helped eleviate some of the ear pain caused by the pressure. I have always done this with both kids and never had a problem. Lastly, if you can't keep her still let her get up and walk up and down the aisle. Good Luck!

I would get on the waiting list for an open seat as soon as you get to the airport because if she likes to move about as much as you say she does, you'll really need that extra seat, if not to sit in, just to have some space of her own.

R., Try Benadryl and whatever your daughter is into as far as entertainment goes (crayons, books)!

Toys, games, finger food, maybe a portable DVD player with movies she likes. Try your local library and check out some DVD's free. Borrow a player or purchase one at Walmart for about $135. Sing songs, play. I did a 12 hour trip once. Have a handy change of clothes and wipes in case what she is wearing gets a glass of water or worse spilled on it. Good flight, G. www.cantemosco.com

Be very prepared with lots of distractions! With my 17 mo old, these ideas really worked. 1) lots of typical snacks you pack...cheerios, crackers, cut up fruit, etc. This just gives lots of food to keep them busy. 2) When you sense typical snacks aren't keeping little one distracted anymore..up it with a sweet snack they like but they don't get much of. Fruit snacks, little cookies, etc. 3)Gift wrap: My sister in law gave me this idea and it really works great with toddlers. Wrap small cheap toys from the 99 cent store/target, etc in multiple layers of gift wrap. I wrapped in 5 layers. It is exciting, the unwrapping part for little ones takes a while in itself and then they play/eat there surprise for a while. little dolls, cars, suckers, m&ms, etc. Just be sure to bring a little trash bag for the wrapping to put under your seat, the staff will appreciate that. The key is with all of this to really try to space it out and distract in between treats with looking out the window, playing silly together, etc. to avoid just going through it all to fast( each time I did this, I actually had plenty left for the plane trip home) I tried also not to let my little ones think they could walk around in the beginning of the flight so we stayed in our seat area.Then, they think they can get up all the time. but, the last hour to hour and a half, I would mix things up and start walking up and down the aisle or hanging out in the back of the plane. I have been very lucky with all of this. A nurse friend of mine suggested I give a dose of decongestant to them about 1 hour before descention (not landing). This helps if the change in air pressure can start to cause pain in their ears. I've done this for 6 flights and neither of my childrens ears bothered them. I myself do this and it makes a world of difference for me.
I know this is long, but when I read your question I had to help as I was always very concerned with long flights with little ones. Also, bring a favorite little blanket of theirs in case youre lucky enough for them to fall asleep. The plane blankets aren't clean for sure and they don't smell like home!

Talk to your doctor about childrens Benadryl. I have NEVER drugged my child to enduce sleep EXCEPT for our 5 hour plane ride to hawaii (got home 3 days ago) My doctor as well as my friend's RECOMMENDED it for a happier baby inflight. If you go this route, medicate about an hour before boarding the plane, it takes a while to kick in. Good Luck

Depending on the airline you're going on, seat assignments may be given out. I would call the airline and explain that you need space to be able to set your daughter daughter down in front of you. Ask if you can get one of the front row seats. Since there's no one in front of you, there's more leg room. When I took my almost 3 and 1 yr olds on a long flight it was broken into 2 segments and I had to change planes, they both did really well though. I brought things that comforted them (blankie, binkie, stuffed animal)and also coloring books. There's no sure way to tell how your daughter will react.

Hi R.!

I have three kids, 13, 4 and 2. My two toddlers are both girls and we recently made a 16 hour plane trip out of the country last May... The thing that saved my life on that trip was a portable dvd player with lots of movies.. mostly interactive and educational (baby einstein) and of course some disney princess stories. The videos kept my toddlers busy and at least gave my husband some peace! I also brought some books , new ones so they got all excited and sat quietly as i read to them.. -- i hope this helps! Good luck and have a great trip!!

Marilou, 40
California

Hi R.,

How wonderful that you are visiting your husband's family and taking your daughter. We went to Hawaii and I know how that is. I noticed that the pressure in the air was sometimes difficult. Perhaps making sure you have some kind of drops for pain relief would help if she looks uncomfortable. I also purchased some inexpensive toys that my daughter had never seen before. I brought one of them out when she got bored and that seemed to perk her attention. There are also some homeopathic pills from the natural health food store (Hyland's) that have chamomile in them and that always used to calm my children down and relax them. They taste great and they dissolve in a child's mouth.

Remember most of the people on the plane also have had children or have children....we all understand. Have a wonderful time!!!!

I have taken a couple trips with my son. It is helpful to book it at a time when you know she usually sleeps. The umbrella stroller folds and they check it right up front (very easy to travel with.)
I had a bottle ready to feed at take off so the pressure didn't hurt his ears. Then he was able to sleep on me. When he woke up I had toys to play with and played a game of pass-the-baby. He was fine... In a couple more months we will also be taking a LONG flight - I hope it is as easy as it was.

First of all, congrats.. I remember when my son first started/tried to walk. Second, I would try to get a window seat.. let her see how different it looks. Is it dark? Is it light? Talk to her when the plane is ready to take off, and when it actually is."Okay, here we go.." Try having her bring on her own bag.. maybe w/ goodies.. yes, goodies a must.. she will get tired of just doing the talking thing. Let her know how it feels to be a "big" girl =). Also, bring books/educational toys.. Now is the perfect time to just bond a little w/ her.. You have nothing else to do and there's no better way/time to do.. You guys aren't going anywhere for a while. Hope everything pans out..
**safe traveling... M.E.

DVD PLAYER!!!! get an extended life battery as well...worth every dime, and works every time.

We have travelled a great deal with our sons, the first who has always been a great flier and happy to sit quietly for hours. The second is not so great and wants to be active the whole time so I've plenty of tips especially as we've just done a couple of 14 hour flights to and from Australia. Take as many different small plastic toys as possible, they're light and provide many different distractions. Books are good but have to be ones she likes - you'll end up reading the same one or two a hundred time but worth it for some quiet sitting time. The Crayola Wonder Paper with markers are also great to keep young ones busy and don't make a mess as the markers can only draw on the special paper. One is a little young for playdough but this is a great distraction for long flights albeit a little messy (still someone else cleans the plane after your gone). Of course the portable DVD player with her favorite movies are also something that can keep them quiet for long periods of time. Tips for the airport - take your stroller and gate check it so its available as soon as you step off the plane.
So good luck with the flight and have a great trip.

I had the same fears when i had to take my son on a 8 hour plane ride. I packed all the things i new he liked from snacks to toys. I also got a few new things that would keep his attention for awhile. But then he slept pretty much the whole way.
Good luck to you.
B.

My best advice for long plane rides is probably too late for you, but I found the best way to travel long distances like that is on the red eye. The kids sleep the whole time, and that makes it so much easier! If your daughter is not walking yet, that is hard, because I know we kept our daughter occupied on our last long flight by walking her up and down the aisle over and over again. As long as the seat belt sign is off, the flight attendants don't care. Otherwise, I would say lots of toys and snacks to distract her are good. One is a hard age because it is a little too young for DVDs or books, which I use to occupy my older kids. If you can get her to sleep for a huge chunk of it, that will make your life so much easier. Good luck!!