Advice for Air Travel with 11 Month Old - HELP!

I know it sounds horrible, but I was so nervous about flying with my daughter when she was 18 months old I gave her some chamomile tea and baby tylenol. She was out before the plane took off. This turned out to be a good thing since she did not sleep at all the night before because we stayed in a hotel, and was VERY cranky. I wouldn't worry too much about getting kicked off the plane. As long as your child is under reasonable control most people won't think twice about his behavior. I think the stewardess that kicked that mom off was just a raving b**** with a major case of PMS. Most stewardesses aren't like that. Good luck with your flight!

schedule flights at nap time.
buy a couple of toys that he hasnt seen before that are kind of puzzling or things he has to figure out.
buy a kit of invisible markers color book thing if he has started trying to color.
bring fruit snacks or something that he can chew on...kids cry because their ears pop and the moms have not given them gum to chew or if still drinking a bottle that works real good to for the ear pops.
also try to run him around the airport right until he boards. he will be more ready to sit down.

RE-CREATE THE SAME STRUCTURE YOU HAVE AT HOME. Look out the window for a few minutes, have dinner, color, read a story, cuddle, start winding down for bed time, change into PJ, its BED TIME around 8ish. You also may want to get up a little early so that you have an earlier nap time. When that plane lands he should be sleeping so hard that he doesnt even know he's changing planes.

Start practicing a routine that makes you "in charge" and it will work almost anywhere. Just because "little people" are busy and like to roam doesn't mean they cant understand and flow with structure. Good luck!

When I traveled with my daughters, I usually coordinated it with their nap schedule & it worked just fine.

Hi J.,

From a mom of two small boys, one of which I flew with when he was 11 months old I would suggest this: I pack a bag full of special things. They include gold fish, small play dough, a manadoodle, the small one, I think it's Aqua doodle, they make pages that when you use the special pen that is filled with water, the pictures become clearer, and then it dries and he can start all over. These are great!!!! They come in different characters. Let me know if you need help finding them. I basically pack a bag of things to entertain the boys. They never see the bag before, so they have no idea what's in it. Also, make sure you are in the back of the plane, so you can move when it's allowed. Most flight attendants love kids!

Good Luck!
K.
Perrin & Nathans Mom