J.M.

I'm very nervous about the plane ride to Germany. We have a 2 year old and flying non-stop from Dallas might takes it's toll on him, us and fellow passengers. I recieved some good tips in a different post with a diffeent subjet title and thought I might be able to get more tips if it had a message title of it's own. We have purchased a mini dvd player to take along and entertain - battery will only last us 2 hours...which leaves 7. We would love it if he slept, but being a particular sleeper he may just stay awake the whole way. Yikes! So please, any advice would be helpful. Thanks.

amy

Benedryl works wonders. Just don't overdose.<BR><BR>Passengers will put up with a lot if they see parents "working." Any parent who says quite loudly, "No, we will not play with the trays and no, we will not kick the seat of the person in front of us on this trip," will score big points. <BR><BR>Think of something entertaining to do with trips up and down and up and down and up and down the aisle (until the Benedryl kicks in). Suggestions: Let's see if we can find people who look like Grandma.<BR><BR>My kids were very "treat" responsive. I would pack little snacks--Goldfish, Teddy Grahams, etc.--in tiny containers for them to open as breaks between games, coloring books, and reading books.<BR><BR>Too bad you have a "he"--I often did "makeovers" on the flight. That took, let's see, about 15 minutes off the clock. At 2-hour intervals.<BR><BR>Heck, J. M., I'm sweating just thinking about your flight!<BR><BR>Just so you know, my kids were never easy travelers at 2 (though we were ultra careful they did not disturb others then and we "worked" as mentioned above), but they were wonderful at 31/2 and they are dreams to travel with now at 11 and 16. If the flight is rough, just think about the long-term effects!<BR>

greg

We took a two year old across other pond. We gave her a little new doll, took small books, several activity things. She slept most of the way both ways, BUT, she could not get comfortable enough in her seat so she had to stretch across our laps. WE were uncomfortable all the way!

Linda

Been there, done that. Take lollipops to suck on during takeoff and landing. Pack extra batteries for when the first ones wear out. Pack snacks and juice boxes so you don't have to wait for the flight attendant when he gets hungry or thirsty--he won't die of malnutrition if they're not 100% healthy this one time--just make sure they're his favorites.<BR><BR>On any long trips when my children were this age, I always packed "mommy's desperation bag"--some new toys hidden away that were doled out at difficult moments, so they had something fresh to distract them.<BR><BR>Once an hour (as long as he's awake), get up and walk up and down the aisles. It's hard for little ones to stay seated for so long.<BR><BR>A parent's magazine once said to keep in mind that, once the novelty of flying wears off, children are basically being asked to sit quietly in a crowded room. If you keep that perspective--from your child's point of view--in mind, you'll do fine.

J.M.

Your tips are great!!! Lots of ideas I haven't thought about. Thanks a bunch. I like the snack idea and the "new toy" trick.

kfferg

Don't forget that toddlers love hidden things... I would pack tupperware containers stacked inside of one another with little goodies inside... McDonalds toys he's never seen, etc. I used to go to the dollar store and pack inexpensive items (not noisy ones though) that made great surprises.... Stickers can be fun if they are put into a book. Don't forget to bring on board his favorite thing to sleep with. And changes of clothing including his PJ's. Good luck!

Deepa

Depending on how much you travel and how much your child like watching Barney and the likes, it may be worthwhile investing a portable DVD player. Very helpful in the hotel room in the evening as well, after a long tiring day.

Cristina

I have done the long haul from Siena to San Francisco 3 times since my 4 year old was born and the one thing I know works is to wrap "presents" to be opened once an hour or 1/2 hour. Last trip I brought 36 of these presents just incase the 1/2 hour rule didn't work. The presents were puzzles, washable pens with paper, playdough, etc. Small portions of each. It was a life saver.<BR><BR>Oh important, if you order the child's menu, make sure they do not include candy. On Alitalia last year they gave 4 candy bars in the child's menu. Thank goodness daughter was playing with a puzzle and didn't see me swipe them. There is nothing worse than a child on a sugar high cooped up on a plane.<BR><BR>Oh and as someone else said, be a working parent. Make sure that you do not let your child run the aisles, kick the seats, etc.

Kim

Along with the DVD player, don't forget headphones. That way your little one can hear his movie w/out disturbing other passengers. You might also consider books w/cassettes.

CBE

We took our one year old to Europe this summer. We picked up a couple of new toys which we gave him on the plane. In terms of video, several airlines now have personal seat back players that allow you to pick the movie when your battery runs out. (You may also want to buy a second battery. Eventually most DVD player batteries need replacing anyway after 500, or so, recharges. Might as well get one now.)<BR><BR><BR>You may also want to request the bulk head row. We did this with our son and were able to set up a little play area on the floor in front of the window seat.

Jan

Hi there,<BR>Yep...I can understand why you are nervous. I have done this several times and it is hard work! We used the hour rule with treats. I also bought very little toys etc. to unwrap. It gave them incentive to behave, a new distraction and was a life saver. They don't need to be expensive things. I also brought bubbles and made sure that it was OK with my fellow passengers when I brought them out. They were fun and the other passengers enjoyed them as well!<BR><BR>Psych yourself up and don't let the little things get to you. If you remain calm and in control, chances are he will behave better also.<BR><BR>Good luck,<BR>Jan

Laura

Other than to bring children to meet overseas grandparents, why do people travel with young chilcren? They can't possibly appreciate anything so young, it's a lot of work for the parents and it's not so great for other adult passengers. They would be better off left with family back home until they are older.

Cristina

Laura, children can appreciate their new surroundings very well. As for other adult passengers, if the parents are parenting, the children should not be a problem. Too bad more of the adults who fly do not have their parents with them to reprimand them for their bad behavior.

Bobbi

I have to tell you.....if I'm trying to sleep on a flight and I have a parent saying very loudly, "No don't do that, no, don't do this" and tramping up and down the aisle playing a game, I'm going to be pretty annoyed. It would not go a long way with me. Quietly entertaining a child (and being prepared) with a mind that most people on the flight want to sleep, goes a long way with me. A side note on going up and down the aisles: sometimes turbulence on a trans-oceanic flight can sneak up on you. After, a partcularly tramatic bounce a few years ago, the only time I'm without my seat belt is when I'm in the loo. In that instance, the drink cart hit the ceiling, imagine what a 2 year old would do.<BR><BR>And please......do diaper changes in the rest room. I had a woman in front of me change her kids diaper on the tray table. I thought I was going to be sick......especially when she ate off of that tray table later.

trying

Take fluids. The "presents" worked well. Take him on a tour of the plane. Try to wear him out in the wait at the airport (so he sleeps, assuming it is an overnight flight). We found the trip back (during the day) more difficult, because he didn't sleep. Bring a mixture of old favorite toys and new ones. Bring lots of new and old books, too.

SA

Aha, the non-parents speak up. As for some of your very inaccurate comments. My daughter is only 4 months old & is constantly 'checking out' her surroundings, etc. & already loves being outside. If you don't have advice (as asked) please keep your uninformed opinions to yourself. One thing is we always try to use miles to get bumped up to 1st or Business class, much more space. We all hope they'll just sleep but that never seems to happen. Good luck & don't let the nay-sayers bother you.

Sally

I agree -- unless it is to visit Grandma or an emergency I really can see no reason to travel internationally with a 2 yr. old. We told our child that she could travel with us on long flights as soon as she could entertain herself with a book or something like that for 13 hrs. straight. She took her first international trip with us in grade school. (And by the way, was old enough to appreciate it) Let's face it, a 2 hr. old is barely capable of appreciating Disney World.

Linda

I've done the Seattle to Frankfurt trip 3 times alone with my son. I still cringe when I think of the first 2 times when he was 19 months and then 2 years. The last time at 3 1/2 was much easier! <BR><BR>Two things that worked really well for me was a little tube of mini M&M's. I doled them out to him one at a time and that was good for 20 minutes of entertainment in that last horrible hour before landing. The other thing he really LOVED was a small fan I got at the dollar store that had a light and small vinyl blades. He couldn't hurt himself, the batteries lasted the whole trip and he had a blast turning in on and off.<BR><BR>I tried the Benadryl trick the first time but even though he slept with it great at home it just got him going on the plane. I just couldn't seem to push him over the edge into sleep no matter what I did. In 22 hours of travelling he slept 1 hour! Children's Nyquil seemed to work better the second time and he slept for 3 hours.<BR><BR>If he's a button-pusher, try taking a small strip of duct-tape and putting it over the light buttons before he ever sees them. That way he won't be constantly turning the light on and off disturbing the other passengers. Also, I always start a flight by nicely apologising in advance to the passengers in the seats in front of us because I know that no matter how hard I try, he's going to kick that seat at least once. They've always been gracious and told me not to worry about it, escpecially after I ask them to let me know if he's doing something to disturb them.<BR><BR>What really made a huge difference on the last trip was to book a window and aisle seat and upon arriving at the airport explained to both the check-in agent and the gate agent that I was travelling with a toddler and was it possible for them to block that middle seat. We got the empty seat both times and what a blessing!<BR><BR>One tip I can give you, and I'll probably get blasted for it, was to take a narrow 6 foot leash for him on the first and second trips. I didn't use it on the plane, but when stuck in the airport it was great. Since you can't leave luggage, strollers, etc, etc, unattended and I didn't have help, I was able to attach the lead to his overalls (most comfortable clothes for travelling, BTW) and sit with our stuff while he had a six foot radius of safe walking space. It sounds a little barbaric, but he enjoyed wandering and getting the between and after flight jitters out and most importantly it was a safe way for him to move about.<BR><BR>And for those of you wondering why on earth I'd travel alone that much with a toddler, my husband was stationed in Kosovo for a year and couldn't get enough time off to travel all the way home. The second time, we ended up moving to Germany, so I didn't have much choice. <BR><BR>So, good luck, get a good night's sleep the night before, and most importantly keep a sense of humor!

Sally

Bless you Linda. My husband was in the military in the 70's and I flew a lot of MAC flights with dependents with children. It looked like a nightmare. Your tricks are all very smart with safety for your child and the comfort of other passengers in mind. Good luck!

Mom

I read this on another board and it worked well for me: scotch tape and small pieces of coloured paper to stick together. In fact just a piece of tape can be fascinating to some kids!<BR>Ignore the "ugly" posts above about not travelling with kids because they are a pain to other travellers or won't take in what they see. Some parents don't have anyone they can leave their children with even if they wanted to go on an adults-only trip.