travel toys 15 month old image
elly_201
Is my first time traveling with my 15 months old and I don't know what I can bring for him in the plane? .....Can I bring a can of formula and some of his bottles fill with water in the plane? ...
Can I bring baby formula in the can as it always come or should I bring the baby formula in a plastic zip bag? and if I bring it in the can it has to be the small can ?
Answer
I've been flying internationally & domestically with my children since they were each 2 months (now 8&6, & 6 months). At least three trips a year are the children & I traveling internationally (14+ hours each way) alone. We do another 8-10 international & domestic flights a year as a family. I have never had any problems with my children. Here are a few tips and suggestions:
1.) Pack plenty of things to entertain your child: a few books, toys, a portable DVD player (be sure to bring extra batteries) or let him use your laptop (make sure it's fully charged) with a few movies, & one or two comfort things such as a favorite blankie or stuffed animal. I always bring a small pillow & blanket from home for my children (even now) because I know 100% that they are clean, and my children are accustomed to them.
My children bring along their own coloring books, a Doodle Pad, their Leap Pads (with a few booklets), & scrap paper that they can make their own drawings with & play games such as tic-tac-toe. My daughter used to like to bring along a doodle bear when she was younger so that she could draw on that as well, & my son likes to bring along some action figures to play with. I found that buying a Rose Art kit is great! It has crayons, markers, coloring books, coloring sheets, & stickers that they can color. It definitely keeps them entertained!
http://www.megabrands.com/en/products/description.php?product_id=1031&brand_id=36&cat=4&age=
I take the contents of the kit out of the box & place them in something a little travel pack. Here is what my sons looks like:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamie_hassen/2577667314/ - outside
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamie_hassen/2577681352/ - inside
You can also play games like pat-a-cake, or I-spy, & tell stories to your child as well. If you tell a story, try to make it an interactive one where he has a part in it so he stays interested.
You might also consider going to the store & letting him pick out his own carry-on with a few inexpensive toys that will be used only on the plane. Be sure to pick out a few toys without him seeing so that he has an extra surprise when he opens his carry-on.
2.) Bring Snacks! just add water packets of food, cheerios, goldfish, animal crackers, dried fruit, etc. are great. New regulations also allow you to take beverages (including water) from home as long as they are less than 3oz (100ml), -OR- beverages (including water) of any size that you have purchased from inside the security area onto planes. You can also bring a limited amount of baby food, yogurt, cheese, puddings, etc. with you also as long as they are in containers less than 3oz (100ml)
http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/prohibited/permitted-prohibited-items.shtm#10
As long as your child is with you, you are able to take as much formula (any type), breast milk, regular milk, juice, and/or baby food that you will need for you child for the duration of the time you will spend in the airport and on the flight (as long as it is within reason).And no, you will NOT have to taste it - no matter what form you bring it in.
All that you must do is:
1. Separate the milk from the liquids, gels, and aerosols in your quart-size (1 liter) zip-top bag.
2. Declare you have the items to one of the Security Officers at the security checkpoint.
3. Present these items for additional inspection once reaching the X-ray. These items are subject to additional screening
http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/children/formula.shtm
Save your money when it comes to buying water though because the Flight Attendants will provide you with hot or cold water (or any other drink) free at any time that you request, no matter how many times you request it.
3.) Keep your diaper bag well stocked with plenty of diapers, wipes, ointments & other essential things. Just remember the new law regulating liquids, gels, and such and pack accordingly. http://www.tsa.gov/311/index.shtm
You can usually find travel size baby products in stores & they are wonderful for plane use. One thing I always like to carry with me is hand sanitizer! I always wipe the trays down with that (followed by a baby wipe) and use it for my kids after taking them to the bathroom (even though they wash their hands). I know that airplane bathrooms are not the cleanest, so that is why I try to be vigilant.
Be sure to pack 2-3 changes of clothes for your child. You will need this in case he gets sick, spills something on himself, or in case your luggage gets lost.
Bring any medications that you might need for your child should he get sick or that he takes regularly. Remember that if they are not prescription medications, the 3oz (100ml) rule applies to them and they must be kept in a clear plastic bag.
http://www.tsa.gov/311/index.shtm
Do NOT give your child medicine with the hopes of it making him sleep. This is not only cruel, but dangerous as well. I have also seen where it backfires; a parent gives their child a dose of Benedryl to make them sleep, but instead it gets the child more hyper and the parents get absolutely no rest on the flight (and neither does anyone else).
Try to change your childs diaper as close to boarding as possible. This will help to make your child feel fresh and more comfortable for take-off (which could also mean less problems).
4.) Not all children have a problem with the pressure changes in their ears. If yours does however you'll want to know how to help. For take-offs and landings (the WHOLE way up, and starting from the BEGINNING, or TOP of descent - about an hour before landing), the best ways to alleviate ear pressure are to:
*Give him something to drink (formula, milk, water, juice - it doesn't matter)
*Give him a pacifier to suck on
*Pinch his nostrils shut, have him take a deep breath in through the mouth, then tell him to (gently) blow as if trying to blow his nose
*Place hot damp towels (usually like the ones distributed to first and business class before take-off and landing to freshen up with - just ask a flight attendant for them) or paper towels that have been soaked in hot water and wrung out, at the bottom of two paper or styrofoam cups, then hold the cups over the ears
*Gently but with some pressure, rub his neck repeatedly from the chin to the base of the neck. This will cause a swallowing motion that will relieve pressure build-up in the ears.
5.) If you hold your child a a "lap child", try to book a bulkhead (front) seat where you will have more room, and a bassinet. Bassinets are limited, and not available on every flight. If the bassinet is available (they can only be used in bulkhead seats) it will attach to the front wall for you to put your child in (however you can not use this during taxi, take-offs, landings, or turbulence). This is not the safest way for a child to fly and although a car seat is not mandatory, the airlines recommend children under 40lbs to have their own seat with a child safety device.
If you haven't booked a separate seat for your child, be nice on check-in & see if they can "block" the seat next to you. They will then only use it if they absolutely need it, & you get a seat for free!
In order to be certified for use on an airplane, the car seat has to met the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. Check the labels on the side of your car restraint for a sticker (words will be printed in red) for verification that your seat is safe for airplane use. Almost all car seats pass this requirement. Booster seats are NOT approved for use in airplanes.
If you choose not to use your childs car seat for the plane ride, you will be allowed to gate check it (along with a stroller). It will not count towards your checked luggage. This means that you will need to take it with you to your boarding gate, & one of the handlers will take it from you before you depart, tag it, & put it in a special compartment for you. When you exit the plane, it will be waiting for you at the door as well.
6.) Before you travel, I suggest preparing your child for what to expect so that he is not caught off guard and scared on the day of travel. You want to make sure that you tell him what is going to happen from the time you get to the airport until the time you arrive at your destination. You don't need to go into any great detail here, but give him something that she will be able to reference when actually traveling. If you are able to, I suggest doing a dry run of the airport. This provides you with an opportunity to explain to him what is going to happen while he can see first hand what it looks like. Here are links that talk about what to expect when flying (also includes information about what to do at the airport) that may help you out a bit:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AlxCY2D7gKazfods9sO.hnbty6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20080524223044AA3cjUR&show=7#profile-info-ssBL3Kakaa
http://jamiehassen79.angelfire.com/plane_travel_basics.html
I wrote a small article about flying with children that goes more in-depth, gives security rules & regulations for the US, EU, UK, & Australia, offers tips & tricks for the travel, etc. http://www.angelfire.com/jamiehassen79/flying_children.html
If I can be of any more help or assistance, please feel free to contact me.
When did your child start throwing tantrums?
Leah's Mom
My almost 15 month old threw a big one when we left the park, complete with back arching, kicking, screaming, etc. I felt bad. What do you do during tantrums? When did your kids start throwing them?
Answer
Around your child's age they start to get big. My daughter Sarah (child #3) was especially prone to them, because she is very strong-willed, has lots of energy, and shows her emotions easily. She would be super excited, or super giggly or really upset. She was sweet, but definitely not a subtle child. I never rewarded her for throwing a tantrum or gave her what she was crying and screaming about, but she would just get very upset or angry, sometimes just frustrated over a toy or situation, and this was her outlet. Sometimes she was overtired, overstimulated, or hungry and that was part of the reason that she would get out of control.
Handling tantrums:
1. Make sure your child doesn't get too tired, too hungry, or too stimulated as much as possible. This can prevent some issues.
2. React calmly. Your child may be out of control of his own emotions, but as a mom you have to keep your cool. If you can, continue what you are doing (i.e. leaving the park, shopping, eating), and respond to them calmly in a lull (I'm sorry, you can't have that today/it's time to go home now). Sometimes it worked for my daughter if she was deliberately fussing on purpose to say, "wow, look at all those people watching you cry".
3. If the child's actions or noise is a huge distraction where you are (library, church, etc), remove them calmly and quickly.
4. If you are at home, you can put them in a crib or in their bedroom and tell them, "I'm sorry you are mad/sad. It's ok to be mad/sad, but I don't want to hear screaming. It's too loud. You can come out when you are done crying. If you want to tell me something, you need to talk nicely and not scream." Sometimes they come out screaming and you have to deposit them back again. Eventually they will wear out and realize it's a lot of effort and it's not accomplishing much, but they can still have that emotional outlet if they need it. Sarah learned this, and eventually if she would get very frustrated or angry and start yelling she would run to her room all by herself and throw herself onto her pillow on her toddler bed and cry without me having to say a word. Then she would get over it and come out like nothing happened and I would hug her and we would talk about it.
We once were traveling across country and Sarah was cranky. We had stopped at a McDonald's for lunch and I asked her if she wanted to sit in a high chair or a booster. She kept changing her mind. The first two times I switched her because she asked. Then I said this time is the last time to choose. She chose the booster and I got her into it and she changed her mind and wanted the high chair I said no. She started screaming and crying. There weren't a lot of others in the restaurant and she toned down to a major sulk and she wouldn't sit in her booster. I told her ok, time out over here until you are done crying and fussing. When you are done you can come sit in your booster and eat your food. I had her sit near the table. We just started eating without her and left her food in front of the booster on the table. She sat there and sulked and pouted and whined a little for a few minutes. While she was sitting there I went to get some ketchup and overheard a lady (who obviously had no children) say, "Look at that, that's child NEGLECT." I restrained myself from dumping fries on the lady because she didn't know what she was talking about, and definitely didn't know my child. By the time I got back to the table my child had climbed up in the booster and was happily munching her kids' meal.
It's really hard having a strong-willed child when they are toddlers. The great part is that they grow up, and then that strong will benefits them because it turns into determination and drive for whatever they really want to do. Although it was a struggle when she was small to handle her moods and her will, this daughter was also the one who when she was a teen, always kept her room neat and always did her schoolwork, and she found an outlet for all her energy first in soccer, then in tennis. She's now 19 and in college, very happy, driven to succeed, and is very good at channeling her emotion into tennis, artwork, her job, cleaning her apartment etc.
Good luck!
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