Air travel with toddler?

m smartie

We will be traveling from Phoenix to Hawaii in May with our almost 3 year old daughter. Im looking for some good tips or pointers to make things easier during our travels. Can you please give me your thoughts as to whether or not we should take our childs carseat onto the airplane with us? We have assigned seating in the middle aisle of the airplane for a total of three seats (myself, husband and daughter.) Any other tips would be great as well. Thanks!! Also the two smallest carseats we have are a Britax Advocate, or a Cheaper Evenflo (lighter), which should be take for our overal trip? We are going for 10 total days

Answer
I know a bunch of folks hell bent on carseats on planes...but frankly...1) if you have plane trouble...the carseat isn't going to do you a bit of good. 2) I have never had any luck keeping my child in it. 3) they barely fit in the seats and they are obnoxious to manage.

Bring whatever carseat is safest, regardless of size. Once you get to HI, you install it in the rental car and it's there for two weeks...so it really doesn't matter which one's lighter ...you're ony going to have to deal with it from landing to car pick up anyway.

As far as actual travel....bring a portable DVD, Iphone with videos, small quiet toys, a favorite story and snacks. That's a long flight, so just be prepared to keep them entertained for the entire flight...so my first impulse was to bring brand new videos that they'd never seen, and a few brand new toys and it always took them longer to get bored with the new stuff than the old favorites.

Get there early and board first. They usually let families with small children jump the crowd and get situated before the cattle call of passengers.

Pack a few changes of easy clothes for baby, diaper changes and clothing changes in an airplane bathroom can't be any more impossible and painful than they are now. I used use quart sized zip lock bags to store complete outfits...so all I had to do was grab a ziplock and they had a onsie, pants and socks ready to go. I still do that with wipes and diapers...so I don't have to take a 15 pound diaper bag into a stall with me.

I WOULD gate check a small umbrella stroller if you're bringing one...that way baby can be contained and comfy in the airport and the airline folks will have your stroller waiting for you at the gate when you deboard the plane so that you don't have to run to baggage claim carrying a 30 pound cranky baby.

That's about all I can think of at the moment... If I remember anything else I'll pop back in.

Good Luck and have a great trip.


Ooooh Bring a spare Tshirt for yourself. Had an airsick baby once, with nothing to change into afterward. Have packed myself a fresh shirt, just in case, ever since.

Help with toddler and traveling?

Amber j

My daughter and I are going to be staying with family for a few weeks or months, and we will most likely be taking a charter bus there. I live in fort wood Missouri., and they live near Austin Texas. The trip would be 17 hours. My daughter is 18 months old, I know I will not be able to hold her the entire trip, are there any tips any one could give to make this trip easier and safer for her? Please don't just say" don't go" I would fly but don't have enough money.

Answer
I would pack up as many new toys as you can. Just dollar store ones. Candy and chocolate come in handy in real tantrum emergencies. Toddlers need to run and move. I would talk to the driver too, he might have some ides he got from other parents, like racing to the bathroom or something. He will also help for safety, and comfort issues. Planes are very understanding of babies, and im sure buses shouldnt be any different. Good Luck!

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What are some good quiet car toys for long trips with toddlers?

toys for toddlers for travel image

Miki

I have ADD so loud toys in the back seat can be a bit distracting while driving. I thought about coloring books and crayons but if they are dropped she can't reach them because of the safety harness and they can melt when left in a hot car. I am going to get some board books but would like other suggestions.
I'm looking for a bit of a low tech solution.
I'm fine with music, it usually helps me focus really.

Answer
Yeah, crayons are a pain in the butt in the car! My car seat is covered with melted crayon, and it doesn't come out easily!

Have you considered DVD players? They're not so noisy that you can't deal with it. And they'll keep the kids seriously busy and quiet. You could even try to get them to wear earphones so that you don't have to hear it at all. But when we travel, we use a laptop to play movies, and connect it to the car's audio system to get great sound.

How long is the trip? If it's more than a couple of hours, plan on frequent stops and carry a good variety of snacks. You'd be surprised how long a bag of fruit snacks or animal crackers will keep a child quiet, especially if it's a favored snack or one she hasn't ever seen but likes.

How do you protect a toddler during a tornado?

Bethanie

With all of the recent tornados that have occurred it has been making me think about how I should protect myself and my toddler in a tornado. We live in an apt. complex and are on the 2nd floor. I believe the safest place in my apt. is the bathroom or the closet. I am just wondering that if you are in the bathtub with a mattress pulled over the two of you, how should you be positioned in the tub? Should I be on top of my toddler, I am just wondering. If so, how would I hold my mattress and him at the same time. I have also read that the safest place for little kids is in a car seat. I am just trying to clear up what's factual and what is not. I also live about 8 minutes for a hospital. Would it be safer for me to drive to a hospital and get into the ground floor. I know it's a lot of questions but I am just wondering what's the best thing to do if you dont' have a shelter

Answer
If you are in a multi-level apartment complex, get to the lowest floor and into an interior area or room. This could be a hallway, bathroom, closet, or any other interior room. Take plenty of water, blankets, pillows, any special items your toddler needs such as diapers, medicine, something like a toy bear or stuffed animal to help keep him/her calm. Get as low as possible. Sit and hold your child in a manner where you have a good hold and where your arms/hands can protect their body.

If you can not get to a sturdier shelter, The National Weather Service states to find a low ditch or culvert and lay flat as can be face down if no other shelter can be found. This would be a last resort action. Do not try to outrun a tornado in a vehicle. Some tornadoes have been known to travel up to 70MPH. If caught in a vehicle, do not seek shelter under a highway overpass. Wind speeds are actually sped up through the overpasses.

You can keep alert by watching or listening to local news. Can also listen to NOAA weather radio. These radios alert you of any watches or warnings issued for your area. They can be purchased at almost any department store.

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What is the best way for a toddler to sleep on a plane?

toys for toddlers for travel image

Kaytee

I will be soon travelling alone internationally with my 16 month old daughter. She will be on my lap. When she was a baby, she could sleep in an airplane bassinet during flights, but now she won't fit. I am wondering, how can I make her sleep longer and more comfortably on my lap? What position would you recommend? She's a bit of a fussy toddler, so I expect it may be hard to put her down.

Also, any other life-saving tips for toddler air travel?

Answer
the people who said give your baby benedryl before the flight got a lot of thumbs down, but it really wont hurt. I wasn't too crazy about that idea when I was going to fly with my son at that age for the 1st time so I asked his pediatrician if that's ok. He said yes its totally fine and they told me exactly how much to give. It goes by weight, so to keep your sanity you may want to try it. It wont hurt her, unless she's one of those freakish kids who has the opposite reaction to benedryl and bounces off the walls. toys work for a little bit but cramming a toddler into a small space like an airplane seat confined to your lap.....youre going to want her asleep. As far as what position...I asked the flight attendant for a pillow and then i opened up the little tray in front of me, put the pillow on it and my lap...his head was on my lap his legs up on the tray part. it was a 5 hour flight and most of it went smooth since he was sleeping. When he was awake he kept trying to get off my lap and was kicking the giant guy next to us :)

What are some good quiet car toys for long trips with toddlers?

Miki

I have ADD so loud toys in the back seat can be a bit distracting while driving. I thought about coloring books and crayons but if they are dropped she can't reach them because of the safety harness and they can melt when left in a hot car. I am going to get some board books but would like other suggestions.
I'm looking for a bit of a low tech solution.
I'm fine with music, it usually helps me focus really.

Answer
Yeah, crayons are a pain in the butt in the car! My car seat is covered with melted crayon, and it doesn't come out easily!

Have you considered DVD players? They're not so noisy that you can't deal with it. And they'll keep the kids seriously busy and quiet. You could even try to get them to wear earphones so that you don't have to hear it at all. But when we travel, we use a laptop to play movies, and connect it to the car's audio system to get great sound.

How long is the trip? If it's more than a couple of hours, plan on frequent stops and carry a good variety of snacks. You'd be surprised how long a bag of fruit snacks or animal crackers will keep a child quiet, especially if it's a favored snack or one she hasn't ever seen but likes.

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