- Pregnancy
- Baby & Toddler
- Parents
- Getting Pregnant
- Baby Names
- Product Reviews
-
Registry
- Community
-
More
Want a personalized experience?
Download the free app
Cincinnati Babies
KristenBtobe
member
Ready to rumble.
Flying with children
KristenBtobe
member
We're going to Orlando next week and I need advice on traveling with the kiddos. We've never flown with either child before, so this is all new to me.My parents are coming with too so we have lots of hands, and our flight is non-stop.
Owen will be flying as a lap child (lord help me) and Maggie of course has a seat of her own. I wasn't planning on taking a car seat for her since we are using Disney transportation/busses/monorail the entire trip. I was reading on some travel forums and people are adamant about putting all children in car seats, and it's kind of freaking me out. Did we make a mistake not buying a seat for O? Should we take Maggie's car seat? Any great tips for entertaining (particularly Owen) on this flight?
Ready to rumble.This discussion has been closed.
Re: Flying with children
I have flown several times with the boys. I'll give you some tips...
Actually, last June I flew by myself with boy kids, with a two hour layover. They did awesome!
How long is your flight??
I would not worry about her carseat. She will be fine buckled in. Just bring a blanket, pillow in case she wants to rest.
We got by with LOTs of snacks,and movies. I packed a small bag of their favorite toys, plus a small back of some new $1 bin items to play with.
They were amused enough by the plane itself and all the buttons etc that they stayed pretty busy. We got up and walked the aisle once or twice.
Dum Dum suckered helped Jack with his ears during take off and landing...
hmmm, I am trying to think of more tips...
Nursing helps with the ears too. I nursed during take off and landing and Sawyer never had problems with his ears. He slept for like an hour of the 3 hour trip, which was helpful.
I definitely wouldn't take car seats on the plane (I think this is what you are referring to? Not the buses but for the airplane?) We have flown quite a few times and don't use ours, DS rides in our lap. Both my father and brother are commercial airline pilots... they both don't recommend them for safety... basically they won't help... It is also a giant waste of money to buy a seat for a lap child. No worries there... I know some parents get up in arms, but truly not necessary.
I agree with what Melissa suggested...great ideas. What really helped us was we brought a laptop/iPad and let DS watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Einstein, etc. It was a lifesaver.
Have a wonderful trip! We just did Disney at the end of January... it was incredible.
I read all that about carseats before we took Ellie on her first flight too, and while I guess it's nice in theory, I, for one, cannot afford to buy a plane ticket for a 2-year-old who doesn't require one. I wouldn't stress out about it.
We've flown to Orlando with Ellie four times now. The flight is pretty short. I usually collect some new little (quiet) toys she hadn't seen before, little guys or cars are good. Color Wonder markers and paper and a Magna Doodle are great for a plane. We also get big sticker books and she loves playing with those on the plane. They're also great for waiting for lines and shows in Disney. And lots and lots of snacks. If we're flying close to a meal time, we'll get lunch in the airport so she has a meal to eat on the plane to take some time. Plus, we take the portable DVD player and I bought some Kid Tough headphones and she watches an episode of Mickey on the way. We do board the plane as late as possible so she gets a little more time to run around instead of sitting there waiting.
When we first took Ellie, she was 20 months and my parents went with us. I thought we'd do lots of passing her back and forth to keep her occupied, but she ended up being happy on my lap for the whole ride. I was really worried about it, but she ended up doing great. I'm sure it will be better than you anticipate.
Photo by Melissa Nicole Photography
Nice! One less thing to worry about. What day are you leaving?
If you are flying out of Cincy, maybe we will see you at the airport!