Air Travel with Toddlers

Published in The Packet

I just flew back from England, and boy, are my arms tired! Okay, bad joke. Still, my arms are tired from wrangling my toddler on the plane for six hours.

I’ve flown alone with my daughter over the past year and a half at least sixteen times. The older she gets, the more challenging it becomes, but I’ve picked up some tips for traveling with a toddler that I thought I’d share in case you happen to find yourself in that unenviable situation.

First off, don’t try to plan your fight schedule around nap time. It’s not worth the extra effort, because inevitably the flight will be delayed, or your child will get sleepy in the airport and wake up just in time for the flight.

Be selective about the things you bring to entertain your child on the plane, and relax some of your parenting rules. I make an effort to limit screen time in our house, but when I travel, my I-Pad is stocked with movies and television shows from I-Tunes. If she spends every hour of the trip with her eyes glued to the screen, I consider it nothing short of a miracle.

I also try to keep my daughter from eating a lot of processed food at home, but when we fly it’s a junk-food paradise in my purse. I try to avoid things that are messy or sticky, but a can of cheese puffs and a bag of M&Ms do wonders to keep a kid quiet. I’ve also heard that candy necklaces and bracelets are great for plane travel because it takes forever to bite the candies off, and kids feel like they got a little present. I take advantage of the fact that you can bring extra water when traveling with a baby, and bring extra bottles for her and myself. I avoid bringing sippy cups with straws, because the pressure on the plane causes them to spit water everywhere.

I’ve learned that matchbox cars and packs of crayons are a disaster on a plane because once they fall off the seat they are gone forever. Stickers are your best friends. Colored round office stickers and puffy cat stickers from The Dollar Store are endlessly amusing for a toddler, and they don’t weigh down your bag or roll away.

If you are lucky to have a little girl and the weather is warm, have them wear sandals and a dress to minimize the amount of clothes removed during a diaper change. If you are traveling with a toddler boy, try a onesie.

 I always change my baby midway through the flight. It gives you a chance to stretch your legs, it gives the baby something new to look at, and it gives those sitting around you a small break from your be-stickered little darling. Plus, you feel like a superhero when you’ve managed to get the diaper changed in that tiny closet of a bathroom. Bring plastic bags to put soiled or wet clothes in, and to put diapers in before throwing them away.

Odds are, your toddler will get frustrated at being stuck on your lap for hours on end and will let everyone on the plane know it. There is nothing you can really do, except hope that those around you have been in a similar situation before and can sympathize. Karma will take care of those folks who show you their irritation- usually single, childless passengers who will one day have a kid who is just as charming on airplanes as your kid is. Remind yourself that the flight won’t last forever. I’ve become very good at disassociating myself from my baby’s wailing. It takes some practice, but eventually you’ll find yourself acting like the crying you hear is coming from some other child. I’ve also heard of parents buying packs of earplugs for those around them, and passing them out at the beginning of the flight.

We’re flying again in September. If you have any additional ideas for surviving air travel with a toddler, please send them my way.

Bon voyage!