NBR Flying w 1 year old

Yiggle09 · October 2016

Hey all my husband and I were supposed to be driving to Florida Halloween weekend for a funeral and now his store is finally opening and I'm going to have to fly with my 1 year old son alone. Anyone have any suggestions tips tricks

RainyDays86 · October 2016

I've flown with DS many, many times alone. It isn't the most fun thing, but you'll survive, I promise. For your trip definitely bring a lot of different snacks to have as an option. If you have an iPad or other tablet bring that and download a few videos to it beforehand. At 1 he might not totally care about videos, but it could help. My DS also loves books so we always bring his favorites on the plane. Make sure you change him before getting on the plane - most planes do have changing tables on board but they look pretty cramped to me.

I would say just be prepared to walk the aisles, read the same books again and again, and not have a very relaxing flight. Also, depending on how big your son is, you may want to consider buying him a seat. We started buying DS seats of his own at about 15 months because it makes things much, much easier. It's not a requirement, but having a bit more room helps us out.

MoshiMoshi7 · October 2016

We flew with DS a few times when he was this age and it wasn't nearly as bad as I was expecting. I packed a back pack with a couple of favorite toys and a couple of new toys that still had novelty. Also, if your DS has a pacifier or bottle, I would take that for take off and landing. If not, we had luck with sucking on pouches. DS slept a lot more than I thought he would, so maybe yours will too. Something about the plane just lulled him to sleep.

pshaortao · October 2016

Is it the first time your DS is flying?

Some need to know.. Car seat? Stroller or baby wear, if you know? Whos dropping you off/picking you up? I'll respond more later when DD isn't bugging me so much about dinner

we have flown quite a few times since she was 6 months, most flights have been just the two of us.

MoshiMoshi7 · October 2016

Also, it may not hurt to bring a change of clothes for yourself as well as DS. I don't know how long your flight is, but leaks are no fun when you are stuck in the same pair of pants all day.

Yiggle09 · October 2016

@pshaortao yes first time flying w him. He's sippy cup and never been a fan of being worn. Most likely dh or my mom dropping picking

NotAPlaya-JustCrushAlot · October 2016

If you do spring for an extra seat, a car seat can install on the plane and contains the kid pretty well. DH & I still bring DD's seat along and she's 3. If I'm traveling alone, I don't bring the seat because i don't know if I could get it installed by myself while making sure she didn't run off the plane. Or, if you don't spring for seat and you are flying Southwest, sit in a middle seat and put your kid in the window seat or vice versa. No one will fight to sit that close to a lap kid, so you can get some extra space for the two of you.

vrj0522 · October 2016

You are allowed to go through security with a sippy cup of water or milk. They will simply test the liquid and let you through so you don't have to worry about not having water for LO. You can check the stroller at the gate if you want and check the carseat with your luggage unless you are planning on taking it onboard. Does your DS have his own seat? If not, I would ask at the gate if there are any extra seats available. If there are, they might give you one for him. We used to do this a lot and half the time we'd get an extra seat for the baby.

Take lots of snacks. If he still uses a pacifier, have him wear it at take off and landing to prevent his ears from bugging him. If not, then having him drinking water or eating/chewing during those times also works.

Give yourself extra time because you always need it with little ones. If you have an assigned seat, try to board toward the back of the line so that you guys are waiting for takeoff as little as possible. Bring lots of snacks and toys or things to keep your DS busy/distracted.

pshaortao · October 2016

Car seat: If the stroller has the option to click the carseat in, then that is great. DD was at the max height around 13 months and was already in a convertible. When I flew her, I used the bucket seat just for travel only just for the convenient. She had her own seat because 1: it was a 4 hours long flight and 2: she does not sit in my lap for very long without flipping out. But if your DS is going as a lap child then I second what @vrj0522 said about asking if the flight is full or not, because it's just so nice to secure them in their own seat. Otherwise, you can just gate check the carseat.

Birth certificate: It's a good idea to bring one if you're going with him as a lap child. Most of the time they don't even ask, but it's good to be prepared if they do ask.

Entertainment: Favorite books; small toys; request plastic cups and straws from the flight attendants (DD loved playing with those at age 1); tablet if you use one.

Food/drink: You can take a full sippy cup through security whether it's milk or water, they will usually test it. Bring more than enough snacks! DD is horrible at napping on the go, especially during flights, so she would unfortunately end up pretty cranky. Having extra food helped sooooooo much. I remember on one 4hr flight, I had brought 4 cuties, graham crackers, a baggie of annie's crackers, a small container of plain cooked pasta, etc. At the end, most of the food was gone and she would conk out in the car on the 30 mins drive from the airport to my parents house lol. Plus snacks are great to have to reduce ear pressure.

flychick-2 · October 2016

All the suggestions so far are good so I don't have much to add. How long is the flight?

Also along the lines of bringing stuff through security. Most of the time they know what they're doing. But sometimes they don't and I've run into it before (flown many times and it's rare). No matter what they say, they do NOT get to open milk to test it. They're supposed to test the lid and your hands with a swab. If they give you a hard time, tell them you're supposed to be treated as a selectee. And if they push it, ask for a yellow card. It's a card you can request when there's been a discrepancy in rules and it goes straight to the head office in Washington. It's a big deal to them. Anyway I spent a lot of time on that just because a lot of people don't know about the security stuff and I don't want you to be caught off guard.

Overall, I'd say prepare for everything and set your expectations really low and then it couldn't be any worse. I've traveled with my kids a lot and it usually goes better than expected but there have been a couple stand out miserable flights.

Also people are usually really good and helpful to mom's traveling alone with kids!

Yiggle09 · October 2016

2 hr flight it's looking like. @FlyChick thank you great security suggestions that's a big thing I'm concerned about. @pshaortao birth certificate is absolutely a great idea. @vrj0522 did you end up having to pay for the seat when you asked for it at the desk?

hp_momma · October 2016

@FlyChick Really?! They aren't supposed to open the milk? I fly with my kids about every 2 months and have since they were infants and they 9/10 times have me open the milk and then they do the vapor test thing over top of it. Rarely have they just put it in the machine (no idea what the machine does but it doesn't open the milk...) I never knew they weren't allowed to open the milk and now it kind of makes me mad how many times they have done it... I've had my hands swabbed before but that's because I was carrying my baby through security in an ergo and wouldn't take her out (don't disturb a sleeping baby while mom is traveling alone with a baby and toddler!)

hp_momma · October 2016

@Yiggle09 Everyone has great tips! I fly with my two kids (by myself) probably 4-6 times a year! 8 even flew with a 6 week old and 2 year old once! People are generally VERY helpful when they see cute kids and your by yourself. Southwest has always been phenomenal when I travel with the kids and I love that they let you board towards the beginning, American Airlines doesn't have family boarding time which makes it difficult when your by yourself. Good luck, and don't stress! 2 hours goes by quick!

achays11 · October 2016

I'm probably just going to repeat what most people have already said. Lots of snacks, make sure he has something to drink during take off and landing, have some videos or games downloaded on your phone or tablet, and have a few toys. Before we fly, I usually will go buy a couple of new, small, cheap things at Target. If it's new it will usually keep them entertained a little bit longer than something they've played with a million times. I also bring a blanket to spread out on the floor near the gate so that DD can play until we board. It helps get some of her energy out so that she's not as wiggly on the plane.

Also, if this is his first flight, be sure to tell the flight attendants. Southwest have DD a certificate signed by the pilot commemorating the occasion.

ChristinaWild · October 2016

We took DS on his first flight when he was 12 months. The book "Dear Zoo" has flaps kiddos can open and close. It was the biggest distraction for us. Also I got a little picnic basket thing from Amazon that he could take everything out of it, and then put it back in. I also brought along a tablet, but he wasn't interested in doing anything but hitting the screen and trying to throw it. Like everyone else said, snacks were a huge lifesaver. They probably distracted him the most.

I brought the car seat up to the gate in hopes that there was an extra seat, but there wasn't. I had a friend recommend this adapter to wheel the car seat through the airport. Just strapped little man right into it, and then we didn't have to fight with the stroller: https://www.target.com/p/britax-car-seat-travel-cart/-/A-13739487?ref=tgt_adv_XS000000&AFID=google_pla_df&CPNG=&adgroup=&LID=700000001170770pgs&network=g&device=c&location=9027719&gclid=CPG8spLt688CFRApaQodYyQLFA&gclsrc=aw.ds.

Kipperoo · October 2016

So many great tips above! I will reiterated the ones that have been particularly helpful for me. SNACKS--seriously, like double the snacks you think you might need and bonus points for ones that take a long time to eat. Getting the child it's own seat--yes, it's an extra (sizable) expense, but those planes are CRAMPED and it makes all of the difference in the world to have double the space plus a place to put the kid that isn't on top of you while you dig for snacks/activities/etc. And on the subject of activities, I once heard to plan one snack and one activity for every 15 minutes of travel. It may seem like overkill, but it's worked for us every time. It's more than you should need, but if a snack or activity is totally uninteresting to the babe, you've got back up. Oh and if he's into unwrapping things, try wrapping up a few cheap little toys (bonus time in activity spent unwrapping).

And in terms of surprise winner activities: window clings (the kind you can get at the 1 spot at Target), painters tape or washi tape (I've heard of many toddlers, mine included, loving stringing tape all over the surfaces of the plane), and the iPad (not a surprise, but it's definitely a good back up to give yourself some breathing room if he's acting crazy). Oh, and bring some kind of large ziploc bag to store all of the inevitable trash he will create. It just makes it easier to have it all contained.

Good luck!!

flychick-2 · October 2016

@h&pmomma I should add that's for the sealed stuff that will go bad within a certain time after it's opened. If you're bringing pumped milk from home I don't know about the rules around that. But if it'll spoil when it's opened, they definitely can't open it!

flychick-2 · October 2016

h&pmomma said:

@FlyChick Really?! They aren't supposed to open the milk? I fly with my kids about every 2 months and have since they were infants and they 9/10 times have me open the milk and then they do the vapor test thing over top of it. Rarely have they just put it in the machine (no idea what the machine does but it doesn't open the milk...) I never knew they weren't allowed to open the milk and now it kind of makes me mad how many times they have done it... I've had my hands swabbed before but that's because I was carrying my baby through security in an ergo and wouldn't take her out (don't disturb a sleeping baby while mom is traveling alone with a baby and toddler!)

I tried to tag you but it won't let me! But I just posted a response to you.

misslennon · October 2016

We bought DD a few, small new toys. We wrapped them and let her open them, one at a time. She played with a little travel magnedoodle for a good hour! Stickers were also a big hit. If he has a favorite tv show download a few episodes! Good luck!

SKZW · October 2016

You all have such great travel tips!! I'll be honest, I haven't yet flown with my son, who's 3, as I've opted to drive (though, once, an 8 hour trip turned into nearly 11 hrs in the car, when he was 6 mos old and eating every hour, uggh) because I prefer to have my own car at my final destination. @Yiggle09 I really hope the flying works out for you! Two hours should "fly by" (groan).

Yiggle09 · October 2016

Yes, thank you all for these great tips. @Kipperoo your ticker just made me soo hungry... I went to costco yesterday and found these great annies mini snack variety packs for the trip and some small muffin bites. hes a pretty big eater. My worry is he is the on the go busy baby. He is not a sit on my lap and zone to a video. Toys will work but I know hes going to start fighting to get out of my lap at some point. How awkward is it to walk him up and down in your opinions?

hp_momma · October 2016

@Yiggle09 To be honest, a two hour flight is going to be hard to walk up and down the aisle. The first half hour is pretty much you HAVE to be in your seat while they ascend to their 10,000 feet or whatever it is and then pretty quickly after that the flight attendants start doing their drink/snack service and they sort of take up the whole aisle area. And then of course the last half hour is strapped in your seat again while they get ready for landing. My flights with the kids are always 2-3 hours and I find that there is not very much time to be out of our seat. If it was me, I'd put ourselves in the window seat so he is kind of blocked in and doesn't see the opportunity to get out in the aisle. My girls have always loved the window too!

NotAPlaya-JustCrushAlot · October 2016

Off topic: Is it a Halloween themed funeral? That seems like it could be an interesting time. I assume it's not. I just re-read your post.

flychick-2 · October 2016

You won't have a ton of time but you can definitely walk him up and down the aisle. I did that with my son on one of his "bad" flights. I needed to give the people around us a break.

Yiggle09 · October 2016

@NotAPlaya-JustCrushAlot I wish. I just hope it goes quick as the gyno are concerned about zika down there

helloaustin123 · October 2016

What are some good snacks to bring for a 1yo?

vrj0522 · October 2016

I thought I had responded but don't see my response. @Yiggle09 - we've never had to pay. They would just rearrange our seating so that we had the extra seat next to us.

RainyDays86 · October 2016

To follow up to what @vjr0522 we have gotten our own seat a few times as well without paying. When you book your flight, if you can, try to do it in the middle of the day/week when not as many people are flying. That will give you a better chance that the flight will have empty seats and they'll be willing to move things around to get you one of the empty ones. On that note, I have found that people are overwhelmingly kind and understanding when I fly with DS, especially when I'm alone. I don't enjoy flying with him alone, but doing so almost always restores my faith in humanity just a bit because people really do go out of their way to be kind and helpful.

firstbaby2013 · October 2016

Nurse or give fruit snacks or something of the sort during take off and landing. Lots of activities or plan it around nap time so babe sleeps on the plane. My first was perfect on airplanes, second not so much. Be calm and don't let anyone ruffle your feathers

kat81 · October 2016

ChristinaWild said:

We took DS on his first flight when he was 12 months. The book "Dear Zoo" has flaps kiddos can open and close. It was the biggest distraction for us. Also I got a little picnic basket thing from Amazon that he could take everything out of it, and then put it back in. I also brought along a tablet, but he wasn't interested in doing anything but hitting the screen and trying to throw it. Like everyone else said, snacks were a huge lifesaver. They probably distracted him the most.

I brought the car seat up to the gate in hopes that there was an extra seat, but there wasn't. I had a friend recommend this adapter to wheel the car seat through the airport. Just strapped little man right into it, and then we didn't have to fight with the stroller: https://www.target.com/p/britax-car-seat-travel-cart/-/A-13739487?ref=tgt_adv_XS000000&AFID=google_pla_df&CPNG=&adgroup=&LID=700000001170770pgs&network=g&device=c&location=9027719&gclid=CPG8spLt688CFRApaQodYyQLFA&gclsrc=aw.ds.

DEFINITELY get this product (esp if you plan on flying again when you have a young child), but I found that a better version of this product is the gogobabyz version: https://www.amazon.com/GO-GO-TRAVELMATE-Travel-Stroller-Toddler/dp/B000JJK9EY/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1477328134&sr=8-1&keywords=go+go+babyz

The britax one, after much use, eventually gave out. This one is strudier and I think a bit easier to use. They are both good, though. What's great about these is that you can roll your kid through the airport, and they MIGHT even give you a free seat on the flight. If that happens, you definitely want your carseat with you so you can make the best of it. If you don't get a free seat you'll want to gate check the carseat, of course. Or you can buy an extra ticket in the first place to be guaranteed that extra level of sanity. When they're under 3, I HIGHLY recommend having them strapped in the seat, though we used the free "lap infant" option until each kid was 2. But age 2-3 you want them strapped in for sure. I think 24 mo is just about the worst time to fly. Anything 1-2 is also pretty bad...so good luck!!

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