Flying with Kids: Painless Airplane Flight with Toddler?

I wanted to get your advice on what u would have done in my situation on a recent plane flight with my 19 month old. It's a 3 hour flight and the first 2 hours were a breeze. The 2 guys in front of us napped the entire time. Well , the 3rd hour was her bedtime - 7:30 PM is when we landed. And she would not nurse to sleep or nurse at all. She wanted to play with the seat tray in front of her - the guy turned around and gave us an evil stare. It was fasten your seat belt time so I couldn't walk her around. And she did not want to have her seat belt on or sit in my lap - she wanted to climb and get into everything. I didn't know what to do. Thanks.

I'm sorry you had such a hard time. The situation you are describing is the worst of all worlds, where they are tired, won't nurse, can't walk around. They are wound up but you can't let them cry (while you hold them) because of the other passengers. They want to get into everything because they are wound up and stressed out, but the person in front of you does feel the tray table going up and down and the baby's foot kicking the seat. It's a tough situation.

But you ask what I would have done.

1. Let her get her energy and tension out before you get on the plane and at any convenient moments on the plane.

Toddlers need to move, and they don't understand why they have to stay belted in on the plane. Plan to arrive early enough that children get to “run” a bit in the airport hallway after sitting still in the car and before sitting still on the plane. Then, whenever the aisle is relatively clear and you are allowed to move around, get up and let her walk. Before she even asks, so that she won't ask as soon as the "fasten seatbelt" sign goes on.

2. Distract and entertain.
The job of a toddler is to explore her world. If they can't explore by walking around, you can count on them driving the passenger in front of you crazy by exploring the tray table. To give your child something to explore, why not bring a bunch of cheap, interesting objects that will fascinate her?

I spent a lot of time on planes with my little ones. I always wrapped a bunch of presents -- at least 3 or 4 for every flight, and probably 6-8 for a three hour flight. You don't have to use them all, but if the plane sits on the runway, you'll be glad you have them.

Kids love unwrapping them. I don't mean expensive presents, but interesting things. At this age, they'll like office supplies like scotch tape or colorful paper clips to make a chain, or household objects like tiny flashlights or a battery-operated fan or a lock and key or chapstick, or anything with a suction cup. Or a plastic garlic press with some playdoh so she can make "noodles." Or small toys you would want to give them eventually anyway, like a rubber duckie for the bath, or Russian stacking dolls, or colorful trinkets from Ikea, new crayons, duplos, board & especially lift-the-flap books, puppets, a mother and baby stuffed animal, magna doodle, little wind-up toys, stickers, puzzles, magnet toys, crayola stamp pens, etc. I used to buy these things when I ran across them and keep them in a bag in my suitcase so when I went to pack for a trip they were ready to wrap.

These little distractions will be worth their weight in gold. And if you have a portable dvd player for use in a car, why not use it on the airplane, even if you're opposed to regular viewing for little ones (as I am.)

3. Keep her fed and hydrated. Nursing is great, especially on take-off and landing. Bring more snacks and drinks than you'll need. I always also packed treats that my child would not usually get, such as sugar-free lollipops (again, great to suck on take-off and landing.)

4. Calm your baby.
Since you know that it's a stressful situation and your child is over-tired, you can try various methods to help her unwind and sleep.

Connect. Her connection with you is what will help your child feel safe and relax.
EFT- This is short for Emotional Freedom Technique, which is a simple technique of tapping your baby's acupressure points. Click here for an article on How to use EFT with children:
Rescue remedy, homeopathic remedies for calming, or Bach flower essence.
Sing to her, snuggle, read to her.

5. Calm yourself.
Staying calm yourself is the most important thing. I rely heavily on EFT and breathing to calm myself, and Rescue Remedy does work. And of course there's nothing wrong with having a glass of wine so you can relax and stay calmer with your baby and even mile sweetly at the guy in front of you when he gives you the evil eye!

The truth is, it is hard for little ones to be on a plane. No easy way around it. But most people are actually sympathetic. And the calmer we stay, the calmer our kids stay.