Tell me I can do this

august06mom · July 2014

I will be taking both boys on a plane trip by myself next month. Plane ride is 2 hours long. DS2 (HFA) LOVES planes and trucks, so I think he could like being on one; however, he's going through a pretty intense noise-sensitivity phase right now. (Or maybe it's a new permanent thing -- it just cropped up a few months ago.) It could be a freaking disaster in which he panics and starts screaming on the plane.

DS1 will be a big help, I think, but I'm pretty nervous about taking DS2. We're also going to be sleeping somewhere else for three nights, which should be fun in of itself.

august06mom · July 2014

DS2 is 3 years, 2 months, for those who can't see tickers, and DS1 is almost 8.

MirandaHobbes · July 2014

Does he like electronics? Ipads, etc? Candy? At his age I'd throw whatever he liked at him if it kept him happy on a plane. I'm a bit lazy like that though! If he's sensitive to sound try a movie with headphones on and hopefully that'll drown out the other noise and keep his mind occupied. Maybe headphones alone during takeoff and landing will help.

We took DS (HFA) on a plane around that time and used his car seat which turned out to be helpful. It kept him calm and made him feel like he was "locked in" like being in the car, so his behavior wasn't too bad. I brought lots of sugary bubble gum to keep his mouth occupied during takeoff and landing. He was in heaven. Even now he looks forward to bubble gum on flights.

I took DS on a plane twice by myself before he was 2 and both times it went much better than expected. You've got this! I broke it down into 15 minute increments. I had a toy/activity/snack planned for each 15 minute period thinking if I just broke it down it would be more reasonable. It worked really well. My flight was over 3 hours, too.

As for hotels- I've had to just relax about this. I tried so hard to get DS down to bed at his usual time that I just stressed myself out. Now that he's older (6) he goes to bed fine at hotels but at age 3 he would stay up out of sheer excitement. Yes, he'll probably be more tired during the day, but hopefully he'll fall asleep in the car or in a stroller and get a nap in.

august06mom · July 2014

Thanks for the tips! Yes, we have an iPad that I fully plan to load up with games and videos. He refuses to wear headphones normally, but maybe we can practice beforehand.

Junebug060609 · July 2014

Not sure if my experience will be relevant since DS has mild autism and not HFA (or, well, we don't know how high functioning he is yet)...and most of my flights with him were when he was under 2...and one of the reasons his autism was classified as mild was that he has no problem adjusting to changes in routine...he actually LOVED flying.

Anyways, I made it into a big adventure for him. At 2 I was pointing out the planes and luggage carts, etc out the window. Now, at nearly 3, I'd probably do the same and go into more detail about what the things can do...and heaven help me if the airport has a moving sidewalk, lol. My DS is a train guy now, so he'd be really into the baggage trucks. DS is also seeming to understand and like it when I explain things before they happen, so I'd go over what to expect...especially for the security portion (take off your shoes, etc) and then for the airplane (we have to sit quietly in our seats). Having videos for him really helped. And tons of snacks and drinks.

Hopefully you are worried for nothing.

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