Taking My Little Man to Hawaii

Hi L.,

A lot of people have given advise on Benadryl but you really need to ask your pediatrician who knows your child.

The DVD is a great idea. Take other activities you think he may enjoy and maybe get something new for the plane that he'll enjoy (I.e. toy, book, snack).

Make sure to take some infant tylenol with you just in case he has difficulty with take off and landing. Sometimes they can be hard on the ears. My kiddos have been flying since they were infants and they do great with eating gum or sucking on the paci (young daughter). If he normally sucks on a pacifier, make sure to take several because that'll help. Eating a snack or something during these times can help too.

Because little ones are so perceptive, I'd suggest you try as best as you can to demonstrate to Ayden that this trip will be fun. Make a game of everything: getting on the plane, buckling the seatbelt, looking out the windows, watching people on the plane. These are good distractions for you and Ayden. If he senses your nervousness and stress, then he too may become nervous and stressed and will act accordingly.

Have a wonderful time! I hope all these suggestions from all the moms help relieve some of your nervousness. You both will do great.

A.

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I wouldn't give him anything, he's not sick and doesn't need it. But I suggest talking to your own doctor about what can be done for your anxiety and nerves. Kids usually travel well...that is unless they pick up on tension and fear of those they are traveling with. For him, just the usual snacks and drinks. For you, relaxation and calming techniques, maybe some benadryl, and maybe something stronger ... talk to your doctor.

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Do a test run with the benadryl, in some children it has the opposite effect and gets them hyped up.

Remember to have something for him to chew or suck on during take off and landing. My kids chew gum, but he is probably too young for that. The air pressure can hurt your ears, especially young children. I am often surprised at the number of parents that do not seem to know this. My ears sometimes bother me, but my youngest son who is 10 really has trouble with it. If your son does not use a bottle or pacifier anymore, then have some kind of treat that he can chew. Chewing and swallowing helps to relieve the pressure on your ears.

When my sons were very young, we took a long car trip and I was concerned about them getting car sick, since I have that problem. My pediatrician recommended Benadryl to help with motion sickness. As it turned out, they have no problem with motion sickness and can even read in the car. But it did knock them out for a couple of hours, which was nice. Use it sparingly though, because the more they take it, the less it affects them. In fact, sometimes it can make a child hyper, if they take too much.

I'd say skip the Benedryl and take whatever YOU need to feel relaxed! Bring some camomille tea bags to make a relaxing tea, some Rescue Remedy (a Bach flower essence that I find really works for us and our child), your favorite book/blanket, iPod, some relaxing music, etc. A calm parent makes the ride, no matter what happens, much easier!

With that said, you may be surprised by what happens ... My son's first flight was from the UK to California. We packed so much stuff and were so concerned but in the end, my son found the plastic toothbrush the airline gave us in our little seat packs absolutely entertaining and he opened and closed it and played with it for hours. Then there was this lovely lady near us with excellent jewelry and my son was enamored with her necklace. She held him for a while and entertained him with such energy and enthusiasm .. what a blessing. Then there was so much to look at, a quick nap, snacks, walks up and down the aisle, etc.

And after making such a huge flight for your first flight, everything else seems like a breeze, no matter what happens. We often laugh at how lucky we were to have a huge international flight as our first trip with our son ... we've had other flights ... much shorter...that have been more challenging!

To echo some others...his own seat is the way to go. They are used to being strapped into their car seat. When we got on the plane and strapped my son into his seat he knew what to expect because it was just like being in the car.

If you didn't already buy a seat for him, you might get lucky. We just took our carseat to the gate and checked it in at the gate if there wasn't an extra seat available. If there was an open seat next to us, they let us take his carseat on board and use it in the extra seat.

Don't do the benedryl if you can help it. A friend of mine tried that "trick" and it hyped her child up and the flight was miserable for all on board! :) I'd use Tylenol to make his sleepy before using Benedryl. Good luck!

Like others, I'd definitely see what happens with the Benadryl before you use it if you decide to use it- probably not really needed though. Aside from snacks and things to suck on for take off and landing, invest in some new cars or other quiet toys that he's never played with before. New toys are always a treat and a good way to occupy toddlers. And he'll probably be entertained by the different things like the tray table, the light switches, etc on the plane too.
Something I've noticed no body had posted yet - bring an extra outfit for yourself as well as for your son. You never know when a diaper might leak or a drink might get spilled in your lap - straw sippy cups are vulnerable to the air pressure changes and I've had them squirt out at me if I forgot to open them before take off.

We took our daughter to Europe last year on a 9 hour flight. She was almost 2 1/2. I was very worried, but it was for nothing. She snacked on cheerios and goldfish and drank water from her thermos during takeoff and landing and was fine. You won't be able to take liquids in, but can buy bottled water in the airport to fill his sippy cup/thermos for takeoff. She also watched DVDs a lot of the flight. I took tons of new books, toys, crayons, movies and shows, but really she only wanted to watch movies and snack. I got some kid sized headphones so we would have some that fit her. I got ours at Best Buy but then saw them cheaper at Walmart (I think). Also, take your charger and find the outlet on the plane. You might need to plug it in! Changing diapers in the bathroom was interesting but they did have a changing table that pulled down over the toilet. I don't think I closed the door to do it - too small. There were some other suggestions on mamasource last year. Don't know if you can look them up, but might be worth a little effort to get more suggestions. The flight will be fine. Enjoy your trip!

We asked our doctor if he could give us something and he gave us a prescription called atarax to ,make him sleepy and it worked great.Good luck

What an exciting trip! 9 hours is a long time to entertain a little one.Is he going to have his own seat? Hopefully he will sleep some. The DVD player is a great idea. I would suggest you buy a new movie or 2 (or shows). I would also get a new toy or two just before the trip...crayons/coloring book or color wonder markers, a new train/car-whatever he is into. I would test the benadryl first though as it can have the opposite effect on some children!! But if it does make your kid drowsy, go for it! Also I have found recently for flights that the candy, smarties, works wonders when my kids get fussy, and they are pretty low in sugar. Also, take lots of snacks. Good luck and you will have to let us all know what worked and how your trip turns out. Have Fun!!!!

My daughter is 16 months old now and I've flown with her twice. At 15 months, I know it's more money but I definitely suggest you get him his own seat, especially with a 9 hr flight. He doesn't have to sit in it the whole time but at some point he's going to want to sleep and that extra seat will be nice. Even though the bottle (Benadryl) says not to use for children under 2, if he has an allergic reaction you're going to need to give it to him (I had to when my daughter was 12 months old because of a reaction, per the pediatrician). Ask your pediatrician his/her advice and about dosage. 30 min before the plane takes off give him a dose of Tylenol or Motrin for his ears. Bring lots of snacks and milk/juice. Don't be scared, my daughter loves flying. For the most part every time we've flown she's slept most of the flight. Good luck and I'm sure you'll have lots of fun.

I didn't read all of the responses, so forgive me if I'm repeating..but, it may be a smart idea to "test" the benadryl before you are on a plane with your son to find out exactly he will react. It would be terrible to learn he has a bad reaction to the med while confined on a 9 hour long flight, plus, if it creates a medical emergency you would be out of luck until the plane landed.

As for entertainment, my dgtr really loved the markers that only work on the special paper (forgive me, she is 10 now!) They were completely mess free and we even had a family on the row behind us ask to borrow a sheet of the paper and a marker to entertain their toddler when they noticed how engrossed and well behaved our kiddo was on the flight.

Enjoy your vacation and take lots of pictures with the great grandparents!!

My kids got benedryl at 6 months - the dose is worked out from weight. One word of warning. Sometimes benedryl will make a child hyper, you might be better dosing him with just plain tylenol. Ask your doctor if they have a suggestion or call for a specific dose amount with your pharmacist for the benedryl.

make sure you have something for him to pop his ears on take off and landing - his sippy cup, a lolly or something. Good luck.

Here's some about my experience--possibly you'll find soemthing you can use.

My little man is an excellent flier. As both an infant and a toddler he slept the entire time on flights less than about 3-4 hours. We booked flights around nap times and always let him run around and exert as much energy as possible to wear him out before we got on the plane. And no sugar or caffiene!

We just flew to Hawaii with him at 5 years old and I way overpacked stuff for him to do. He no longer naps, so I was worried that he would go stir crazy. Snacking, drinking and going to the bathroom, etc. will eat more time than you realize. Movies and a couple of favorite quiet toys are probably enough. Games worked for my son, but I think your child is too young for that. We made sure we had the plug that works on the airplane for the DVD player.

Using some of the same naptime and bedtime rituals were very helpful to getting him to sleep. It will pay off especially on the return flight when you fly at night. Like put him in pajamas and do as much of your bedtime routine as possible to help him realize it is time to sleep.

Finally, have you used Benadryl before? It never makes my son sleepy, rather works the opposite, so I would use caution on using medications that have never been tested on him before. Good luck and have a GREAT time!

Be sure to discuss/verify this with your pedi but when we flew last summer to Georgia with our not quite 2 yr old son we gave him Benadryl. In fact, our pedi recommended it for his comfort and for ours and the other passengers peace. It worked great on the way the way there as I gave it about 40 min prior to boarding. He was awake to get on the plane and while we taxied but was sound asleep by take off and didn't wake up until just before we landed. But, on the way home we were late getting to the airport so I didn't give it to him until we were already in our seats on the plane so it never really did kick in. Well, he was just terrible the whole way back and it was pretty miserable for us and those around us (thankfully most of them were nice about it). Just work out your timing and it should be fine. But, as I said above, make sure it's a go with your pedi. Esp. since your son is a few months younger than mine was at the time. Good luck, safe flight and have an great trip!

I would not give him meds. He will sleep a lot of the time. I would have planned the trip at night if possible. Played hard during the day and then he would be out. Make sure you take something for him to suck on during landings for the ears. Anything like a straw or passy or whatever but something that would make him suck. You also need to take gum to chew. The first couple of flights were hard on my ears but later I just bare it but bring gun and if he can chew it also would be ok. Bring food and snacks like carrots stick, trail mix or crackers. Books you can read to him. He will be ok. God Bless and what a wonderful vacation to take. Been there and yearn to go back. G. W

Hello L.,

i travelled for 13 hours with not 1 but 2 toddlers. no need for benedryl. Just bring some things he will like. animal crackers, something to drink, his favorite noiseless (the other passengers will not appreciate one with noise)toys, some books you can read to him, wear comfortable clothing for you and him. you will be walking around a little as I am sure he will want to move around from time to time. The bottom line is this. No need to worry. he will just be himself. Ask the airlines for a crib seat. so that no one will be infront of you and if he sleeps you can take him off your hands.
goodluck.
nothing to worry about.

I gave my daughter children's tylenol before the trip and she slept through it. Just be super careful with what you take with you, baby stuff is always an issue in security (premixed bottles a no-no). Lots of other liquids and things are also on the no-fly list. So check your airline.

Hi L.,

The DVD player is a great idea, just make sure you have plenty of shows to play for him. I wouldn't give him any medication unless he starts to fuss. He should sleep during part of the flight, if you make sure you have a comfortable pillow he can lay on your lap with, then he should be fine. Make sure to have his favorite snacks as well and other toys to bring out just in case.

Have a wonderful time.

Love and Light,
Rev. G. Hudson, Reiki Master

The hardest thing about flying that I remember is how your ears need to pop as you ascend and descend. It's hard for babies to pop their ears and they just cry for the pain of it. For older kids, giving them gum to chew will help their ears pop, but you can't give gum to a baby--so be prepared to nurse him often or a bottle or cup if you don't nurse, and to cuddle him and pull on his ear lobes sometimes--maybe some tylenol just in case.

Good luck! Bear with the little guy if he fusses, he just needs you.
Have fun!

When we fly, we dont give the kids any drugs. The flight itself makes the kids sleepy. We take a flight at a usual sleep time, like after lunch or evening. Also, being bored on the plane lends itself to sleep. We also book seats A and C. Unless the flight is totally booked, no one will book seat B because no one wants the center seat! So when the kids were little, we wouldn't pay for them...they'd be a "lap child", but then the center seat was always available so we'd basically get the middle seat for free. And if someone does happen to book it, everyone is always willing to switch a center seat for a window seat so you can still sit together.
Food and boredom have always knocked my kids right out!

we took our little man to hawaii at 14 months old. He had his own seat and we used his car seat. He did really well in it for the most part. He slept a good chunk of the time and then we had bought a DVD player as well as some new little toys. We also had plenty of snacks to keep him occupied.

We had a little trouble on the way home on the over night flight. He was tired and cranky and really wanted to sleep. After 3 hours in the car seat he just want out and to stretch out. He couldn't get comfortable on our laps, so we ended up putting our tray tables down and putting the blankets and pillows on top of them. It made for the perfect little bed and his car seat was like a side so he couldn't roll out easily. Once he got to stretch out, he slept very soundly!

Good luck and have fun!

Hi L.!
Every baby is different, so it's hard to predict what's going to happen with yours on the plane. My 15 month old (at the time) didn't fly well last time we were on a plane, but I did learn a few things that I can pass along to you.

First of all, if it's possible to let your child have his own seat, then do it. I flew with my baby on my lap and she struggled the whole time. I think she would have been much more comfortable in a seat of her own, strapped in. If your baby loves to sit on your lap and is used to sleeping that way, then that's one thing, but my baby is very active and wanted to get up and move all the time. She understands that she can't do that in her car seat, but on my lap, she just got irritated that I couldn't always let her down.

I actually did give her benedryl for our return flight home. I called our pediatrician and asked her about it. She gave us her dosing information based on my baby's weight (she's only about 22 pounds, so she might be different than your baby) but she warned me that it doesn't work for all babies and it might have the opposite effect and make her hyper. It didn't do anything to my baby but frustrate her. She was obviously tired, but she was so stimulated by being at the airport and on a plane that it just made her even more cranky. You have enough time with a nine hour flight, I would suggest that you see how things go first and if he seems to need a little calming down, you could give it a shot.

9 hours is a long flight for even adults. I would suggest when you can, you get up and walk up and down the aisles with him so he can stretch his legs and you can too. Make sure and take lots of snacks, drinks, diapers and wipes. The plane is a hard place to change a baby, but with that kind of a flight, you'll need to. You might practice changing him while he's standing up so you don't have to find some place to lay him down on the plane. Once you get good at that, you can walk him back to the lavatory and do it fairly quickly.

If all else fails, just remember that you're going to Hawaii and this will be an amazing adventure for the two of you. Even if he does scream the entire 9 hours (which I'm sure he won't) you probably won't see any of those people again. Everyone was very supportive on my flight. Try to maintain your stress level so he doesn't stress because you are.

Have a wonderful and safe trip!
H.

Be prepared for him to react to the changing air pressure in the cabin. Since little ones have under-developed eustacian tubes their ears and sinus cavities will not equalize as easily as an older person. If they have any blockage or obstruction it will cause them pain until their ears equalize with the surrounding pressure (if they do).

During this process you will be the recipient of many harsh looks from the other passengers. But...

You are going to go through the same process upon landing.

One trip like this and you will see why it is a lot easier for the relatives to come to you.

We are frequent flyers with our now 14 yr old but she started flying with us as an infant.

My first suggestion is that he have his own seat. It is SO worth it.

When my daughter was young, she would easily fall asleep every time I got in the car. The same thing happened with planes until she was older. She sould be asleep by the time we took off!!

We've made the Hawaii trek 2 times. The best thing we ever did on both trips was to upgrade to first class....WOW, much easier on that long trip.

We always took the 10pm flight back to DFW and we all slept. Wake up at 5:30 landing....works great!

Another thing that made our trips easier was to take Allen Limo (town car, not limo) and they would be there ready to bring us home. No stress of traffic, especially early in the am.

It sounds like you have a good plan. I see no harm with benedryl but test it first because it can have the hyper vs sleepy effect on some kids.

This is your first flight? Wow, make sure you get up and walk around often as well. They do have movies or tv programs, take your own ear phones, most of the popular ones work on the planes as well.

I always took crayons or markers and we made puppets with the little throw up bags and had puppet shows.

Lastly.......HAVE FUN and Enjoy. Hawaii is beautiful, exciting and we love it.

Benadryl is fine - just watch the dosage and use wisely - e.g., at the beginning of the flight and then if it gets really fussy midflight. With that long of a flight, you should be able to walk around some (airlines are quite fussy these days about staying in your seats). You should ask your pediatrician or one of the nurses. I have a good friend that's a nurse, midwife and professor at UTA and she is the one that told me this is perfectly safe. Actually, benadryl is likely the safest OTC product you can give to a child -safer than tylenol, motrin, etc.

I know you can give it and he probably can take 1 teaspoon by then. My son is allergic to mosquito's so we were told by our doctor that we could give twice the recommended dose. They told us for 12 month old and his weight it would be 3/4 teaspoon so we doubled it. I guess it is a very safe OTD because they had not problem with us doubling it and giving it to him every 6 hours. I would talk with doctor to make sure it is o.k. Also you might want to try it before you go it makes my daughter hyper! Not normal to do so, but can happen in some cases. Another thought is making a layover flight. You could have two 4 hour flights instead of one long one.