Flying with a 2 Year Old - Greenville,TX

Lots of healthy snacks, sippy cup for water, books, crayons, blanket, a new toy, their favorite things, etc. i just had mine carry a backpack full of stuff that she could play with on the plane. She was excited on the way up and we played mostly and ate snacks. On the way back she slept the entire flight.

Also, portable dvd player and movies. We had an extended wait in the airport and that came in handy. Also, a change of clothes!!

Hi K.!

You have gotten some great advice from other moms out there. I have to agree about not giving your child benadryl. Some people suggested it to me when flying alone with our DD, and I refused to give her a drug to try to get her to fall asleep. It can have the reverse effect on many children; it can cause them to become hyper. I would never give my child gum at such a young age, either.

When we travel with our DD, we always make sure to have some of her favorite activities: magna doodle, coloring books (including a new one), new crayons, story books, etc. She also loves to have her favorite lovey and baby doll, as well as her blanket. When she was younger (like your daughter), we used the Color Wonder markers. Yes, they are a little more expensive, but it is so worth it when you don't have to worry about getting marker on clothes or the airplane. We also bring a sippy cup, like others have mentioned, and healthy dry snacks. She loves the dum-dum lollipops, so those are great at take-off and landing times.

When we first flew with our DD when she was a baby, our pediatrician gave us some samples of ear drops that would help relieve the pain caused by the change in pressure during the descent.

Good luck and just stay calm. Kiddos sense our anxiety, which causes them to become anxious. Have a great trip!

Hi K.,
I don't have time to read all of your responses, so sorry if some of these are a repeat.

Some things that have worked for me:
1. stickers- you can stick them on you, the back of the airplane seat (they do come off easily)
2. finger snacks
3. books
4. little bubbles (the kind you get at weddings)
5. and I know this sounds funny, but puppets.
I took the bath puppets from Baby Einstein and when all else failed, those puppets were a life saver.
Now, as a teacher and entertainer, I'm not too concerned about being silly in front of others, so it was no big deal to play puppets with my son in the plane. Of course, I kept the puppet just within our own space and spoke quietly.
6. If she is old enough, the marker coloring books with the markers that only mark on the paper they come with are great, as well.

7. Finally, for her ears, BEFORE you leave, make sure she is not congested at all. If she is, you will need medications to relieve any ear pressure she may have.
And, while on the plane, during taking off and landing, she will need help getting her ears to pop. We "practiced" doing the "plane mouth" (open jaw wide several times). Or, any cup that she has to suck hard through will help.

Just my two cents,
R.

Hi K.,
First, let me apologize for the novel, but hopefully you'll find some useful things in here that you can use to keep you from repeating other's mistakes. I think the biggest thing you can do is to BUY HER A SEAT AND HAVE HER SIT IN HER CAR SEAT (make sure that it's an FAA-approved one and one that will fit on your plane).

My husband and I flew with our little boy when he was 1 1/2 years old and it was SUCH a difference from when we flew with him at 5 months old (think nightmare-, versus dream-baby!!! :-).

By 1 1/2, he was soooo independent and no longer wanted to sit on our laps and be held all of the time (in fact, his favorite word while holding him was "down", repeated several hundred times, of course!!). So, our big mistake on that trip was bringing him on as a LAP baby!! (duh! it all seems so clear NOW!). Anyway, we vowed that the next time we traveled with him, he'd have his own seat!!

So, when we traveled one more time with him back in September, we bought him his own seat (we had to anyway, since he was almost 2 1/2) and strapped him into his carseat and it was soooo much better. Since he was familiar with the seat, he knew that he had to stay buckled, which is MUCH safer than having him walk around.

We also brought lots of his favorite snacks (cheerios, raisins, whole grain goldfish, carrots, his favorite crackers with some cheese) and two sippy cups with milk and water (security will let you come through with bottles / sippy cups).

For ascent and descent, the stronger the chewing or sucking that is required to eat/drink those snacks, the better!! So, we used the carrots for this reason and also brought some dum-dums lollipops (he looked forward to the "treat"), along with using sippy cups that required stronger suction, to really get the jaw working and help clear he ears during ascent and descent. (I sometimes have problems with my ears clearing, so I was prepared)

We also brought some things to color, a few of his favorite toys/books, and some completely new toys / books (and stickers!) that he'd never seen before---all to maximize the level of distraction. Whenever he would get a little cranky, we'd unveil a new toy...he loved playing with those new toys!!

We also packed a change of clothes (or two) for any mishaps, of course...

A couple of additional tips:
- Sit at the back of the plane, so that the noise level is highest (the white noise can sometimes help them sleep). This last time we sat right behind the wing and Connor loved to see the engines and the flaps moving on the wings (he's fascinated by airplanes)

- If you're taking your carseat, place it on one of those carseat carriers (wheels), so that your 2-year old can ride through the airport (make it fun). This means 2 less things to carry---the carseat and your toddler when she gets tired. I think the brand we used was GoGo Kidz or something like that.

- Get a removable tray that can give your toddler a flat surface to color on, play on, snack on. Unfortunately, the seat-back tray in front of them will not come down completely, thanks to their car seat. Here's what we bought: http://www.amazon.com/Star-Kids-Snack-Play-Travel/dp/B000...

It's a bit flimsy for some types of play, but it's that way so that it will bring no harm during turbulence, since it collapses on impact. It's also easy to pull on and off your child or her seat, so if she can't play on it, or gets tired of it, you can take it off.

Finally, I just have to say this: I disagree strongly with the advice re: having your 2-year old chew gum (waaay too early) or giving them Benadryl. I had also heard of the Benadryl thing from other parents when we were first going to travel with our son, so I asked my pediatrician. He (and his nurse) looked at me like I was crazy to ask whether I should drug my child to travel with him! Needless to say, I never did it and we survived just fine.

Yes, it will be challenging, but that's no reason to give them a drug inappropriately (Benadryl is supposed to be used to counter allergic reactions, not knock out kids)!!! sorry for the soapbox, but this is why we keep having infant/toddler medications pulled from the shelves...because of parents mis-using them (It makes me angry that responsible parents are also being punished by not having medicines (like cold meds /decongestants) available to them for their correct use!!)

I apologize for the last-minute rant :-) and I really hope this helps you!
D.

It has been a long time since I had a toddler but my daughter (now 14) has grown accustomed to the plane from early on.

My biggest suggestion is for your toddler to have his/her own seat. That helps a great deal...no guessing if you will manage a seat or not if you just wait and see. It is worth the $$$

We had puppet shows with the vomit bags. I had colors and we decorated them and had a show. I also took play-doh for long haul trips.

I was lucky (and still am) the lull of the engines put my daughter to sleep (still does). So I never had to deal with a huge amount of time except for the times we flew to and from Hawaii... On those trips, it was well planned that we would be in first class and she got great treats before and after naps. We ALWAYS flew home on the late night flight from Hawaii to DFW...that way..you are sleeping shortly after take off and when you wake....you are landing...."priceless".

Have fun...try to relax...and enjoy

depending on what time you are flying I keep them up so that once we get settled and in the air they are ready for a nap.
I also make sure that I have something for them to drink during take off and landing so that their ears won't pop.
I make sure they have their favorite little electronic devices and books

I have always had smooth sailing

Hi K.,
Last year, I flew back from Florida to Dallas with my 18 month old and my 2 1/2 year old by my self. My carry on was just toys and snacks. I would only pull out one toy at a time, so they would not get scattered all over the plane. When the kids would seem to get restless we pulled out a different toy. For landing and take off, I gave the a snack and juice to help with the change in pressure. Over all we had a great flight. It was quite hilarious seeing us walk through the airport because I had 2 car seats, 2 umbrella strollers, the carry-on toy bag, and my purse. My 18 month old girl wanted to push her baby in the stroller, so we played "Follow The Leader" as I pushed my 3 year old son and was weighed down like a pack mule with all of our stuff! I am sure you will do great!
On a side note: most of the time people really do not care about somewhat noisy children on a plane. We made friends with the people around us. My kids had fun playing peek-a-boo and a laughed when their lost toy jumped back over the top of the seat.

My oldest is 12 and he has been flying since he was about 6 weeks old. The key is to keep them occupied. Also, have lots of snacks and something to drink. You may want to check with your pedi because many will suggest a low dose of benadryl to help them sleep on board. Bring books and small toys. I work for an airline and alot of my co-workers with young children now bring portable dvd players/headphones. A movie or their favorite cartoons work also. We always made a cd of his favortie songs. You can have them listen to mp3 also.
Good luck!!!

added to my previous response: After reading some of the other posts, (I didn't see them before I posted) I'm sorry for the duplicate info., but I wanted to make 2 clarifications:

1. The extra clothes for YOU will be PRICELESS if you get thrown up on or pooped on etc.

2. If your child is going to get air sick, the benadryl is an anti-air sickness drug. It is not just serving to make them tired, and the antihistamine clears up thier sinuses to help with the ear popping, it is not just for allergic reactions. I would never give my kids drugs just to make them tired, but I spent 3 hours catching puke every 10 minutes from a 2 year old, who was down to his diaper and a blanket by the time we landed in a VERY cold Berlin. I and my two kids that were air sick much preferred preventing it on the way home rather than being sick. Which is what drugs are for. So, even if you don't want to assume she will get air sick, I would keep an open mind and pack the benadryl just in case. I have to say that an airplane is the hardest place I've ever had deal with a vomiting child.

Oringinal response: As someone who has flown 15 hours over seas with a two year old, (and a seven and four year old as well) in tow, here's what I'd suggest:

-Bring a change or two of clothes for both you and her in your CARRY ON. This will come in useful if she gets air sick on you, or if you get stuck in Boston over night, like I did, with out your luggage.

-On our way to Berlin, my younger two both got air sick. We had flown before with no problems, but this happened to be a bumpier flight, which circled the airport a few times before landing, and it was too much for thier tummies. We gave them Benadryl, per a friend's suggestion, on the plane for the way back, and no air sickness. Apparently, Benedryl is the same as Drammamine, but it comes in kid sized doses. It also helps them sleep on the plane. (Make sure you pack it in smaller doses, so as to meet the requirements for liquids, and also don't give it until you're boarded, as you don't want to give and then have your flight delayed for a few hours and have it wear off first.

-Bring some NEW toys/books. If you bring her same old things, she'll be more interested in the NEW things to play with on the plane. If she has NEW toys, you can keep her happier longer in her seat.

-Dress in layers. The temp changes so much in the airport, outside, on the plane, in the air, at your destination. You'll want to be able to stay comfortable.

-Bring her empty sippy cup and ask for juice/water from the flight attendant. Offer her drinks at take off and landing. This sucking will help alleviate the ear popping effect. (The airlines will either want the cup to be empty upon boarding, or for you or her to "taste" it to prove there's not a bomb inside.) :)

-When all else fails, you can ask the flight attendants for toys. They usually have something, like crayons, playing cards, etc to keep kids happy.

-Portable DVD players or other entertaining electronics work well too, even if you have to borrow it. My sister had a hand held Nintendo that she could get Dora and other such videos to play on it.

-When you board the plane, you can usually ask for them to see if they have empty seats in the back for you to have your own row to your self so as not to disturb other passengers and such. They did that for us every time and it was nice to have extra elbow room when needing to hold or change the little one, also nice to be near the bathroom.

-Bring plenty of snacks that you know she likes.

-Hope this helps!!! -B. Joy

For that age, bring lots of food. Pick your daughter's favorite snack foods, things that wont be too messy since she will be in a car seat. I have a pocket bib that I put on my son and would put a hand full of whatever he was eating into the pocket of the bib! It worked great, the food was right there in front of him where he could reach it and the bib caught the crumbs!
Also, buy a new toy or two and save it for the plane ride. If she has a special toy or blanket she sleeps with make sure to have it with you. I also bought "car seat strap covers" that have little dog heads on them, they worked to protect his neck from getting rubbed by the car seat straps and also served somewhat as a pillow when he fell asleep so his head wasn't sideways and he would get a crick in his neck.
Hope this helps, good luck!

Bring lots of snacks and a few toys. Don't give in and think you HAVE to have a DVD player. There are so many things that can be made into toys with a little imagination. Use this time to encourage your child's imagination.

Portable DVD - rolling luggage that you can strap the car seat to. Have them chew gum during take off and landing to avoid ear pain

The thing I recommend is too hook her carseat onto a luggage cart for in the airport and then be sure to use the carseat on the plane - I wrote about what we do here: http://www.burbmom.net/how-to-fly-on-a-plane-with-a-toddler/

depends on the time of the flight. keep the child as active/alert as possible till getting on the plane. then hopefully, the child will sleep most of the flight. bring a recorder/head set/books for her to "read" her books. prior to the trip, you can read her books on tape. good luck.

I had a travel bag for my car seat that had a shoulder strap.
That made managing luggage and a child through the airport easier. I could carry the car seat right onto the plane and unzip the bag in the seat. It was also waterproof so if I did check it in and it was raining I did not arrive with a wet car seat. The best tip is to relax and make sure you have plenty of snacks and activities. I used to get off of the plane with stickers all over me but my child was quiet and well behaved.

Books, small toys, snacks. Benadryl helps if they are crying and it hurts their ears. I would have some new toys, that would help or new books, that would help keep their interest.

When we took our 2 year old it was tough. He got fussy and didn't want his seat belt on. He played a little bit with some toys and looked at a few books. We now know he doesn't do well with loud sounds, so that could have been most of the problem, with the loud engines,etc...
This time next month we are taking headphones to help with the sound issue.

Hope your experience goes well and better than our experience. When our child was a baby he was great, no problems, only when he got older we experienced the crying. He has Sensory Integration Disorder and some delays, so I think the loud sounds hurt his ears and scared him.

When my son was almost 2, we took our family vacation to Hawaii. Because we knew that it would be a longer flight than the usual 2 hr flights that we'd taken before, we opted for a very early (5 am) flight so that he could sleep for most of it. You probably already have your tickets, but one of the items that we took along to keep him entertained as well was an electronic Mickey Mouse hand held game suited for toddlers. We also took some of his reading books, coloring books and at the time he loved (and still does) cars--so we took a zip lock bag full of them. Surprisingly, he did amazingly well during the flight only cried during take off and landing as it scared him a bit. One last advice, make sure he's taking a drink of something during take off so that his ears can clear of the pressure. Good luck and may you all have a safe and wonderful trip!

Hi K. - We flew with our daughter to Hawaii (8 hour flight) when she was 18 months old and again when she was 2 1/2. My suggestion is to not put her in the carseat on the plane because it puts her up higher and closer to the seat in front of her and if that person reclines, she loses her own leg room and will find yourself trying to keep her from kicking or pushing on the seat in front of her. We learned the hard way. Putting her in the airplane seat gives her so much room to play.

She can put on her seat belt at the last minute before the plane starts to taxi. This will allow her to stand up on the seat and move around until she doesn't have a choice anymore but to sit down. I allowed my daughter to push the buttons (the light buttons) but steered her away from the flight attendant button.

Once the seatbelt sign is off I allowed her to stand in front of her seat or on her seat if she wanted and it doesn't hurt to walk with her up and down the aisles.

My daughter is a huge sticker book fan so that kept her occupied most of the time as well as watching videos. We downloaded videos onto an iTouch so we didn't have to bring the portable DVD player. I also suggest bringing her blanket or something that is familiar to her in case she does nap on the plane.

Remember - it's ok to let them cry. I've learned to realize that you can't always keep them quiet the whole time and sometimes they just need to cry especially if they're tired and don't worry about what others think. Most have probably flown with their child at one time or another.

I had to hold my daughter tight to get her to take a nap because I knew she was very tired and she cried for about 3 minutes but I'm sure it seemed like forever to everyone around me, but I didn't let it get to me.

She may cry during descent cause her ears hurt. If your pedi will prescribe to you, it's good to have those numbing drops with you just in case. If not, the crying will help relieve the pressure.

As for your carseat, if you don't have, I suggest investing in the Go-Go Kidz wheel cart that attaches to your carseat. We have one and kept our daughter in her carseat with the wheels attached and wheeled her around through the airport. It was so much easier than carrying her or bringing another piece of equipment (stroller).

I hope this helps. Good luck and safe travels.

You have gotten a lot of good suggestions here. The key is to keep her occupied. I have traveled with my two year old 7 times now, and I suggest getting the CARES harness/seatbelt as an alternative to using the car seat on the plane assuming she is at least 20 lbs. It works great. It is FAA approved. I got it at a baby shower, and it turned out to be one of the most useful gifts I received.

http://www.kidsflysafe.com/

You can buy it retailers such as Amazon for about $65 to $70.

We took our 2 y.o. who was 18 months at that time to the the Philippines w/c is an 18 hour flight (15 straight then changed plane for another 3 hrs.) It will be a challenge , just bring her favorite light snacks, and introduce fancy looking cereals. I had to give in and brought Trix because it was colorful but on the sweet side. Portable DVD player will work as well with his/her favorite cartoon...andof course some favorite..and /or new small toys..

Prtable DVD player! Someone's probably mentioned it already. We flew for 2 and 1/2 hours when my my son was 2 and 1/2 and he just settled right in with his little snack bag. Smooth trip!

They are expensive, but I love our airline carseat/stroller. I use it in the airport as a stroller and then as a carseat on the airplane. Baby is much easier to deal with when he's strapped in. I wear only a backpack with my purse inside that so my hands are free. I know most airlines charge for checking a bag, but I try to keep my hands free when traveling with a toddler. A portable dvd player is helpful. If you haven't bought the tickets yet you may want to consider flying at a time when your toddler normally sleeps. We also book aisle and window seats and hope we can get an extra seat in our aisle. If you make it to the gate early ask the agent if they will try to leave the seat open on your aisle. If you have a layover a lot of the larger airports have play areas for kids. Good luck!

I bring lots of snacks- cheerios, dried fruit, and gold fish are the current favorites. I bring a sippy cup- less room for spills that way!
I also bring lots of toys. My daughter loves a magna doodle. She likes to draw, she likes me to draw, and then she likes to erase. It entertains her for a long time!
Des your little one like movies? DO you have a portable DVD player? We have not taken a long flight recently, but my friends who do swear by the movie. It keeps little ones occupied.
I also travel with crayons and paper. And, I recently discovered the markers that only color on special paper. that way, there are no marker stains.
I hope this helps. Have fun on your trip.