Traveling by plane with 2year old need tips

Replies:

• 
• by
  • Eclipsepearl
  on Oct. 31, 2009 at 5:06 AM

• Hi, 

  I'm a former Flight Attendant and I fly between Europe and California about twice a year, plus other flights. 

  Two is kind of a tricky age to travel. Even the calmest toddler likes to roam and flying involves being seated at certain times. They hate to be restrained! If your toddler communicates well, you may want to talk to him about this, and also the security. 

  Check out the TSA's videos;

  http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/children/index.shtm#tips
  

  Here are my non-commerical flying tips;

  http://flyingwithchildren.blogspot.com

  Since your child has a seat, if you need your car seat at your destination, I recommend bringing it on board and using it. Airplane seat belts were not designed for 2 year olds and children are calmer and more comfortable in their familiar seats. 

  If you don't need a car seat at your destination, you can look into the CARES harness;

  http://www.kidsflysafe.com/

  You can rent them too on Ebay or Craigslist if you don't want to buy one. 

  Never use a car seat from a rental car agency. Also, never check a car seat in as luggage. They are too easily lost and/or broken in transit.

  I actually used to either leave the stroller at home (borrowing one at my destination) and then strapped the car seat to a luggage cart. I used an extra bungee and my child could ride in this, or it carried the carry-on bags. This worked much better than trying to drag both a car seat and stroller around.

  I recommend using a large backpack instead of a diaper bag to keep your hands free. The little one might want a small backpack of his own things. Please avoid bringing a "roller board" suitcase on board (airline staff hate those!) I really recommend checking as much stuff as possible, even if you have to pay. Dragging extra junk on board to save the check-in fee may not be worth it!

  Buy at least one new toy to surprise your little guy once on board. More if it's a long flight. Pull it out just as he's supposed to be seated before take-off. Otherwise, I recommend simple toys; coloring things, play dough, pipecleaners, stickers, etc. If you can download a few movies on some small device, go for that. Mine weren't big screen-watchers at that age so I never bothered, even on our 11 1/2 hour flights. Be aware that they can keep them up (if he needs to sleep on a long flight).

  Don't forget an empty sippy cup to use on board!

  If you have further questions, don't hesitate to contact me. My contact info is at the end of the article.  

• 
• by
  • Mommie519
  on Oct. 31, 2009 at 8:26 AM

• Thanks that sounds like a lot of great info.  I am flying from Georgia to Washington and the flight is like 4 hours.

• 
• by
  • TheTravelMama
  on Oct. 31, 2009 at 11:55 PM

• I agree with the previous post about the CARES restraint - I use one for both of my kids & LOVE it! However, I don't think there's anything wong with renting a car seat from a car rental company or baby gear rental company - I'veused both with great results! In fact, I am giving away a free CARES restraint on my website, www.TravelMamas.com next week. I hope you'll enter to win!

  Here are my tips for travel with babies & toddlers:

  • Consider booking a seat for babies under age two, for safety’s sake. See FAA recommendations for child safety on airplanes or read Why You Should Never Fly with a Child on Your Lap by Bill McGee, USA Today.

  • If you decide to fly with a lap child, bring the car seat or restraint along anyway. Then sweetly ask the airline attendant at check-in if they can reserve an empty seat for your child.

  • Do away with lugging around that heavy toddler seat by purchasing an FAA-approved CARES harness restraint by Kids Fly Safe, for kids 22 – 44 pounds. If you need a car seat at your destination, you can rent one from your car rental company or a baby gear rental company.

  • You can gate check strollers and car seats. Just tell the airline attendant at the gate that you need a gate check tag. You attach the tag to your stroller or car seat and leave them at the end of the gangway before entering the plane. These items will be waiting for you where you left them when you depart the plane.

  • Pre-board if possible so you can have time to get settled in.

  • If needed, don't be afraid to ask the flight attendant or fellow passengers for help securing the car seat.

  • Be prepared for delays. Pack twice as many bottles, diapers, wipes, food and formula as you think you need.

  • Book a non-stop flight or one with as few connections as possible. If you do need to book a flight with a layover, choose one with a long-ish stop to avoid running through the airport with your child (and paraphernelia). This also gives little ones a chance to get the wiggles out.

  • Keep your baby buckled in as long as possible as a safety precaution and to avoid doing the non-stop aisle walk.

  • Protect your baby’s bottom and keep your clothes dry by loading up the baby's bottom with tons of diaper cream and doubled-up diapers.

  • Dress the baby and you in layers to prepare for variations in temperature onboard and off.

  • Give your child something to suck or eat while taking off and landing to decrease pressure in tender ears. But do not wake a sleeping baby!

  • Pack sealable bags for poopy diaper disposal (air sickness bags do the trick too).

  • See Travel Mamas Airplane Carry-On Kit for additional tips for what to bring onboard to keep the baby happy and you sane!

  (Copyright Travel Mamas)

   

  Colleen Lanin
  The Travel Mama
  www.TravelMamas.com

• 
• by
  • Eclipsepearl
  on Nov. 2, 2009 at 3:06 AM

• I don't think there's anything wong with renting a car seat from a car rental company or baby gear rental company - I'veused both with great results! 

  Well I did rent from a company once and I didn't have such great results! 

  Please don't give this out as advice, even if you do it with your own kids. It could put a child's life in danger. Many rental car company seats are in really poor condition, missing parts, no owner's manual, etc. 

  Also, in the small print, they're absolved of any obligation to even provide the seat so there could be bad news at the counter. Maybe the previous renters kept it another day or whatever. Then what do the parents do??

  The company showed up with a dilapidated infant bucket that was way too small for my son. Never again! 

  Please read this article;

  http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2008/02/rental_seats.html

  I will say that a baby gear company is probably better than the rental agency but will they bring the seat to the airport so you can use it right away? I hope they do provide that service! 

  Also cost. They often charge $10 a day. A Cosco Scenera is around $40-50 so in 4 or 5 days, you could have bought a brand new seat! 

  It's great that you promote the CARES harness but I want to emphasize to the OP that bringing a car seat on a flight is NO BIG DEAL. I manage it alone on 11 1/2 hour flights with three children, she should just be fine with just one on a much shorter flight. Don't make it sound like it's a huge burden because it's not! 

  And no, babies don't need to suck on take-off and landing. That's a myth. Remember I was a Flight Attendant for 13 years, not just a mom who has flown twice yearly transatlantics, plus other flights (Morocco, Israel, England, Ireland, Spain, Italy, etc.) with my kids. If you say not to wake a baby, it's for a reason...they don't need to do it! The AAP recommends simply that the baby be awake at the TOP of descent. Landing is too late. Please read this article too;

  http://www.aap.org/patiented/flyingbaby.htm

  P.S. Hope the CARES harness people are paying you, you're such good advertising for them. But please keep your advice to tips that don't jeopardize the safety of other people's children!

• 
• by
  • TheTravelMama
  on Nov. 3, 2009 at 4:24 PM

• I am not being paid by CARES to promote their product. I promote CARES because I wholeheartedly believe in the product. I purchased two for both of my children and use them whenever we fly. CARES makes flying safe for children and makes navigating the airport easier for parents. Getting through airport security lugging two 30-lb car seats, managing two young children, and carrying all other carry-on gear would be an absolute nightmare, particularly if traveling alone. I am not alone in believing in the CARES restraint.

  Here are posts from just a few bloggers who endorse the product, not because we are paid, but because we believe in child air safety:

  http://thevacationgals.com/cares-airplane-child-harness/ (former flight attendant)

  http://www.gadling.com/2008/10/13/galley-gossip-best-invention-for-kids-on-the-airplane-cares/ (current flight attendant)

  http://www.passporter.com/articles/passporter-travel-gear-review-cares.asp (author of PassPorter series of guidebooks on Disney vacations)

  http://www.kidsflysafe.com/blogosphere/blogs (several blog posts by various CARES believers)

  Here is my blog post on an interview I conducted with the inventor of CARES, a grandmother who is passionate about child safety who also was the CFO of the Department of Transportation for the Clinton Administration. http://www.travelmamas.com/wordpress/?p=586

  Right now you can win a free CARES from Travel Mamas! Visit the last link above to find out 2 easy ways to enter.

   

   

  Colleen Lanin
  The Travel Mama
  www.TravelMamas.com

• 
• by
  • TheTravelMama
  on Nov. 3, 2009 at 4:53 PM

• I understand the previous poster' concern about waking a sleeping child to suck on something to relieve sore ears. I would not advocate this sinc, for the most part, I follow the golden rule to "Never wake a sleeping baby!" However, sucking or eating something is not a wives' tale. It works and is recommended by medical experts.

  Here is an article about relieving air pain from WebMd.com: http://blogs.webmd.com/all-ears/2008/11/airplane-ears.html 

  Here is an excerpt from this story, "During landing (and even take-off), babies should be encouraged to either breast or bottle-feed to encourage swallowing. Since babies are safer strapped in their car seats, using a bottle would be best. Pacifiers are not a substitute, since they do not encourage beneficial swallowing. Older children can sip from a cup or juice box. If you squeeze the straw a bit as they drink, this extra effort in sucking will be more beneficial in clearing their ears."

  Here is an explanation on what causes and how to relieve ear pain on airplanes written by a doctor on eHow.com:

  http://www.ehow.com/how_2160000_avoid-ear-pain-airplane.html

  Here is advice from Dr. William Sears, MD, author of more than 42 books on parenting giving advice for avoiding ear pain when flying in an article in Babytalk Magazine. http://www.parenting.com/article/Mom/Relax--Recharge/Stay-Healthy-Travel-Guide/1

  Here is an excerpt from the article, "Prevent ouchy ears. Changes in altitude can lead to painful pressure in little ears, particularly during landing. During this time, have your baby suck on a paci, nurse, or drink from a bottle or sippy cup to keep the ears popping. Ear-numbing drops or a dose of pain reliever can help, too."

  Colleen Lanin
  The Travel Mama
  www.TravelMamas.com

• 
• by
  • TheTravelMama
  on Nov. 3, 2009 at 6:13 PM

• Here's one more article from the American Academy of Pediatrics that recommends giving a baby something to suck on when the plane begins its descent:

  www.aap.org/healthychildren/07winter/flyingfriendly.pdf - 2007-01-19

   

  Colleen Lanin
  The Travel Mama
  www.TravelMamas.com

• 
• by
  • Mommie519
  on Nov. 4, 2009 at 7:06 PM

• Thanks for all the post and helpful advice!

• 
• by
  • lilsweetpea708
  on Nov. 19, 2009 at 10:09 PM

•  We traveled to Arizona and Hawaii with our almost 2 yr old at the time and he was great. Someone told me to take dum dum lollipops and I did. They worked great. Kept him busy for a while. The other things we had were a travel magna doodle, books, dvd player, stickers. Lots of drinks and wipes!

  Good luck and have a good trip.

   

                 ~*Meghan*~
            Mommy to my lil'man
            Hoping to adopt #2
  http://loveurbabynu.blogspot.com/       

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