The first time we took Ethan on a plane, he was 8 months old. He cut a tooth mid-11-hour-flight and screamed blue murder for two hours solid… While the seatbelt signs were on and he was strapped to my knee.
I even had another passenger throw some profanities my way… Even though he had a daughter of roughly the same age.
We fly back for a wedding (Perth to Ireland) in a month’s time. And whilst I’m beyond excited about the wedding itself and seeing all our family and friends, I’m really REALLY not looking forward to the 21 hours on a plane with an 18 month old.
Ethan’s tantrum skills only included crying the last time we flew. This time around, he’s throwing some back arching, yelling, shrieking and floor thumping into his bag of tantrum-y tricks.
Whilst 75% of the time, he’s dreamy and adorable and I can’t get enough of cuddling and playing with him… That leaves the remaining 25%. Which is an unspeakable 5.25 plane hours.
I once read that it was a good idea for my husband and I to book separate seats on the plane so that at any one time one of us can be sleeping/watching a film etc. while the other one deals with either our adorable son or hell child, whoever he chooses to be at that moment in time.
But I’m undecided.
Anyone have any experience flying with a toddler? And do you have any advice?
Gone are the days of a relaxing glass of red and a romantic comedy. Sigh.
About Naomi Liddell
Hi! I’m Naomi, I’m a Brand Identity and Web Designer living in Perth, WA. I’m a creative soul that loves nothing more than having my husband on my arm and my baby boy on my hip. When my son sleeps you’ll find me designing up a storm in my office and sending love notes to my clients. I’m an extroverted introvert happy to come out to play with other Mumpreneurs, but I fully recharge on my own with a To Do list or a sketch pad. As a productivity junkie, I see time and money as magic to be manipulated at will.
Good luck! I’m flying with my toddler tomorrow, fortunately it’s a short flight Melbourne to Brisbane. My #1 tip is to ask the air hostesses for help as you’re boarding, even tell them you’re nervous about taking him and you’d love their help. They’re really used to flying with kids and some of them are really helpful (not all of them but usually on a flight there’s someone nice). My other tip is to pack a special brand new backpack with all sorts of toys, books, paper and pencils he’s never seen before, the novelty will wear off eventually in a flight that long but new things will keep him interested while he’s awake and active. Don’t forget the snacks, but go easy on the junk food, you don’t want a vomiting incident on a long haul flight (trust me I’m speaking from experience). I’d sit with your husband, you’ll need a spare pair of hands to grab things out of your bag etc, those squashy seats seem so much smaller when there’s someone on your lap! Good luck & let us know how it goes!
Hi Peace, have a great trip! How is your Travel Chair going? Should still be working for you and Miss gorgeous xx
Hi Cyndy, yes I’m loving my travel chair its so handy for Melbourne cafes where there’s no room for the pram or a highchair!
Excellent advice Peace! Will definitely take the backpack idea on board (haha pun intended). How did your short flight go?
Hi Naomi, I can totally empathise with you and it brought back many memories for me. I had to travel with my young son on planes many times and this is how we developed the Snazzy Baby Travel Chair so you always have a seat for your child wherever you go but importantly you can use it as a lap seat by securing the chair strap around your waist in flight ( not for take off or landing). This means that when you doze off you can be certain your son is secured on you and you will not wake to find him on the floor! That was my greatest nightmare. It also gives your child a sense of security and he will not feel like he is in a strait jacket! You can use the Travel Chair up to 17-20 kilos so should still work well. Not meaning to promote my product but when I read your article I was immediately taken back to when my son was young. Please have a look at http://www.snazzybaby.com.au
Hi Cyndy, thank you so so much for getting in touch! And I don’t mind you recommending your product at all. I love it when people create things that solve problems. The Travel Chair looks amazing!
I think it’s a great idea to book separate seats in different areas of the plane. It no only gives you a break. It also gives the other passengers around you a break as well.