travelling with an almost 2 year old
 

Will be gong to Maui in March with our almost 2 year old. This will be the first time we have flown with him. Would love some tips from people who have done this.

Use the search box at the top of this page and type in things like "traveling with toddler" etc. There are lots of post on this subject.

Hope this helps...
Debi

First and foremost, if you weren't planning on purchasing a seat for your child, I'd strongly recommend that.

I always had few, inexpensive
"surprise" toys for the kids to open. We could usually find some unique toys at the nicer toy stores. Lots of little snacks. A DVD player if your child would watch. A couple of books. Your child might be a bit young, but we would bring loads of stickers and decorate the back of the seat in front of us. They easily peel off the fabric without any problem.

Best wishes, and have a great time in Hawaii.

We have 3 little ones, ages 5,5 and 2 and we have flown with the twins since they were about 5 months. I suggest you invest in a portable DVD player, and take plenty of snacks with you. At 2 you do not have to bring your car seat on board, but I found this to be helpful because he will be familar with his own seat, this may even help him take a nap during the flight.

Oh,YES, I forgot under 2 they are free still, make sure you pruchase his own seat. We didn't when our kids were free only for short flights like less than an hour and a half, but for sure for a distance flight like going to Hawaii I would purchase his own seat.

Stuff your carry-on with more snacks, drinks, diapers and distractions than you think you could possibly need! This is a challenging age to travel with, and they do get very wiggly. I've traveled quite a bit with my two at this age, and that was when I loosened my rules for sweets, allowing them lollipops and other goodies to buy some time. My husband and I traded off entertaining the kids so one of us could read, which was nice. I purchased special entertainment (stickers, books, small magnet boards...) just for the trip, and pulled them out as needed, reserving a few things for the trip home. I also packed some favorite snacks in my checked-through luggage so I'd have something for the trip home in case I didn't get to a market.

Also pack a change of clothes for the plane in case your child spills - I can't tell you how many times that came in handy for me. A helpful website is familytravelforum.com, which lists all kinds of tips and destination advice.

Bedtime familiars! Blanket, stuffed animal, night light, pillow....
Have fun!

For beach vacations I bring clean empty deli containers, margarine tubs, etc...and a small plastic shovel for sand play. I can leave the containers behind at the end of the trip.

We took our daughter to Hawaii when she was 3. All of the above are good suggestions (especially buying their own seat). My wife also brought along some games and various sizes of decals that were made out of thin vinyl that would stick to flat surfaces (like the tray or wall), but simply pulled off when you were done with no residue, etc. She must've spent a couple of hours turning the window into different patterns of "stained glass". The FAs were amazed at how entertaining (and clean) they were.

We've been traveling with our 5 year old since he was just a few months old.

Your biggest enemy is boredom. Keep him occupied and he'll be happy. Bring some snacks. If he is a good sleeper, no reason to think he won't nod off on the plane.

If within your budget, his own seat is always better. But, sometimes it isn't practical. For that reason, I suggest getting a bulkhead seat. We would let our son (and his younger sister) play on the floor in front of us.

When our kids were younger, we learned take away a few of their favorite toys a few weeks before traveling and break them out en route. That usually worked fairly well.

If it's within your budget, a portable DVD player is a GREAT asset. They have gotten fairly reasonable (under $100) for a lightweight model with a 3 hour battery.

If your child is fairly adaptable in general, this shouldn't be a big deal. But, make sure you have something a bottle even, in case his ears hurt. A lollipop works just as well if he's off the bottle.

One strategy that we employed with our son was to have one of us board with everyone else (or even early, if they'll let you) with all the gear, to get situated. The other adult keeps the child in the airport and runs him as much as possible up until the very last instant. (When people in the boarding area start to get scarce, let the airline rep know that you're there and ask him/her to let you know the last possible second to board.) For my son, the sitting still before takeoff part was the worst. After that, he did fine - and all the other suggestions from other posters will take good care of you after takeoff.

Traveling with young kids can open up so many possibilities - have a great time!