This post has appeared on Yahoo! Voices and Pursuit of Functional Home blog a couple weeks ago. I’m now sharing it here with you ladies (and guys!) 🙂
We have been on 8 flights in the past 18 months since Lauren came into our life. Most flights went pretty well, but there were times when it got very, very challenging. The worse was when neither Nick nor I got any sleep over an 8 hour overnight flight. Nevertheless, fear not. We have since learnt our lessons and got a few tips up our sleeves.
Here is a list of my top 10 tips for parents traveling with babies and toddlers.
1. Book (well) in advance
For flights during peak holiday seasons, make sure to book well in advance. Call/email the airlines to confirm your baby basinet seat reservation. Otherwise, you will have to hold your child in lap throughout the journey.
For flights during peak holiday seasons, make sure to book well in advance. Call/email the airlines to confirm your baby basinet seat reservation. Otherwise, you will have to hold your child in lap throughout the journey.
2. Choose your flight according to your baby’s routine
For short distance flight, choose a flight after meal and nap time. Make sure your baby is well fed and well rested. If your baby falls asleep easily, choose a flight that departs half an hour before nap time, so your baby will sleep on the plane.
Some parents swear by night flight for long distance, because your baby may sleep through most of the flight. From my personal experience, it was a disaster. My then 14 months old Lauren stayed awake most of the flight and wanted to play! But please don’t let my experience deter you.
For short distance flight, choose a flight after meal and nap time. Make sure your baby is well fed and well rested. If your baby falls asleep easily, choose a flight that departs half an hour before nap time, so your baby will sleep on the plane.
Some parents swear by night flight for long distance, because your baby may sleep through most of the flight. From my personal experience, it was a disaster. My then 14 months old Lauren stayed awake most of the flight and wanted to play! But please don’t let my experience deter you.
3. Priority boarding?
Decide at the gate whether you want to pre-board. Getting on early gives you extra time to get settled, but it also means your child has to sit for much longer. Your child might get restless by take off. A better idea is to have your partner/husband get on the plane with the bags while you let your toddler run around until the final call.
4. Choose an aisle seat
You will have to get up more often when traveling with a young child. Having a seat at the aisle will give you more freedom to move without having to climb on top of other or needing to wake people up.
5. Taking off & landing
To help your baby to equalize the ear pressure during take off and landing, you can either nurse your baby, give him water to drink or make them eat something small. Swallowing helps to relieve the pressure in young child.
To help your baby to equalize the ear pressure during take off and landing, you can either nurse your baby, give him water to drink or make them eat something small. Swallowing helps to relieve the pressure in young child.
6. Buy an extra ticket or take a baby carrier with you
Short distance: Consider taking your baby carrier on flight, this way your hands are free to carry hand luggage, fill out immigration forms or any other thing you may have to do. It is more comfortable for both yourself and baby than having him/her wriggling on your lap.
Long distance: Consider bringing your child’s car seat. This means you’ll probably have to buy an extra ticket, but holding your toddler for the entire flight can be a drag. It’s also unsafe. Plus, the car seat is familiar to her, and she’s already used to traveling and napping in it.
Short distance: Consider taking your baby carrier on flight, this way your hands are free to carry hand luggage, fill out immigration forms or any other thing you may have to do. It is more comfortable for both yourself and baby than having him/her wriggling on your lap.
Long distance: Consider bringing your child’s car seat. This means you’ll probably have to buy an extra ticket, but holding your toddler for the entire flight can be a drag. It’s also unsafe. Plus, the car seat is familiar to her, and she’s already used to traveling and napping in it.
7. Pack it up
Make sure your diaper bag has extra clothes (in case of spillage), jackets/cardigan (temperature in cabin can be chilly), diapers, wipes, food, milk, pacifiers, toys, and blankets. Be sure to also pack something your baby loves. Sitting in a plane can be really boring and feel too unfamiliar for your baby, pack something that will get his immediate attention and familiar to him. It could be his favorite toy, book, teddy bear, food or whatever you baby loves.
8. Stay calm at all times
If your baby throws a fit, the worst thing you can do is freak out. When you start panicking, your baby picks up on your tension and can get even more upset. Do what you do at home to soothe a tantrum: Walk around, hum her favorite lullaby, or distract her with a toy. And while it’s only polite to try to keep your child from disrupting the flight, don’t worry too much about what other people think. Apologize, but remember you’ll most likely never see your fellow passengers again.
9. Ask for help
If you are traveling alone with your baby, don’t be shy and ask the flight assistant to help you hold your baby , distract the baby or serve you food first. Whatever you need or feel that could help you and your baby to have a more comfortable flight, just ask for it! Most air hostesses are very nice and helpful.
10. Be mentally prepared
That means always expect the unexpected. This one should not be too much of a stretch, as after all we are parents. Accept the fact that things go wrong, baby gets sick, flight gets delayed, etc. Think of it all as an adventure. This way you are less likely to get frustrated and more likely to laugh things off and have a good time flying with your baby.
Do you have other tips to share? Do share in comments below or connect with me via Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram.
Make sure your diaper bag has extra clothes (in case of spillage), jackets/cardigan (temperature in cabin can be chilly), diapers, wipes, food, milk, pacifiers, toys, and blankets. Be sure to also pack something your baby loves. Sitting in a plane can be really boring and feel too unfamiliar for your baby, pack something that will get his immediate attention and familiar to him. It could be his favorite toy, book, teddy bear, food or whatever you baby loves.
8. Stay calm at all times
If your baby throws a fit, the worst thing you can do is freak out. When you start panicking, your baby picks up on your tension and can get even more upset. Do what you do at home to soothe a tantrum: Walk around, hum her favorite lullaby, or distract her with a toy. And while it’s only polite to try to keep your child from disrupting the flight, don’t worry too much about what other people think. Apologize, but remember you’ll most likely never see your fellow passengers again.
9. Ask for help
If you are traveling alone with your baby, don’t be shy and ask the flight assistant to help you hold your baby , distract the baby or serve you food first. Whatever you need or feel that could help you and your baby to have a more comfortable flight, just ask for it! Most air hostesses are very nice and helpful.
10. Be mentally prepared
That means always expect the unexpected. This one should not be too much of a stretch, as after all we are parents. Accept the fact that things go wrong, baby gets sick, flight gets delayed, etc. Think of it all as an adventure. This way you are less likely to get frustrated and more likely to laugh things off and have a good time flying with your baby.
Do you have other tips to share? Do share in comments below or connect with me via Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram.
Your tips are great! It brought back memories of a 9 hour flight from the UK to Jamaica with my 14 month son on my lap with one of those awful lapbelts. I couldn't put the tray down in front of me so couldn't eat or drink easily. My hubbie was sat behind and kept posting food into my mouth! He was really good considering but that was a loooong flight, but I would have paid any amount of money to have a seat for him with his car seat. We did take turns (hubbie & me) having him on our laps a bit, but we had our 2 other young children as well and once he was asleep we didn't want to wake/disturb him.
He is 15 now so it was a while ago, but I still remember like it was yesterday! My advice is pay the money to have their own seat.
Also I would say it gets easier, travelling with teenagers is MUCH easier!
Your tips are great! It brought back memories of a 9 hour flight from the UK to Jamaica with my 14 month son on my lap with one of those awful lapbelts. I couldn't put the tray down in front of me so couldn't eat or drink easily. My hubbie was sat behind and kept posting food into my mouth! He was really good considering but that was a loooong flight, but I would have paid any amount of money to have a seat for him with his car seat. We did take turns (hubbie & me) having him on our laps a bit, but we had our 2 other young children as well and once he was asleep we didn't want to wake/disturb him.
He is 15 now so it was a while ago, but I still remember like it was yesterday! My advice is pay the money to have their own seat.
Also I would say it gets easier, travelling with teenagers is MUCH easier!
These are a lot of great tips for people traveling with small children. Stopping by from the bloggers brag Pinterest party. Chrystal @ YUMeating.com
These are a lot of great tips for people traveling with small children. Stopping by from the bloggers brag Pinterest party. Chrystal @ YUMeating.com
Great tips. Glad I found your post through the Do Tell Tuesday Link party.
Great tips. Glad I found your post through the Do Tell Tuesday Link party.
We are going on a trip soon. Although my boys are much older now, some of the tips are still useful for small kiddos.
I think you pretty much covered it all! Although I would like to add that it is always better to be flying a full-fledged airline as compared to a budget one, even for short haul flights.
We flew to Melbourne on a red-eye flight, thinking that Dylan would sleep through, he ended up sleeping at 3AM, my goodness! Ever since then, I try to limit my flight time to a maximum of 5 hours until they are older.
Definitely useful tips that will come in handy when we head to the AU this may! I particularly liked tip 8 cause i am always afraid of disturbing other passengers or what they will think.
Wonderful tips! I did long-haul to USA with my girl when she was 1.5 years and 3 years. Once, all alone, haha! I agree with you especially with tip #2. It helps when the kiddo sleeps and eat in flight when they normally do (daily) on ground 🙂
Some great tips you have here! I hope I won't have to travel with my baby in his early months. I can't stay clam if he cries badly and attract some obnoxious stares from other passengers. Will be so embarrassing.
Great tips! My kids are a bit older now but still I have to be fully prepared while Travelling.
Great tips Michelle! The tips are useful even if the children are tods!
Great tips! I must say we had that same disastrous experience with night flights cos the baby couldn't sleep and kept fussing about due to unfamiliar sleeping routines! The car seat suggestion is great. Making a mental note to remember this the next time we fly.
Mary (Simply Lambchops blog)
Hell YEH to this!! I wish I saw this post before my first flight with my kid! Now I'm seasoned already and all these tips are great!