Traveling by Air 1St Time with Two Kids

I'd bring the 2 year old's carseat along. She needs her own seat anyway, so for convenience as much as safety, you'll be happy to have her belted into a familiar seat. Plus, you'll need the seat when you get where you're going anyway, so may as well.

Nurse the baby on take off and landing (or give a bottle if that's your preference) and bring a straw cut for the 2 year old to help their ears stay clear.

Get to the airport plenty early and plan to have your meal (depending on the time) there that way you don't have to deal with security stress plus parenting in a crowded place at the same time.

Check your bags. Getting two little ones and their stuff through the airport is enough. Let the airline deal with your luggage.

Pack your carry on with a few NEW toys your 2 year old hasn't seen before. (I Spy cards, maze book and calculator have been big hits for my son).

That's all I can think of for now. Good luck.

Activities, Activities, Activities, and snacks :) I fly for free since I work for the airlines and our kids have flown a few times (now 6 and 3). The one time I recall when my daughter was around your youngest age...on the return I did give her a tad of benedryl and let's just say the person in front of me said as we were deplaning..."I forgot there was a baby behind me." On the way, she did really well w/ toys and snacks. Hope this helps and I understand if you wouldn't want to administer Benedryl to a child not sick, but I'm not ashamed to admit.

I'm a single mother with four children. We always traveled back to my hometown every summer by plane. For the 2 1/2 year old I would pack a special travel bag with all new items that he/she doesn't see until you get on the plane. Items that can be played with on the small table of the plane. (You could probably find a bag full at the dollar store.) Also lots of little things to snack on--a variety! For the younger one, similar idea with little snacks and new toy items. A small DVD player is nice too. Good luck!

You can see my old questions in my profile. I asked a similar question a month ago. I've traveled once with my then 1 yr old boy. And now I'm going to be traveling next week with my soontobe 2 yr old boy, both times traveling by myself. Here are my suggestions:

8 month old:
- extra diapers (change it before boarding, not anywhere to change them on the airplane).
- try to feed the baby on take-off. My 1 yr old slept the whole 3 hour flight in my arms.
- pack fun books/toys. Small dvd player worked great for the few minutes I needed it to entertain my son. I put the headphones around his neck so he could hear the video.
- plenty of favorite snacks
- you can bring a 'reasonable amount' of liquids for the 8 month old. See the tsa website here: http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/children/index.shtm

2 yr old:
- show him/her the video from tsa website so he won't be scared
- pack a few balloons for him/her to play with at the airport while waiting
- dvd player!

General pointers:
- gate checkyour stroller
- don't forget birth certificates
- yes a backpack is so much better than a purse plus a diaper bag plus a carry on ..... I carried one with 5 zippers. I put colored ribbons on them so I could remember "the snacks are in the red zipper, my money and IDs are in the green zipper . . . "
- go to the bathroom yourself before you board. If the 8 month old falls asleep on you, you won't want to get up to pee while on the airplane.

Can't think of others right now. You have great suggestions already. Do a search at the top of the page and there are probably plenty more questions just like yours.

When my son was 1 and it was his first time flying, I chose an evening flight close to his bedtime and he slept the entire 3 hr flight! It was wonderful If your 2 yr old is fidgety in cramped spaces, music keeps my 3yr old mellow and calms him....hope this helps...

Finger puppets were a big hit when I traveled with my then 2 year old. You can get really cute ones at Ikea or from Oriental Trading Company (though at OTC, they come in sets of a dozen or more!). Those Gerber freeze dried snacks and puffs made good snacks that weren't to messy (because you can brush the crumbs), and definitely take a favorite book or toy along with whatever new delights you choose. Your toddler will probably have to remover his/her shoes through security, just as a heads up, and don't forget you can check the stroller at the gate right before you board. I also highly recommend a backpack for your stuff; and don't forget a change of clothes for each kid and at least a fresh shirt for yourself. On a short trip, my daughter had an explosive diaper incident and I had nothing to change into. Bleh! Best wishes!

If you are breast feeding try to nurse the 8 month old on take-off and landing. For a short flight, you shouldn't have problems, but have some paper and crayons or books for the two year old. Have fun!

Get the 8 month old his own seat. although he can fly "free" your arms will get so tired! Also - bring lots of extra clothes on board both for you and the kids (and dad too!). Lastly, if you have a car seat frame, bring the 8 month olds car seat and frame to the gate then you can check the frame at the gate. it will make carrying all his stuff much easier. Oh yeah, very, very last thing: make sure you have both kids birth certificates. TSA/ FAA will not let them travel without their birth certificates. Most of all, have fun and remember that this is exciting for them so relax!

All good responses so far and prepare the kids AHEAD of time. Talk about space and being considerate of OTHER PEOPLE"S SPACE. Once on board the plane and the people in the seats in front of you and behind you are seated, talk about space to the kids. I stand up and put my hand on the chair in front of the kids and say, "Who's space is this? This is this person's space (and I point to the person sitting in it). If you kick it or push on it, they can feel it and it may make them angry at YOU. It is NOT your space, so do not touch it." Next I show them how the tray works. And go on to explain that although the tray is in their space, it's attached to the person sitting in front of them's space and they are NOT to bang it shut or move it allot. Then we talk about the back of their own chair and how it's attached to the person sitting behind them's space, and how it's best when they are calm and don't keep pushing on the back of their chair. Next we talk about the air space and how it's EVERYBODY's on the plane's space and if they talk too loud or cry EVERYONE on the plane is effected. I ask the people in front/back to PLEASE let the kids know if they're moving or kicking their space so that the children will understand that what they do is annoying (when/if they do say something, have the opposite do it to the child so they'll know what it feels like!). I've had people clap at the end of my speech and some even ask the attendants to repeat it for the entire plane!! I've also had the attendants take special care and invite my kids to the cockpit because of the attention and care I took for the comfort of those around us. I've also asked the people in front of the kids if I could buy them a drink!!!! No one's ever taken me up on the offer, but it's been appreciated.

Pack a "special backpack" for your 2 year old. Fill it with tiny suprises of different things. A couple of books that you can read together. Some small toys. A coloring book and crayons. A small snack. ONLY take them out one at a time. When your kids are bored with it, then pull out something fun and new! don't let them see inside... make it a big suprise each time as you pull out something new and different to do. And of course, if you have a small ipod video, or small portable dvd player... those are wonderful! Do not forget the headphones!

Be prepared to have you and your husband switch seats. Little ones have a short attention span, and sometimes just changing seats can be fun for them. Each time, show them how to buckle up, show them their new seat number, the air conditioning control, light, etc. It really kills a lot of time!

Ear popping is painful at both of those ages. Make sure you have gum, or something for them to chew or suck on during take-off. Have the baby suck a bottle, or a sippy cup. The toddler can chew on taffy or chewy starburst. My mom said that she used to give us benadryl before we flew. My sis and I had bad allergies anyway, and it helped us to sleep throught the flight! :)

Good luck!

Take as little as possible on the plane. I have just travelled with 4 boys on my own from Austria to New Zealand. My boys were 1,2,10 and 12. The two hour flight you are taking with be nothing. By the time you get in the air have a snack and have a short time to fill you will be landing again. Check with the airline prior to what they provide children. A book or small colouring pad or game is great but I have found I have taken lots on some flights and they never touch anything.
Good luck and enjoy the journey.

Yes! Pack snacks and toys in ziplock bags to take out one per hour to entertain them with something new. If your baby bottle feeds, feed a bottle while the plane takes off to help with the ears.

Make friends with the people around you before your kids start to cry. Extra hands make it easier. Don't sweat it so much if your kids cry, most people around you have been there before and have empathy for you.

Best of luck!

We flew w/our almost 2 yr old last summer and having her own seat was great. I purchased a strap that utilized the LATCH system on her seat to strap it to the rolling luggage, making her carseat & the luggage a "stroller". It made going through the parking lot & airport much easier. Also, she was in a familiar space once on the plane. Search amazon.com & you should be able to find one. I think it was about $20. You might look at toysrus, too. Happy flying!