Plane Travel with a Child
ByMy husband and I are gearing up to take our son on his first flight. Eeeeek! I’m so excited! It’s just a short trip to Chicago, but I think we all need to get away–especially during this dull winter. And we are traveling at the ideal time because our son won’t quite be 2, which means he can travel for free.
Many of my friends are pros at taking their kids on planes, but as a novice, I’m a little nervous about it. I’m a little worried about my son’s ears (mine always hurt like crazy during takeoff and landing, so I’m guessing his might too), so I’m going to bring lots of snacks for him to chew on. Hopefully that helps. But I’m also wondering how I can pack easy snacks. I know there is a 3-ounce limit for liquids, so I’m guessing Pudge’s favorite snack–those pureed veggie/fruit smoothies which come in 4.22-ounce pouches–are out. Do most parents just buy their children snacks once inside the terminal? I feel like the selection will be limited and since I have a picky eater on my hands, I’m a little hesitant to rely on the hope that the terminal will have good snacks for him. But, alas, I may have to.
I’m also a little worried that my son won’t nap on the plane. Actually, knowing him, I’m willing to bet my husband’s next paycheck that he won’t. So, when we land, we are likely to have a very cranky toddler on our hands. Maybe he’ll have a rush of adrenaline that will keep him going until bedtime? A mom can dream.
Overall, though, I’m so pumped! Any tips for our first flight with a child in tow?
Hi.
Stopping by from the hops to say hello.
Have a great weekend!
POSH
TSA let us bring the fruit pouches on the plane – and a 9oz bottle of milk! You can get away with pretty much anything provided it’s in a diaper bag. We also packed lots of non-liquid snacks like puffs and goldfish.
As far as plane entertainment, we took a few favorites, as well as a few new things (cheap set of stacking cups, new puzzle, new book, etc). This kept him busy for quite a while. When he started to get really cranky and tired, we ended up just holding him close and tightly (almost like a hugging swaddle) and singing softly in his ear for about 10 minutes, then he was out like a light. We were really worried about his ears, but we just let him snack or have his pacifier during takeoff and landing, and he was fine.
good luck!
Yeah, I second exactly what the previous poster just said! They’re actually quite lenient on things for baby; last time we flew I brought two eight ounce bottles of pumped breast milk and they did a little swab on the outside of the bottle and we were good to go. If I were you, I’d just go ahead and bring exactly what Pudge likes to eat/drink.
Have a wonderful trip!
Yikes!!! Have been reading and enjoying your blog for quite awhile now….not knowing it was wonderful you!!!!! Incredibly great title. LOL!!!! I have one strong comment……INNER EAR ……pain prevention. Sounds like there may be a leniency towards bottles, but I would be prepared both ways. Take off and landing was extremely painful for TA and Whitney….so the more liquid in bottles (water, milk, juice plus water, Pedialyte, Gatorade etc.) the better…..good ole sucking motion really helps balance the inner ear pressure. Ask your pediatrician how they feel about a decongestant (children’s) given around take-off time. The lovely side effect is sleepiness. Gotta know your child as to what might pump him up though! (We used Children’s Dimetap.) Hope you have a fabulous time……and the flight goes well!!!!!!!!! xoxoxoxoxxo
Definitely call the airline and ask. Like others have said, we were allowed to bring a lot, as long as it was in our diaper bag. It’s actually a little scary to think about. Have fun and Good luck! You’ll be fine. I bet he’ll LOVE not being strapped in like he has to be in a car.
Like the other posters, I was allowed to bring full-size snack pouches and sippy cups–just put them in a separate ziploc so you can easily pull it out and put it through the scanner separately if need be. I suggest downloading some toddler-friendly apps (they saved me on several layovers when Sammy was waaaaaay overdue for his nap) and going to the dollar store and loading up on cheap toys that he’s never seen before. That way, you get the novelty factor and they’re cheap, so if they get left behind on the plane, no big deal! I also packed a favorite stuffed animal and blanket for Sammy, which seemed to help him fall asleep but of course, I could totally be reading into things.
Good luck on your flight!
We’ve flown lots of times with O, and my number one piece of advice will be something you probably won’t want to hear — get him a seat, and bring his carseat. It’s much much safer (http://www.faa.gov/passengers/fly_children/crs/), and much easier having a place to confine them for the ride. Plus then you’ll have a seat for him at your destination (most CPST’s consider a checked seat ‘crashed’, FWIW).
Other than that, by 2 O was able to sit for long periods as long as we provided entertainment. On our last flight we brought movies for the ipad, coloring/stickers, and books, and we really only needed the movies (it was about a 2-hour flight).
Good luck!