Tips on 10 hr flight with 2 year old

[alexandra uk]

Has anyone done a long flight with a 2 year old ???
If so, how did you keep your sanity

 

[fa mulan]

My then 2 yo was probably an exception, but....I took her on a trip from California to Hong Kong (I forget - 12 to 18 hours?) and she was great. We were in 1st class and I remember people looking at her like "Uh-oh, a kid in 1st class???" At the end of the flight, one passenger described her as "remarkable." Your child might surprise you!

I brought a backpack of small new toys she hadn't seen before: little building figure sets (play mobil or lego), a couple little dolls, stickers, markers & paper, maybe playdough, books - oh and some lollipops or other treats; also try a travel-sized Magnadoodle (do you have those?). And I brought them out periodically whenever she got antsy. I'm sure we got up to walk the aisles a few times too.

Some people recommended Benadryl (an over-the-counter medication here that makes some kids drowsy), but I was reluctant to do that.

Good luck!

 

[uksaint]

Alex,

We did the trip with an 18 month old, and will shortly do so again with a now 27 month old.

I wish I could tell you there are ways to make it easy, but there probably isn't - although you can make it easier by not worrying about it too much. Suggestions such as small toys, sticker books etc can all help to pass the time - don't bring them all out at once - one every half hour or so should help maintain interest.

We took the car seat and fixed it in the plane. This helped DS to sleep for a couple of hours, but there is an awful lot of activity going on and our two year old will certainly fight sleep for as long as possible.

Definitely bring plenty of snacks and drinks. If you're considering 'drugging' we were advised to use Piriton syrup, but it didn't seem to do much. Tixylix coughs and cold formula seems more effective at instigating drowsiness.

Overall, just take it as it comes - don't get too stressed about others around you - chances are you'll never see them again anyway. Be prepared to walk up and down the aisles an awful lot - the cabin crew are used to this, particularly on Orlando flights.

Also, ensure you make the same preparations for the return flight. It is dangerous to assume that your two year old will sleep most of the return flight because it is overnight. There are just too many interesting distractions.

Have a great time!!
Andy

 

[alexandra uk]

Thankyou both
Ds is a little monster who will fight sleep to the bitter end. I'm planning on taking some Tixylix to give him if he becomes really impossible. I'm also going to try to keep him up as late as possible the night before.
I'm definatly taking the car seat.
Hopefully there will be seat back tvs on the plane with a channel for small kids.

 

[lookingforward]

Hi, I lived in Japan for years and my son was very little at the time so I have traveled plenty with a two year old! First off, request a "childs meal" from the airlines. I assume meals are included since your flight is so long. A child's meal usually includes cookies, a special hot entree, fruit, etc. The car seat is a great idea also because it is a familiar enviornment for your child and much safer. Buy a bunch of little toys, like puzzles, coloring books, "hands on" toys that he or she can manipulate. The newness of the toys and the distractions will definately eat up some time and make the flight go faster. Ask for an open adjacent seat. If you are flying coach they will definately do this for you(if the flight is not full) because most people don't like to sit next to kids! If you are flying first class ask for the back row (it is much quieter and you will be bothered less). Pack favorite snacks and blanket/pillows. Consider renting a dvd player if the plane is not equipped with them. Many major airports rent them now.
As for the drugs, I found a little benedryl helped immensly because it helped keep his stuffiness down and thus reduced his ear pain when taking off and landing. If there is a time change try and adjust his nap times a little bit a day or two before.
Good luck and definately post what works for you. Have a wonderful trip!

 

[Luckymommyx2]

I flew with my (then) 13 month old and 27 month old from Moscow to Philly, stopping at London. We flew British Airways and cannot say enough on how great they were! My 13 mo old slept but my 27 mo old was wide awake the entire time. We did not have car seats at the time so other than take-off and landings they stayed on our laps most of the time. BA has great little kid packs but you'll probably want some familiar back-up plus as mentioned previously BA has great kids shows. One thing you may want to try is wrapping several small toys, stickers and books, a small jar of bubbles, etc and give them to your child every so many hours. Also, on our last trip to Disney we purchased a cassette and headset along with some Disney stories on tape. It helped prepare them to meet their favorite characters. One more thing, be careful about the Benedryl because our peditrican said that it CAN make some children very sleepy but it can also have the opposite effect--something you definitely don't want! I'm sure you will have a great flight because you're already preparing which is the most important part. Have a great vacation and let us know how you make out.

 

[bratray]

hello
check out this web site they have some great info for flying with kids- my DS can be a "monster" at times too (lol)

http://www.parentcenter.com/refcap/fun/travel/6590.html?CP_bid=

lisa

 

[Grand Canyon]

We flew to WDW last year with our then 2 and 5 year old.
Although you've probably thought of it - bring the children something to chew or suck on during take off and landing - it helps the pressure change in their ears. We had triplets (about 2-3 years old) and they didn't prepare for the pressure change and paid for it.
We flew from Arizona to Florida on Southwest and it was packed. They don't have TVs on Southwest - we brought our laptop and a selection of movies we knew would keep their attention.
If you're willing to read a lot I found that helps.
I highly recommend using whatever you plan on giving the child ahead of time to make them drowsy. Both of mine turn into raging tyrants on most cold medicines. I use Tylenol flu and cold - it's the only thing that works for them.
Good luck!

 

[alexandra uk]

Thanks everyone.
I'm writing down all the tips in a little note book

 

[cinmell]

Things that kept our daughter busy on the plane were crayons, stickers, books, travel magna doodle, and small matchbox cars. These things were also helpful while waiting in lines at WDW and at restaurants. If you have a laptop that can play dvd's, I would stongly suggest bringing that with some movies your child enjoys. That may possibly keep them occupied for a couple of hours.

 

[Elk34]

If they are still using a bottle give them that on takeoff and landing to help clear their ears. Now that our girls are older we bring juice boxes with those little straws. This helps too. Also, gummi bears or worms are great for takeoff and landing too because they really have to chew and they get their ears cleared that way too. Not too much sugar in them and most young kids can't really chew gum.

As far as toys we try to find those clingy sticker thing. The kind that just cling to windows but don't have adhesive. They have fun putting those on the plane window and can keep removing them and rearranging etc.

 

[SleepyatDVC]

Originally posted by alexandra uk

Ds is a little monster who will fight sleep to the bitter end. I'm planning on taking some Tixylix to give him if he becomes really impossible. I'm also going to try to keep him up as late as possible the night before.

You know your child best. But I know my kids are cranky if they don't get enough sleep!

An active child on a plane is better than a crying, cranky child, IMHO.

I have one child (DD4) who is an angel when traveling - she would probably sit still the entire flight even if I left the goody bag at home! The other child (DD-21mths) is a Mexican jumping bean! The goodies last about 2 minutes before she's complaining for the NEXT goody in the bags!

Good luck!!!

 

[soccerchick]

We took almost 3 yo DD to Paris last Oct. We did the small presents every so often gig, new books, etc. She did sleep some, but not as much as we'd hoped on the overnight trip to France. What did keep her occupied was the cartoons played on the seatback monitor. I would strongly recommend trying to get a flight on a plane w/ these. Somebody who flies more than I do can probably help you with which planes have that now; I think we flew a 747. She put her earphones on and was an angel. I hate how much tv she watched, but she watched none while we were in Paris, so I guess it evened out(?). We did make her take some breaks from the tv and read and color and do stickers, etc.

Also, bring some non-perishable snacks and sandwiches on the flight. We flew Air France and our daughter was just not used to the types of foods served, even on the kids menu. Luckily I had packed a PB sandwich for her and crackers and whatnot. She only ate the baguette they served on the plane.

Good luck with the flight and have a great trip!

 

[mergie]

Don't know if you have Fruit Loops (cereal) although any circle cereal with a hole in the middle will do, then bring a small baggie with the cereal in it and some string, you can spend a little time making necklaces. Crayons and stickers are great, even a small flashlight keeps them occupied for a while. I usually buy some new coloring books that I take out one at a time. Good luck, and don't worry - usually adults are more annoying on planes then children!

 

[sconstantz]

Test the cold medicines before trying on the plane. I am one of those people that get hyper stimulated on cold medicines. Nyquil keeps wide awake and anxious for hours. And I have noticed that DS acts the same way that I do, so it is not an option for us.

And remember, even if it worked before it may not work this time....

I think the car seat is the best trick. DS always sleeps in his car seat. We will be flying on our next trip and I was trying to figure out if I could still bring his car seat without looking like a dork. ; )

Shelly