Mom Traveling Overseas with a Toddler!

My son is mildly Autistic and I was terrified after the HORRIBLE first trip..we took. It didn't help that I was 7month PG.

This time I called and requested the first front seat...that way I didn't have to worry about him kicking the chair in front (like last time). I don't recommend Benadrly...it made my son REALLY cranky. We took a DVD player with his favorite movies...and I have some of his favorite snacks.

They really won't let you take things over 3oz of liquid...so keep that in mind.

GOOD LUCK!

Hi A.,
how exciting to travel to India!!!! I flew with both my sons to Thailand( it took us 24 hrs to get there!!) and Europe. you can ask the flydetendent for a bassinet. usually they hang them on the wall(he is probably too heavy) but you can request to put it on the floor so he can sleep well. many airlines want to know this in advance ( only a few seats qualify for it) so contact them! and as said before: bring his own medication also basic stuff like tylenol, medication against dhiarea, a thermometer. use bottled water only! and you can get at your pharmacist here tablets to sterilize water ,they are not preferable for toddlers but better then nothing! you can buy drinks that he is used to at the airport after the customcontrol but they have a lot at the plane aswell.all the airplane personall was very friendly and helpfull. bring some lollipos where he can suck on during takeoff and landing so his ears won't pop. also really handy and hygienic is to bring a few packages of facial towels so you can clean his hands and face save after eating out. what I also did was get an adress of a hospital that is reliabel in the airea where you go to. oh and about the plane, during takeoff and landing he has to sit on your lap in a special belt that is connected to yours so you can practise with him a little at home already, his back against your belly and your arm (savely) around him. most airlines give a nice entertainmentpackage to the kids but I always did bring a few small things like paper and crayons, favorite toys and small presents to distract him if he starts crying.remember toys with sounds are very annoying to other passengers. In India I would offer him drinks very frequently and have him drink bouillon(broth) everyday or eat salty soupy. you transpirate much more so you loose salt much more too.keep hydrated well!! Do you have a travel/healthinsurance that cover the costs incase you need to come home earlier than planned??Enjoy your trip to this beautiful country and as long as you have your passports and money you will be able to buy what you forgot or simply didn't think of. also in India you can buy all the basic needs!and comeback to the states. Aigain enjoy and I am curious how everything went!
D.

probably some things you already know, but just in case here are some tips from my travels/ or things that i have read:

-take "new" toys for the plane ride that they have never seen before. ex. toy cars, magna doodle (or the ones that work with water only in the pen, i can't remember the name).
-someone also suggested taking scotch tape... this can entertain them for a long time... sticking it to the tray table and taking it off.
-take "new" snacks that might keep him occupied. (this always backfires for me... dd won't eat them!)
-i give dd sprite in her sippy cup for landing and take off to insure that she drinks it to help with the pressure. she NEVER gets sprite otherwise.
-i would let your ds walk the plane when appropriate and with supervision (you right behind him) just to stretch his legs and also for entertainment. if he's fairly well behaved, noone should mind.

i guess that's it....but i think if you do a google search for traveling with a toddler, you'll find a lot of other tips.

good luck!

Hi A.,

When I travel with my 9 month old son, I always pack all his clothes and items in separate large ziplock bags. For example, I pack all of his pajamas in one ziplock, his shirts in another ziplock, his bath stuff in another ziplock. When you are living out of a suitcase, it helps to be able to stay organized and find things quickly.

Good luck!

1. Request the airline to give you a crib. During take off and landing make sure there is a bottle in your childs mouth to prevent air pressure in the ears. it can be water or formula
2. take plenty of wipes, not just for the baby but to wipe down surfaces
3. Water is now available in sealed bottles, which you may buy at a pharmacy/drug store locally
4. Eat only HOT/freshly prepared foods and avoid cold salads or other cold foods
5. Definitely take a insect repellent cream of spray.

I can give you more tips...send me an email. Thanks Mm

When my son was traveling overseas with his great grandmother my doctor suggested giving him a small dose of benedryl to put him to sleep part of the trip it will help both him and you from becoming irritable. Also I would bring things to keep him occupied. Like his favorite book or toy, snacks and anything else that you know will keep him busy. Another idea is when I was traveling with my son I made him a CD with Barney, Wiggles and other kid songs and bought head phones for him and let him listen to that. It will block out the noises of the airplane and help him from becoming fussy. I hope this helps. Let me know how it goes.

Along all the medicine, diapers, change of clothes, toys, snacks, etc... I also took a portable DVD player with some of his favorite DVD's (Baby Einstein, Wiggles...). If he watches any of that yet, It would be worth it because it really worked. Of course my trip was much shorter than yours, but hopefully you'll be traveling at night and he'll sleep. Good luck to you, and enjoy your trip. I did ask my Dr. about Benedryl, and he didn't recommend it. It could actually make some kids more hyper, and cranky. He did recommend melatonin, which is a safe, natural sleep hormone. I tried this, but I don't think it worked that well.

How exciting for you. I took my 2 year old on a 24 hour plane ride and he did really well. fortunately the plane seats had little tvs on the back of them so he could just stare at that for hours. You will hopefully have that as well. Water water water-make sure he is hydrated-this makes a big difference in terms of jet lag. bring snacks and books, drawing materials, some of his favorite little toys-if he likes trains or cars. Take off and landing is the tough part because of the ears-give hime something to suck on and before you go, teach him how to make a face like a silly creature so that he can try to unpop his ears if they get clogged-you know, hold your nose and close mouth and blow. I think he is too young for gum but I cannot remember that age anymore!

once there if you are staying in a nice hotel then you do not need to worry about the water there but just make sure you wash his hands all the time-bring plenty of wipes. Be very careful with street food for him-even ices or ice cream. no ice in drinks outside of good restaurants and your hotel.

I am sure he will be so fascinated by it all-the colors, the languages, the smells-just point things out to him all the time so he sees it as much as possible.
Things to do-I took my kids out to a place where they could take elephant rides, river rides on boats (we were in SE Asia) and that was one of the most amazing experiences of their lives-I am sure this is possible in India.
Temples-all those colorful images, paintings of Ganesh-kids love it-we did that and my kids would put the incense in the pots, put garlands on shrines, look at these massive Buddhas-it was all eyeopening-even for the baby.

I personally would not take much clothing-they have great material over there and clothing is cheap.If you have any articles of clothing that you realy love and want to have copied, bring it and a tailor can make it for you in a few days. That is me-I would make sure I had plenty of shopping time there! You will need a cotton long sleeve shirt and pants for him just in case there are alot of mosquitos. But I also bought those over in SE Asia for my kids because that is exactly what they have=suitable lightweight cotton clothing really good for protection. I am sure you will have a pool so that is a good activity to wear him out.
Kids are so adjustable and open at this age-you can have a great time with him. I am envious-I really want to go to India and so does my 12 year old son! Have a great time.
L. Schnall

OMG! And I thought I had it bad with 9 hours flight!
You didn't write 2 important things - are you flying alone or with someone to help you? And whether you will have a separate seat for your son or you will have him on your lap/in the "bassinet" attached to the wall?
Definitely ask a doctor for the advice re medications that you should have with you in India, and vaccinations you should all have.

For the flight - I took my son's infant car seat (even though he has outgrown it otherwise, it made still for a comfortable chair!) and the stroller that would go with it. If you have a separate seat for your son - he will be too small to fit in it so the car seat will be perfect (unless your son hated it when he was using it....). You will be allowed to take the stroller up to the driect entrance to the plane, and also this is where you will get it back. The stroller is also helpful with all the cabin luggage (that you are going to have a lot of...). If you don't have a separate seat - I would still try to take an infant car seat on board with me - perhaps there will be some seats free, or there will be enough room in front of your seat. The infant car seat worked wonders for me - I have learnt painfully after I flew with my 14 months old daughter without it, so I did take it for my 16 months old son 2 years later.
Obviously take lots of things to drink - if your son would take formula I would take cans of ready to drink formula just to make sure that security will let you take it on board of the plane. They will definitely have problems with water, I have no experience with milk (on 9 hours flight they had enough milk on board for my toddler). Take several clothes changes for him and also be prepared to put layers on him if it gets cold on the plane. Blankets, favourite and new toys, some games and books he (and you) might enjoy. Many many diapers and wipes, plastic bags (with zippped closure) to put soiled diapers in). Enough food easy to feed (bananas, crackers, cheese fingers) and what he likes.
If you are still breastfeeding - breastfeed during take of and landing . Begin when you start to feel cabin pressure changing. If you bottle feed - give her a bottle with formula and a slow flow nipple. Slow flow nipple is important or else they drink everything too quickly while the cabin pressure is still adjusting. Plan meals and drinks in advance so that she doesn't starve and can make it to take off, but is hungry enough to eagerly take it when you want her to have it. Worked really well for me and I have been to Europe 4 times since my 3 years old daughter was born (my son is 16 months old and he was there already twice). 3 years old gets a sippy cup with milk obviously. All the children on board of the plane were crying - mine were perfectly fine.
Finally - if you are flying alone (which I hope you are not) do not be afraid to ask flight attendants and other pasangers for help, and even strangesrs at the airport. You will need it especially when you will be going through security check, where even the stroller will have to be x-rayed, and you will have a baby and only 2 hands. Ask for help the officers there, there are very understanding (at least were every time for me).

I wrote so much that I will let somebody else advise about your stay in India!
Good luck!!!!

Hello,
Yes plane journey will be quite an ordeal. The best you can do is expect it to be tiring and strenous. Other than that do make sure you carry all his medicines and 2 or 3 change of clothing for him. Also one important thing to try is see if he can sleep during take off and landing. If he is not sleeping give him some candy to eat as you are going down..(this is to keep his ears open) Fruit snacks is a good option,

Few impoprtant things to pack for him for India.
1. All medicines
2. Stroller (try taking an umbrella stroller or a lightwight stroller)
3. Take some snacks from here that he eats like cheerios, fruit snacks(these are good for plane also)
4. Also even if it is hot try and putting clothes on that cover him completely (to avoid bug bites)

always BOIL the water...use bottled water only if you cant boil the water.
And dont worry too much and enjoy.

buy water for drinking and brushing teeth from reputable grocers... many people selling bottled water on streets simply refill the bottles with tap water and reseal with plastic wrap around the cap. i noticed this once when i was there 2 years ago and went back to the vendor soon after i purchased the water and made my complaint known -he refunded my money. if you're a westerner or even a light skinned indian you'll be getting scammed all the time, just make sure it's not with your food or drink bcs this is where it can really hurt you.

To keep the baby's ears from popping and him from crying feed him a bottle at take off and landing. The suction prevents his ears from hurting.

I wouldn't worry, there is a good chance he will sleep through most of the flight. Can you book it at night when he is normally asleep? That would be the best thing. (not easy I know).

good luck