14 replies to this topic

[nhardy]

Any tips for keeping a (very active) 16 month old occupied on a 6 hour plane ride?

We didn't buy the extra seat since she gets to fly free.

P.S. We won't be sedating her with Benadryl or anything.

[Dave Burrell]

depending on how long the flight is - and if you have one....bring a portable dvd player along to watch. other best bet is a bag full of toys....oh and food and drink for her too, the airlines don't offer much for children other then crackers and water. keep in mind, the longer the flight the more antsy she'll get as time goes by.

good luck!

[john]

^ not being in an extra seat will be hard. Be prepared for a long trip. My best recommendation is to hold out on their nap and let them sleep on the plane. Ideally speaking, take a red-eye flight.

We took the twins cross-country and the way over was great b/c the airline let them use the car seat. On the way back, they wouldn't let them use it saying it didn't meet FAA regulations (but a flimsy airline seatbelt is more secure???). Anyways, the way back was more difficult.

[tgianco]

Any tips for keeping a (very active) 16 month old occupied on a 6 hour plane ride?

We didn't buy the extra seat since she gets to fly free.

P.S. We won't be sedating her with Benadryl or anything.

As long as the pilot doesn't start talking to your child about gladiator movies or Turkish prisons, you'll be fine.

[traceyl]

Any tips for keeping a (very active) 16 month old occupied on a 6 hour plane ride?

We didn't buy the extra seat since she gets to fly free.

P.S. We won't be sedating her with Benadryl or anything.

W/out the extra seat it will be tough. Hopefully the flight won't be full and they'll let you move so you have some extra space. The portable DVD player is a good idea. Also, I'd recommend some new toys. Typically something that your child has never played with will keep them occupied a bit longer.... worked for our 2 yr old anyway Oh, and something not terribly noisy for obvious reasons.

Six hours is a long time... we struggled w/ our active 2 yr old and were only going to Orange County. Best of luck

[traceyl]

These might be helpful...

http://www.flyingwithkids.com/

http://www.dadcafe.c...ith-a-child.php

http://www.howtoadvi...ingWithChildren

[tgianco]

If she's really out of control and you receive dirty looks, going w/ the old "Do you know who I am?" routine is always a hit.




Sorry for not having anything really constructive to add. It seems Tracy has some good stuff.

[nhardy]

These might be helpful...

http://www.flyingwithkids.com/

http://www.dadcafe.c...ith-a-child.php

http://www.howtoadvi...ingWithChildren

Awesome! Thanks for all the tips.

[Folsom Daycare Provider]

A portable DVD with Baby Einstein or any favorite Disney movie. We've taken our son on dozens of flights (six hrs. or more) and have never had a bad incident and before he was 2 we never purchased him his own seat. He is now 5 and he's a great travler, with lots of favorite snacks, sippy cups and movies and we have never given him drugs/medication to help.

[bordercolliefan]

One word for you: lollipops.

This is not the time for nutritional heroics. Lollipops keep kids happy for a long time.

When they are a bit older (say 4), I let them chew 1/2 pieces of Dentyne gum. My kids have proven very diligent about chewing it for a few minutes, then spitting it out. Even if they swallowed a tiny piece, no harm done.

Magna Doodles are also good.

[3heningers]

DVD players are great, we use one on the 6 hour drive down south. I dont think we would make it without. Our son always sleeps on the plane. Something about the engine lulls him right to sleep.

Labor day weekend we are flying to Salt Lake City and then driving 7 hours into Wyoming ! I am already stocking up on new toys to keep him busy.

[Cloud9]

Most airlines have instructions on flying with children, etc. there's a part about car seats, make sure you print that out with the airline logo and all.

That way, when you run into a flight attendant that doesn't know squat about kids and starts arguing with you, you can just hand her the airline's regulations.

Descents/landings are painful if they don't have a little something to sip on / drink as they drop in altitude.

[Deb aka Resume Lady]

Descents/landings are painful if they don't have a little something to sip on / drink as they drop in altitude.

Exactly the point I was going to make. Be sure to keep Little One eating or drinking during take-offs and especially landings to keep the jaws moving which helps the ears pop. Hold off on the nap until after take-off and wake the child up before the descent to eat/drink or you may have a horrific earache on your hands.

The idea of new toys is great -- something that will hold the child's interest longer. Also, try a pad of paper and crayons so you toddler can doodle a little bit.

[rlsliger]

We have 2 little ones and have flown many times with them. We’ve never done it without a car seat though! We did what most everyone has said, new toys, crayons, coloring books, children’s gum, plenty of snacks and things to drink.

We kind of approached it like being in a car in telling them that they have to stay in their seat. Trust me, you wouldn't want our 2 year old son wandering the aisles of a plane! My advice would be to see if an additional seat is available!

[nhardy]

So my wife flew out last week and was lucky to get an extra seat. It was a red eye so my daughter slept the whole way. (Success!!!!) Coming back will be a red eye too. So hopefully she'll get an empty seat again.

She ended up taking some "new" toys and books. She's a little young for the lollipops/gum and stuff.

Thanks for the advice