Toddlers are notoriously difficult to fly with. Even if you’ve never flown with your little one before, no doubt you’ve heard all the horror stories about fussing and messes and, of course, as a parent you know these stories are all within the realms of possibility. The good news is that air travel doesn’t have to be unpleasant for your toddler as long as you and they are prepared for the trip. Whether you’re flying to see grandma or taking your little one’s first big family vacation, we’ve got five tips that condense the art of travel-parenting into a few best practices you can plan for.
1) Book Your Seats Carefully
First and foremost, know where you’re going to be sitting. Book with an airline that lets you choose your seats and book early to get the best options. Ideally, you want an entire row to yourself from window to aisle so your toddler can look out the window and go potty without interacting with a stranger. The best seats for a view are in front of or just behind the wings of the plane. You may also be able to order your in-flight meals ahead of time to know what’s coming.
2) Plan for Brain Games
One of the biggest mistakes traveling parents can make is trying to ‘sedate’ their child with electronic media on the trip. While this can work and it doesn’t hurt to bring a tablet full of downloaded movies or games, your toddler may want to talk or play instead. Plus, devices always die at the most inconvenient times.
Instead of relying on the phone, tablet, or in-flight movie, plan for brain games. Bring question cards, coloring books with puzzles, and tidy crafts like pipe-cleaners to make sculptures from. Also prepare to play talking games like eye-spy, would-you-rather, and round-robin story-telling. You might even get other bored passengers interested in the games.
3) Pack Tidy Snacks
Toddler snacks are notoriously messy and flight attendants will not appreciate vacuuming cheerios if you bring them. Think carefully about tidy snacks your toddler can safely enjoy and, of course, wet wipes because there will be a mess. Think cheese sticks, carrot sticks, pre-made sandwiches, and meal bars instead of the usual cereals and applesauce. Snacks are a great way to occupy your toddler and will often serve to settle a pre-tantrum, serve as toys, and distract them from complimentary snacks if you don’t yet trust them with whole peanuts. As for drinks, bring a sippy cup and don’t be shy to ask for extra apple, orange, or tomato juice for the little one.
Bonus tip: If your child has trouble popping their ears with a yawn, a lollipop or the sippy-cup can help.
4) Optimize Your Naptime Gear
No matter how short the flight is, chances are that your toddler will want to take a nap, something airplane seats are notoriously bad for. Fortunately, your toddler is small enough that with the right gear, they can curl up far more comfortably than any adult. The trick? Bring an inflatable footrest. This can extend their seat into a little mattress and keep their little legs from dangling over the edge. It can serve as a platform for play as well.
In addition, bring a familiar scarf or blanket, a comforting stuffed animal, and a few packets of hot chocolate mix. A flight attendant can bring you hot water, usually used for tea or coffee, to create a warm drink for your little one.
5) The Aisle Boogie
The other inevitability is that your toddler will get restless. They will want to get up, jump around, and work out the wiggles. Not being allowed to wiggle is what leads to seat-kicking. Don’t be shy about getting up with your toddler and dancing through the aisles. Walk up and down if you want or just encourage them to boogie down, probably to the amusement of other passengers who would otherwise be bored out of their skulls.
With these five tips, we hope to have covered all the bases of travel-parenting with your toddler. You will be prepared for hungry, bored, sleepy, and wiggly. And for our final tip: Always be extra nice to flight attendants. Introduce them to your child and turn up the charm. This is your best way to get little extras, infinite juice, and understanding smiles when your toddler gets fussy.
