best toys infant airplane
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Yami
Any suggestions please?
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I'm a former Flight Attendant and I now fly a lot with my own three children. We usually travel between Europe and California about twice a year.
Seven months is actually a good age to travel. It gets trickier when they can run! You may have him crawling all over the place but for the most part, you'll be able to keep up with him.
I have never used any sort of medications to get my children to sleep on any of those flights. At that age especially, they do nodd off at some point of the journey, more if it's at night.
I also think he's too young for a portable DVD player. I got one when my youngest was 3 years old. They are kind of heavy to cart around and could easily break. How much screen watching does he do? Mine were not very interested, especially with a small screen, at that age.
Bring a few quiet toys but a small selection. Again, short attention spans and he'll be more interested in his new surroundings.
First of all, I really recommend bringing a car seat and using it onboard. Make sure your car seat is approved for use on aircraft. If you're flying on a U.S. company, see the below link for information on if it's approved. Most car seats, including infant buckets, sold in the U.S. are.
http://www.faa.gov/passengers/fly_children/crs/
If you are flying a non-U.S. company, see the information for your airline. If you search with the name of the airline, followed by "children", that will usually give you the right page.
This way, the seat will get to your destination without risking it being damaged or lost in luggage. On my last transatlantic with my kids, three of our four bags didn't make it but since we had the car seat with us, my daughter was safe for the 2 hour drive home (the bags arrived 2 days later). I saw at least two other seats while looking for our luggage. Wonder how they got home?
If you don't have a seat for him, request it at check-in. Ask if the flight is full, and if not, they can "block" the seat next to you, only using it if they really need it. They often do this for families.
Bring the seat to the gate, even if they are unsure that you'll get a seat. This way, if you don't manage it, they will "gate check" your seat, sending it down with the strollers and wheelchairs. This is gentlier than checking it in at the desk.
I also recommend trying to sit at the bulkhead. These are the seats with the wall in front, located in different places depending on the aircraft. Bulkheads are easier with children since no one is leaning in front of you and there's probably room to crawl on the floor.
If you have a travel system, you can use the stroller until you get to the door of the aircraft and then it'll be "gate checked". If not, use a stroller frame for a infant seat. You'll have it again, by the door of the aircraft when you arrive. If you have a convertible car seat (going to 40lbs), there are a number of contraptions you can use to wheel it around. I simply strap mine to a small metal luggage cart and that works great.
If you do have a stroller, bring a bungee cord and double secure it before leaving it at the door of the plane. They can get damaged if they pop open en route. Make sure the claim ticket can be seen and isn't squished or hidden. Be sure to ask when disembarking where the stroller is.
Bring at least 1/3 more diapers than you think you'll need. I saw so many parents run out on flights when I was working! Wrap them in plastic bags and throw a bunch of rubber bands around them to save room in your carry-on.
For a formula fed baby, I really recommend using the bottles with plastic liners. Traditional bottles are too difficult to wash onboard because of the kind of sinks on airplanes. I premeasured the powder and rolled them up, placing the rolls in a ziplock bag. Then you throw the liners away as you use them and only have the ring and nipple to clean.
If you use bottled water, be sure to give yourself enough time to buy some once you're past security. Make sure you have enough! The water on the aircraft is filtered tap so decide if you're comfortable using that for your baby. Bottled water runs out fast on flights and we never had any extra for baby bottles.
Be sure you baby does not need the bottle warmed. Get him used to a room-temperature bottle before leaving. This is unnecessary health-wise and a real pain to do while travelling. I warmed many bottles on my flights but I wasn't there in the check-in line, the security line or the waiting area! Babies do great with room-temperature bottles.
Make sure you have at least one change of clothes. I would bring two. At that age, I simply dressed mine in sleep suits for flying. No one will care so keep him comfortable. Bring extra socks if he crawls so that he doesn't pick up anything nasty on the floor and to keep his hands clean.
Hopefully you have a good baby carrier. They're so useful for flying, especially at this age. I had a sling but other parents swear by their wraps and pouches. The Ergo and Beccos are other popular carriers for travel that go on the back.
I liked the sling because I could slide my babies from into and out of a stroller or car seat without waking them. It also doubled as a blanket, baby changer, breastfeeding cover-up and sunshade! My sling was magic for calming my babies during the flight. Other parents wanted one when they saw how easy it made my travels. Avoid front packs like the Bjorn since they're so bad for both the parents' and child's back. A good carrier should go to at least age 2.
Many flying tips say to make the child suck on something or drink during take-off and landing. This isn't accurate. ENT specialists say to have the child awake about an hour before landing (top of descent, landing or touch-down is too late).
http://www.entcda.com/AAOHNSF/earsandaltitude.htm
I can confirm that is when I saw problems at work. Take your child to the doctor in the last few days before you fly to make sure his ears are clear and infection-free. Heathy ears can handle pressurization changes.
About 8 years ago, I wrote an article on flying with children for an expat newsletter. Over the years many parents have contributed, both on line and in Real Life. I later put it on a blog so that parents had access to non-commercial information from someone with both practical and professional experience on the web.
Feel free to visit;
http://flyingwithchildren.blogspot.com
Have a great trip!
What am I allowed to take on an airplane?
mypinktvto
I have never been and my first trip will be in May and only across the US. What are basic rules everyone knows? I'm going to take one bag so is there a weight limit for it? How big a bag am I allowed for carry on? Am I allowed toothbrush, shaving razor, shampoos? What if I bring a sex toy (will they take it or say anything to me?) Anything else you can think of helps me a lot. I appreciate it. (obviously no weapons lol)
Answer
The main rule is the 3-1-1 rule. All liquids/gels/aerosols in your carry-on have to be in a container no bigger than 3.4 oz and all containers must fit inside a single 1-qt ziploc bag. So shampoo, shaving cream, toothpaste, etc. counts and needs to be in the above-size container. These limits don't apply to your checked luggage and there are some exceptions to this size rule (medications, formula for infants, etc.) The TSA website below explains it in more detail. The razor is ok as long as it is a safety razor with a cartridge (the kind most people use as opposed to a straight razor). The sex toy is fine. The size of your carry-on will depend on the airline, though most airlines say it cannot be larger than 45 linear inches (length + width + depth). You can check your airline's website for their exact baggage policy. The websites below are helpful for deciding what you can/cannot bring and give tips for getting through security.
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