Suggestions for Flying with a 1 yr old for the first time

[woowei]

We're taking to the skies this Christmas and taking our 1 yr old with us. Anyone have suggestions on how to maintain sanity for mom and dad and keep baby contented? Also, we are flying on Christmas day hoping it is less crowded and stressful than right before or after the holiday. Are we off the mark in that assumption?

Any and all advice is appreciated.

[DocAwesome]

I've flown on christmas/new years before and yes it definately beats any of the surrounding days in terms of stress. As for the 1 year old - I'll keep my fingers crossed for you. No matter what the kid tries to make you believe - (s)he is really just trying to pee on everything. Trust me. Don't let your guard down for a second. As soon as you fall asleep - BOOM. Pee.

[chap19150]

Hopefully it's not a cross country flight. Just make sure you bring snacks, toys whatever it takes to keep them occupied. Also if you can try to make it so their naptime coincides with the flight. And even if you child is the best behaved child in the world be prepared for dirty looks from other passengers.

[scotchrocks]

I have flown for business a lot (a lot) and maybe I have been lucky maybe I have been oblivious but I have NEVER encountered a loud/crying baby/child whose behavior lasted more than a few minutes. Ignore the dirty looks, bring the snacks etc as recommended earlier, and you'll be fine. Simply having posted looking for advice on this matter probably indicates that you are good conscientious parent/s and will know how to handle whatever comes up. Safe travels!

[Minivanmama]

We took a 3 hour flight with our kids when one of them was almost 1 year old. The only part of the flight where he seemed uncomfortable was take-off & landing. Apparently, at that age their inner ear is more sensitive to the slight changes in air pressure. That is the best time to make sure he or she has a drink or if they use one, a pacifier. Swallowing alleviates the pressure. Another tip, buy an interesting toy that the child hasn't seen before. Reserve it for the dull time after the plane is flying and the passengers are reading or snoozing. Friends of ours brought along a baby-friendly touchable tablet preloaded with baby happy games, songs & animation. Kid was thrilled since they're not usually allowed to touch electronics. Last tip, keep your sense of humor even if everything doesn't go as smoothly as you hope. In my experience, babies can sense your tension level and in turn they become tense & fussy (of course, you already knew that )
Happy flying!

[Dolemite]

If the child is breast feeding - time a breast feeding with take off and landing if the flight is long enough.

[Marc]

Not much to add, great advice upthread: snacks and distractions, books, quiet toys, favorite lovies. Never discount the novelty of an out of the box toy...my then 1 or 1-1/2 year old absolutely loved putting balled up napkins into plastic cups--good for 20 min! I don't know if it is universally true but over the course of several trips, we learned that our kids consistently traveled better earlier in the day (obviously useless info if you've already booked).

As a former frequent flier, I found that many if not most folks understand the occasional outburst and only get out of sorts when parents don't react to their kids' needs. That being said there are some real pieces of work out there that are just dicks; they are no different than the ones you encounter on the ground.

Good luck, stay calm and if all else fails remember that the flight will land!

[ShoshTrvls]

Ellery has been flying since she was 3 months old, from flights as short as 1/2 hour to a 23-hour marathon flight (inclusive of tarmac time and a refueling stop which prohibited disembarkation) from South Africa.

In addition to what has been suggested above, bring a change of clothes -- not just for the baby, but also for yourself. You never know how flights will affect your child (and it may be different each flight), and really, the last thing you or your seat neighbors is going to enjoy is being on a plane for 4 hours with baby vomit on your chest. (Trust me, learned this one the hard way).

Bring a small baby blanket. Airlines don't hand out blankets like they used to, the temps on planes are incredibly variable, and snuggling you baby in a familiar blanket is likely to help things immeasurably.

Also, ditch the big heavy stroller. It's a huge PITA when traveling, and at a year old, a crappy travel stroller will suffice, most will fit in the overhead bin, and in general it will make life much easier. (Most of the time, I just used the Baby Bjorn and didn't even bring a stroller, but with two people sharing the child-handling, a stroller is probably the easier way to hand off duties).

Finally, music often soothes the savage beast. While tiny iPod earphones are great for adults, kids don't tolerate them so consider buying an inexpensive pair of ear-muff type headphones to plug into an iPod, iPad, or DVD player.

[macdaire]

All great advice. I have brought my kids on flights that have ranged from 1-8 hours. The only missing suggestions is that I never take them on the plane early (when they call for people with families). No need to contain them longer than they need to be!
I would also not recommend giving the child benadryl unless you have done this before. My then 3 yo had a bizarre reaction to it. I gave it to him as a last resort.
Finally, ignore the dirty looks. I have had wonderful flights and awful ones. As long as you are doing all that you can you and your child have the same rights as the other passengers.
My last child is such a pro she now creates her own little bed once she gets on a plane. Those seats are perfect for little bodies!

[ACG]

I think my plans for taking my 85 yr old grandmother on a flight today would translate well for a child.

Bring toys - her poker machine
Bring back up entertainment - my netbook to hook into the on flight internet & play movies/shows for her w real headphones, not ear buds.
Plenty of snacks - her fave sugar free hard candies

Accept that everything I normally do with some kind of smooth speed will now take about 3 times as long.

I also almost never check luggage (I went to France for two weeks and only took a small carry-on), but I an checking my & her luggage so I only have to keep track of her (and not an additional 2 pieces of luggage).

Making sure both our shoes are easy off/on so I can quickly be done and available for her. I am bringing her socks with grips on the bottom so she can easily sit down and remove her shoes before we get in line instead of trying to take them off standing up in line.

Someone is meeting me on the other end at the luggage claim so I can pass her off & they can get her settled in the car while I hang around waiting for our luggage.

Good Luck.