Friday, May 31, 2013

How do I occupy a 14 month old boy on his first airplane flight?

Q. My 14 month old grandson will be flying for about 3 hours at a time. (roundtrip). I would like to put together a fun pak for him to have on the plane to help with fussiness. He will not have his own seat, so he will be on a parents lap. What kind of things would work best for this situation?
Thanks

A. Definately make sure that you have a bottle or dummy for your grandson for take off and landing as the sudden increase and decrease of altitude and cabin pressure is quite harsh on their little ears.

Perhaps pop together a little gift pack.. sticker books, crayons, paper, toys, snacks ect ect. And reward him every so often, if he start to get restless, let him know that he has been a good boy and if he keeps being a good boy then he may get another present.

This way you are keeping him entertained with one thing at a time, he wont get bored of everything so quickly if he is given each item separetly, it also encourages good behaviour.
Perhaps wrap the treats, so its more exciting for him to open!

Also, when you check in for your flight, with a smile kindly ask the ground staff if there is any possibility of being placed in a row of seats where there maybe a spare seat. Unless the flight is full, this should not be a problem. Even though you have not purchased a seat for the infant, as long as he is on the lap of a parent for take off and landing there is no reason as to why he cant be in a spare seat through out the flight!

One last thing, many airlines have inflight entertainment devices that can be hired for the flight, these generally have cartoons for children on them and movies for all ages - just incase he gets sick of it!!

Hope this helps a little!!

Happy and Safe flying!


what's the easiest way to fly with an infant and a toddler?
Q. The toddler will have his own seat, but I will be holding the baby. My questions are, should the toddler fly in his carseat, and if should we be taking a stroller to the gate (I have a double jogger).
Anyone who has gone through this, please give advice! This is not a vacation, it is for a cross country move so both carseats will need to go on the plane in some way.

A. Definitely strap the toddler into his seat and buckle him in. Don't get him out for any reason. Treat it like a car trip. Take a stroller to the gate, but I'd recommend just using a single stroller because they're easier to fold and deal with and get a sling or Bjorn for your infant. It'll be easier for everyone involved! Make sure to have new toys in a backpack for him. Think: a new box of crayons, coloring book and paper, play doh, little plastic animals and cars. One thing my grandmother did for me in a similar situation was to wrap little junky toys like the ones mentioned above and at certain time intervals I was allowed to open a new one. It made the trip go faster (according to my parents) and I only got them if I was behaving myself. Good luck!


should I be worried about flying 18 hours with a 9 month old?
Q. I'm going home to visit family and I won't have anyone else to help me. I've never taken him on a plane but I'm scared that he'll cry the whole way and I'll feel really bad for annoying others. Does breastfeeding work well for taking off/landing? I'm open to any suggestions!
I couldn't even afford my economy class ticket let alone business, my family paid for it so they can meet the baby. My husband has to stay home too.

A. For a trip that long, I would highly recommend paying the extra price and getting your baby his own seat in her carseat. That way you don't have to hold him the whole time. You CAN fly "infant in arms" and not pay for him to fly but would it be worth it? Just my two cents.....

Yes, breastfeeding or a pacifier helps with the differences of cabin pressure during take off and landing, just like chewing gum. Bring little toys and books to keep her from getting too bored. Bring a lot of healthy snack foods and pick her up and walk around occasionally. Try traveling mainly at night, may be your baby will sleep more.

Also, if your baby cries a lot, the seasoned travelers are used to it, and besides you won't see any one else on the plane again so don't feel bad. And a bad day or so of crying and the annoyance of the trip won't have any negative affect on a normally happy baby.





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