Flying with kids

We’ve taken our two boys on several plane flights in the past 4 years.  I’d like to say that they have all been great, but they haven’t.  In fact, the only “easy” flight we’ve ever had was a 3.5 hour flight from Chicago, IL to Portland, OR with an 18 month old who was running a 102 degree fever.  He slept in my lap pretty much the whole way because he was miserable.

Other flights have not been so great.  There was the time I had to sit in the middle seat next to strangers with a squiggly 13 month old on my lap.  Every minute felt like an hour.

Another time we took the kids to Florida in December and on the way home had a connecting flight through Detroit.  Our first flight was delayed and when we arrived in Detroit with a 2 year old and a 6-week old baby we arrived at the gate only to have the gate agent tell us “Oh, we just closed the door.  Sorry.”.  Seriously??!!  Then we watched for the next 30 minutes as the plane sat at the gate and they wouldn’t let us on.  To cap it all off, we couldn’t get a flight home for 2 days.  So we rented a car and drove 8 hours back to Madison.  Not fun.

Overall, our flight to The Netherlands went well.  Jack did awesome – he played with the new toys we brought for him (see below) and slept as well as I could have expected.  Two keys to the sleeping success were this inflatable travel pillow (Inflatable Footrest Pillow for Kids to Sleep on Long Flights) that filled the foot space between his seat and the seat in front of him and using a blanket to create a tent for him to sleep under.  Not only did he think the tent was cool, but it also kept the lights from shining in his face when they started serving breakfast near the end of the flight.  He also loved looking out the window, so I was really happy we had a window seat.

Ben was a totally different story.  We brought his car seat because with a 6:00 p.m. departure and an 8 hour flight, I figured he’d sleep the majority of the way.  Not.  He fell asleep before the plane even took off, but woke up about 20 minutes later.  That quick nap was apparently enough to recharge him for the next 6 hours.  Yes, 6 hours.  He did not sleep again until 12:00 a.m.  and then only for 45 minutes.  I swear he had more energy than every other person on the plane.  He wanted to crawl in and out of his seat over and over.  Walk up and down the aisle.  Talk loudly, throw his stuffed animal and kick the seat in front of him.  It was annoying and tiring.  He was entertained by the toys we brought, but only in 15 minute increments.  Considering the flight was 8 hours, he did do great because he probably only cried for about 30 minutes of the 8 hours.  After flying with toddlers in the 1-2 year old age range a few times, this age is definitely the hardest.

Considering flying with your kids?  The tips that follow are based on our experiences with two active little boys.  Good luck – and remember, even if your child screams the entire time, the vacation will be worth it, you’ll have a funny story to tell, and you’ll never see the people on the plane again.

Booking your flight:

• Do not assume your child will sleep on the plane. If you’re flying with an infant under 6 months old, consider yourself lucky. They are the easiest since they will likely sleep in your arms or their car seat the majority of the flight. And if they don’t, their cries aren’t that loud, especially in a noisy plane. Flying with a toddler? Good luck. Even the best nappers are usually used to their crib. Sometimes, it’s easiest to book a flight for a time period when your child is normally awake and happy.
• Book the window seat if you’re flying with a lap child. You might think it will be easier to be in the aisle seat because then you can get up if your child gets squirmy. It’s not. When kids see the aisle, it’s like an invitation to run and explore. And since the seat belt sign always seems to be on when they want to do this, it’s best to keep them as far away from the aisle as possible. Most kids also enjoy looking out the window and pushing the window shade up and down a million times. The window seat also has the advantage of providing a cozier place for naps and you don’t have to worry about the drink cart or other passengers bumping in to you as you try to keep your sleeping child out of the aisle.
• Flying alone with one child who will have their own seat? Or flying with 2 parents and 2 small kids? Book the aisle and window seat in two different rows. No one wants to sit in the middle seat, so these are often the last seats to be booked. If no one books this seat, you get extra space to spread out with your child. If someone does book the seat they will have no problem switching to either the aisle or window to accommodate you and your child.
• Don’t book a tight connection. Although your instinct will be to want to minimize travel time and downtime in the airport, give yourself enough time to get everyone to the bathroom, grab a snack and not have to run through the airport.
• If you need special meals for dietary reasons, make sure to request them in advance.
• If you book a flight through one airline but it is operated by another (for example you book through Lufthansa but in small print it says “Operated by United”), call United to get seat assignments after booking to ensure your family is able to sit together.

Before you board:

• Check in with the gate agent and ask if there are any extra seats available.  If there are, you may be able to be placed next to one of them.  This is especially helpful if you are traveling with a lap child.

  

• Several airlines offer to let families with small children board first. I’ve never understood this.  The last place I want to be with small children is in a confined space.  Hang out in the boarding area until the last possible minute.  If you’re traveling with 2 adults and you’re worried about having enough space for your bags on board, send one person on board ahead of time.  Do not do this on Southwest or other airlines that do not have assigned seating.

Ways to keep a toddler (1-2) entertained:

• Snacks. This is at the top of the list for a reason. Bring a ton of snacks.
• Window clings. Another bonus of sitting by the window seat is the ability to use window clings to keep your toddler entertained. These are often sold in the dollar section at Target right when you walk in the door.
• Stickers. Bring a piece of paper and some stickers and have fun.
• Masking tape. Toddlers loving sticky things. Make balls of tape to stick to the tray. Stick little pieces of tape on the seat and pull them off for fun. Stick two toys together and pull them apart.
• Melissa & Doug Water Wow! Reusable Color With Water Pad 3-Pack – Farm, Safari, Under the Sea These are awesome for little kids.  They color with a pen you fill with a little bit of water on special white paper and a colorful picture appears.  As the paper dries, the picture disappears and they can start the activity all over again.
• A 7-day pill box filled with snacks. We put a couple Cheerios or Craisins in each compartment of the pill box and snapped the cover shut. He opened and closed each compartment to retrieve his snack and when he was done, I filled them back up and we started again.
• Books. I especially like Indestructibles. They are lightweight, rip-proof, baby-proof and waterproof and great for tossing in a travel bag.
• A tablet + headphones if your child appreciates screen time.

Ways to keep a 3-5 year old entertained:

• Tablet + headphones.  This is not the time to limit screen time.  If it keeps your kid occupied, go for it.  If it works for your 1 year old, go for it.  We have the LilGadgets Wireless Bluetooth Headphonesfor both our boys.  Pay for the wireless ones – it’s worth it.  Be sure to download movies/shows/games ahead of time when you still have access to wifi.
• Dollar Store toys.  New toys are always more exciting than toys you have at home.  I found some little Paw Patrol figures that were a huge hit.
• Wrap up a present to open every 30 minutes. Take the toys you bought at the Dollar Store and wrap a few like birthday presents.
• Wikki Stix Molding & Sculpting Sticks.  These little sticky sticks are mess-free and awesome.  You can bend them, shape them, stick them to each other and take them apart and do it all again.  They are also great for restaurant entertainment.
• Crayons/markers and coloring book.  Only give your child a few crayons/markers at a time.  You don’t want them to fall on the floor and roll away.
• Matchbox car and painters tape. Make a road on the tray table with the painters tape and drive the car around.
• I-Spy.  We use the airline magazine to play I-Spy.
• Legos.  Bring a Ziplock bag with a few Legos.  He liked playing with Legos the best.

Random notes:

• Bring a change of clothes for you and your kids.  I’ve heard horror stories of kids throwing up all over themselves at the beginning of the flight and entire drinks spilled on Mom’s lap.

  

• They are going to ask you to take out your food to go through security.  This is a new rule – just started in spring 2018.  Pack your food inside ziplock bags in your carry-on so it’s easy to pull out at the TSA checkpoint.
• Planning to travel a lot? Get TSA pre-check. You can bring your kids through with you to save time.  And anytime we can skip long lines with toddlers, it’s a win for everyone.
• Bring a lightweight blanket (like the Aden + Anais Baby Blanket, 100% Cotton Muslin ones – these blankets are perfect for traveling) for the plane.  It can be used as a cover-up if you’re breastfeeding, to keep your child warm, or can be strung between your childs seat and the one in front of them as a mini-canopy to keep the lights from waking up a sleeping child.
• Bringing your car seat on the plane?  This bag (Backpack Travel Car Seat Carrier) is great for carrying it through the airport.  And you can stuff extra stuff in to it and then store the bag in the overhead bin once you board the plane.  Where did you think we put 4 bike helmets?  Even if you’re checking your car seat, this bag really helps with transporting it to/from the car and keeps it clean.