I Googled this very title of this blog post when I was doing research. Turns out, there’s not a lot of information out there - or at least I couldn’t find much. How to fly with an 18-month-old lap child is one of the great mysteries of life. Most of the advice out there is basically, “Yeah, it sucks, and you just have to get through it.”
I agree with that advice. However, I do have a few tips that may help. So, if there are any struggling moms out there Googling how to fly with a toddler, I’ve got you.
Specifically, I’m talking about an age range of maybe 12-24 months. If they’re younger than 12 months, hopefully they’ll sleep, nurse, take a bottle, etc., and be content. By 24 months, hopefully they’re more interested in TV and can watch their tablets and whatnot.
Our 18-month-old was not bad on the flights; he was just being an 18-month-old. They’re little wiggle worms who constantly want to move around and get into everything. He did NOT nap on either of our flights. The flight from Springfield to Phoenix was over three hours, and the flight back was over two. Prepare to entertain your toddler for 5-10 minutes at a time before switching to a different activity.
Here’s what I would do if I were you:
Pack snacks-and lots of them. This is going to be the ace up your sleeve. Pack non-messy snacks if you can. I made the mistake of packing neon orange cheese balls. I didn’t give them to the baby, but I did give them to the three-year-old, and orange cheese dust was EVERYWHERE. Really think about that when you buy your snacks. I also brought those sleeves of sandwich crackers, and they were pretty dang messy as well. Goldfish, fruit strips, applesauce pouches, Cheerios, yogurt bites, and teething crackers might be safer bets. Try to drag out the snacks as long as possible. Maybe hide the Cheerios in your hands and turn it into a game of sorts.
The baby is going to want to pull the tray table down and put it back up over and over again for the entire flight, most definitely annoying the passenger in front of you. I don’t have a tip for you-just a warning. If there were a way to tape the tray table to the seat, that would be awesome, but I don’t believe there is. You can put little strips of painter’s tape on the tray table and let them peel them off for entertainment.
- Board early. Board as early as you can and wipe down every surface with a sanitizing wipe.
- Do check your wagon or stroller at the gate. You don’t have to check it with your luggage.
- Bring empty water bottles for the kids and fill them with water, juice, etc., once you get through security.
- The seat belt (after being sanitized) can provide a good 5-10 minutes of entertainment. Let them buckle and unbuckle it.
- The in-flight snack menu, beverage menu, and entertainment card can provide some fun. Point out every little thing and tell them what it is.
- Bring a few small books. They love the little finger-puppet ones.
- Toys... I tend to strike out with the toys I pack on trips, and they’re never played with. They take up a lot of room, so be strategic with the ones you choose. Make sure they’re interactive and can hold your child’s attention for more than 30 seconds.
- Use your phone. Go through old pictures and show them to your baby while you talk about them. You can also take selfies or videos of yourselves and play them back - they’ll get a kick out of that.
- Put them in a sleep sack and hope they go to sleep.
- Pass them off to Dad and give yourself a break!
I’ll update this post if I think of more tips. I should have written it right when we got back from Scottsdale! I'm already suppressing the memories from those flights, haha.
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