Flying with a Toddler

 

Okay so let me just start this post by saying that I am in no means an expert on this subject. I am also a very "tell it like it is" person. I try to be as honest as possible on this blog. So let me just say,  Kennedy definately had her share of meltdowns on the plane and to be honest, I can't say I blamed her. 5 and a half hours is a long time to be on a plane for an adult let alone a toddler. I got really irritated because I posted something about this subject on Facebook and I had tons of people saying "Ohh that's too bad, my child did great on our flight, did you try this?" Every single person that commented was on a flight that was 3 hours or less. Sorry people but there is a big difference between 3 hrs and 5.5 hours!  Or, the person's child would be under a year old or over 3 years old, which is a completely different ball game. Kennedy did fabulous last year when we flew but she was only 7 months old. I have already told my mom I am not sure when we will be able to come back to Portland especially since we plan on hopefully having a second child within the next year or two. Honestly, I just don't think we can do it again with a toddler.

 

The first flight was from Columbia to Atlanta and Kennedy did great on that flight. It was only about 40 minutes. The second flight from Atlanta to Portland was the long one. This was the worst flight. It didn't help that the plane was very small and Kennedy only slept for about an hour and a half because she couldn't get comfortable on our laps. On the long flight on the way back, no one was sitting in the 3rd seat and the plane was much bigger so she was able to lay out. She slept for 2 and half hours on this flight but after she had had an epic twenty minute meltdown. While she was having the meltdown I literally felt like I was having an anxiety attack. It's an awful feeling being in an enclosed area with nowhere to go and your child is having a meltdown. To make matters worse the lady across the aisle kept saying to Kennedy in this baby voice "what's wrong sweetheart?" I know she was probably trying to be nice but I wanted to say "She's 19 months old, she just wants to be off this plane!"

 

I do have to say, it could have been worse. She didn't cry/scream the entire flight and there were times where she was actually having fun on the plane. However, in those moments that she was upset, it was not fun. So even though we didn't have the greatest experience flying cross country with a toddler, here are things that made it more bearable:

 

1. Bring your child's favorite snacks. Kennedy is obsessed with fruit so I brought a giant tupperware filled with her favorites, cut up strawberries, watermelon and blueberries. I also had cookies and yogurt melts. This definately curbed a few meltdowns.

 

2. Buy a new toy for the ride there and a new toy for the ride back. We bought Kennedy a new baby doll for the way there that made a sucking nose when she fed it a bottle. She LOVED it and this kept her entertained for a good 30-40 minutes. It helped that she had never played with it before.

 

3. If your child will take a pacifier, bring it! Kennedy only takes a pacifier at night now but we brought it for the flight so it would help with the popping in her ears. She never complained about her ears hurting on any of the flights. I have heard that with older children you can bring a lollipop for them to suck on.

 

4. Bring a portable DVD player. On the flight back each seat was equipped with its own tv and they had Disney Junior, which was great. However on the way there, they did not. We killed about 30-40 minutes with Kennedy watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse on the DVD player. That's about the longest amount of time we can get her to sit still and watch tv.

 

5.Try to stay calm. If I had to do it all again, this is the advice I wish I had taken to heart. I was getting so stressed out about her fussing and thinking "oh my goodness, we are those annoying people on the plane with the baby that won't stop crying." It is what it is. You are never going to see these people again so don't worry about what they think. I also think Kennedy was feeding off the fact that I was stressed and it was making her even more agitated.

 

Also, one of the other tips that I got from a friend was to let Kennedy run up and down the aisles. This did not work for us because the fasten seatbelt sign was on most of the time. I was also nervous about letting her run because I didn't want her to fall and get hurt. We did walk up and down the aisles a little bit but it was hard with other passengers getting up and the flight attendants pushing drink carts and such.

 

As I said before it could have been worse and it was worth it to see my family/friends and to be there for my high school best friend Molly's wedding. We had such a great time and I am glad we were able to be there.  However, I am glad that the only trips we have planned in the near future we will be traveling by car. :)

 

You can read all about our trip to Portland here.