Hi moms! I need advice! In about a month I am traveling with my 18 month old! 7 hour flight to Texas! Any tips? He won’t sit still for 10 minutes normally. I just bought him a tablet, but is there anything else I can do to help with entertainment, ear pain, or the general comfort of him and everyone else on the plane?! Thanks so much in advance!
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Snacks blanket and a toy and download shows if you let them use your phone or pad.
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Snacks, gum (for ears), a small backpack he can carry with colors and coloring books. Have some new apps in mind to download that he hasn’t played before. Download some shows or movies on the tablet as well. I also booked my son a window seat for his first couple flights. He loved just looking at the clouds.
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Suckers for take off and landing so his ears don’t pop, pack a little backpack of new little prizes.
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Bring sippy cup and snacks . Anything for him to suck on will help with the ear pain . Lots of activities . I use to go to the dollar tree and make a goodie bag for each of my kids as a surprise for them when we traveled . It had snacks and activities for them to enjoy . Also , other People will most likely enjoy helping entertain the child . Lots of luck !
His own seat with his carseat. It’ll be more ‘normal’ for him. Lots of little toys and snacks for distractions!
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Bring a sippy cup (empty of course) and fill with water before your flight. Have him drink during take off and landing to help with his ears. Bring crayons, color book, reading books that you can read to him and maybe some play dough
Bring mini liquor bottles and pass them out to anyone sitting around you and apologize in advance for any issues that might arise because of the toddler.
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I have one of those lol. If you travel with Alaska they have screens not sure if all airlines do. I recommend buying safe headphones for a quick movie. I took a backpack with, crayons, stickers, coloring books, small note pad, the magic boards they sale at target for like $5. I had snacks, literally all kinds, goldfish, crackers, skittles or baby dry yogurt, peanuts, bottle of toddler formula. Surprise him. Also, my pediatrician was ok with zarbees melatonin. I don’t use it unless I travel.
Good luck I have same situation going from uk to oz. We taking our tablet for him to watch and also theres some sensory games he can play we downloaded.
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Travel at night. He might sleep
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Flew from Germany to USA with a two year old and 3 yr old. Food, drinks, and toys that dont make noise, gum or sucker for take off and landing. Also the section just behind first class is a little bigger and he can play in floor there
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I travel with my son from Newark to Seattle before heading to Juneau. My son was 22 months. I had a tablet, snacks and his own seat( though I know I didn’t have to). I magnetize coloring board is good too. Oh stickers.
I travelled a lot when my kids were toddlers. First no nap and be hungry when boarding. It will make them fussy but that is okay - fussy helps wear them out. Let them run all over airport before flight who cares what others think. Then just as the flight takes air let them eat and drink out if a bottle (preferred because of the sucking) or sippy cup. It helps with ears. No sugar or caffeine. The hope is they sleep most of it. They should eat/drink on landing too if awake. Children can take dramamine so take some with you just in case it gets bad. It helps with sleep and nausea. Lastly, if they have even a slight cold prior to the trip take them to doctor and tell doctor about flight. A cold can easily become sinus infection from flying.
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Buy a seat for him and put him in his car seat!!! That’s the biggest tip I have to offer. It will save you sooooo much trouble.
Is he good while being in the car seat? We brought my daughters car seat on the flight & she knows she can’t get up. She watched tv, colored, slept, & played on the tablet. She did great!
Take children’s Gravol. Not only will it help fend off motion sickness but can also help him sleep. Bring chocolate/ treats for flight staff (tip 2 rows of seats, 6 staff, 3 rows, 8 staff), they’ll appreciate it a lot and be more willing, wanting and offering to help you when needed.
Take his car seat on the plane. I know under 2 doesn’t HAVE to have a seat but it’s 100x easier if you do. Lots of snacks tablet small toys. Put the snacks in small zip lock bags that way if one gets spilled you have more. But as a lap baby it’s horrible. Buy his sear
Snacks!!! Just when you think you have enough snacks back some more!!!
Sippy cup for his ears. And download some movies or shows. When I went my daughter was under a year and she was so amazed by looking out the plane windows
Go to your dollar store and get him little “gifts” to open each 1/2 hour or something. Something new to entertain him every once in a while. My little guy loved the paper clips and sticky notes. He spent hours sticking them to things and connecting the clips. Busy play even in a crowded space 
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I had a doctor tell me to give my child Benadryl to make them drowsy and hopefully sleep most of the time, it works and won’t hurt him!
Definitely buy him his own seat and use his carseat. I’ve done international flights with my kids under two and this was a life saver.
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You know the pill containers for pills??? Get some and portion snacks for the plane ride 
will work!
Coloring books, crayons, a toy, blanket, as for ear pain sucking on something helped my girls during take off and landing.
Omg i would try to tire him put as much as possible so hopefully he would nap part way… Maybe headphones?
Having a drink to swallow may help with ear pain
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Last I knew, they had to be in their carseat…but, a pacifier and sippy for ears, no naps til the plane takes off, snacks, headphones, favorite toys, baby friendly coloring supplies, building blocks, blanket to snuggle, battery/portable DVD player…
Chup a chup to suck on during lift off and landing.
Colouring in. Reading books
Tablet and my son loves his little toy story figures. We just took a 16 hour trip with 18 month & 3 month old
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i took a 5 hour car ride with mine i learned my lesson she screamed the last two hours of the drive there and back so the next time we made the trip i asked the doctor what to do. He told me travel at night and to give her melatonin or if we had to travel during the day try to schedule it with nap time. So i wore her booty out we drove there at night and drove back during nap i got her up at like 5 am she normally sleeps until 9 amd we didnt get into the car until i couldnt keep her up anymore she slept all the way. As far as ears go if he takes a pacifier or sucks a sippy cup that will help
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Yes!!! Search Pinterest for busy bags and hit a dollar store. My first long flight with my first, I even wrapped the new ‘toys’ from dollar store to help kill time.
Our 4ish hour flight turned into 8hrs bc of a bad storm, so we couldn’t land. We had to circle, fly elsewhere a to get fuel. I had plenty enough snacks and milk. I had to share food and milk with Another mom for her kid
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Get a CARES harness! It’s the only FAA approved one that turns the plane seat into a 4-point harness seat and they can’t get out of it.
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Pay for a seat for him and Use a carseat
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Download movies if you can - those were a lifesaver. For Christmas my daughter received one of those large water doodle mats, so I found a travel-sized one. Crayola color wonder is great - the pens only draw on special paper. If he has any favorite toys, let him bring a couple on board.
Stock up on snacks like crazy!
Anything chewy that he can have if his ears get stopped up. I started flying for an hour to two hours by myself at age 5. And the pain wasnt to terrible but there. The part that messed w me is by the time i got off the plane to meet my mom or dad whichever way i was going was that i could barely hear so it made everything so scary and its was a rare somewhat unknown situation. And i would fly 4 or more times a year at 5 and up. But chewing is supposed to help your ears getting stopped up but i was old enough for gummy stuff or small pieces of gum. They make those pacifiers with that little mesh bag to put food in… That might be worth a shot to keep the jaw moving.
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I made sure that my kids were well exercised before our flights. We had a four hour delay and for that entire time we ran around and played with our 20 mo old. She met everyone she had so much fun and by the time we were in the air she was fast asleep. Best you can do is let them burn off that energy so they’re ready to sit still and watch a movie or read with you. When we got off the plane she she had woken up and everyone said bye to her. My mom was very impressed at baggage claim.
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Look on Pinterest! It has tons of great ideas!
Definitely agree to have something to suck on for their ears as previous comments mentioned. #BestAdviceEver!
Best to choose a flight that would usually be at his bedtime
Drug em haha just kidding 
… His favorite blanket and paci and a few of his favorite toys
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I used benadryl for my son but mine is special needs and would have acted out bad. His dr suggested it.
I took a road trip with my 6 month old! We traveled from MS to AZ! He did great!!! We took books and plenty of snacks. That was 12 years ago though lol
Took my 3 week old on a 4 hour trip from AL to MS and he slept the whole way.
Fly when she is most likely to sleep, if give Benadryl to help… then it will be easier to entertain for a few hours rather than the whole time.
For getting through the airport easy my husband wore our toddler and we pushed our carry on bags in the stroller, which they checked at the gate! Make your life as easy as possible, keep snacks in an easy reach spot, baby tylonal in case wars pop, blanket cause it gets cold! And footy pjs so you don’t have to worry about kicking off/loosing shoes & socks. Good luck!
When taking off be sure to give him a bottle or pasi to suck on to help with ear pain and popping!
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Please dont give him benadryl… my doctor told me not to even use it for allergies. It can also make them hyper instead so it could completely backfire
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Take something he can suck on, like a pacifier or something. It will help his ears a lot.
Snacks! Snacks are a life saver. Pack things you might not let him have at home. Gummy snacks are great for the ear popping.
My kids loved playing with washi tape. They don’t get to at home, it isn’t very sticky and it’s small and can fit easily in your carryon.
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WINDOW GUMMIES are the best! Also a bag of fruit loops and pipe cleaners!!! Keep a their hands and mind busy!
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For ear popping worries since gum is a no go for a toddler
Comfy headphones for said tablet
Have the baby suck on a bottle,nipple,or sippy cup while taking off
I also recommend to travel during night so he can be sleeping 
it will be very tired for you but honestly is better for your toddler’s comfort
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A lot of snacks, the tablet is going to be a life saver and some sort of headphones that will stay on his head, toys like a rubix cube whatever will keep his hands busy
When my cousin travelled with her twins who were 16 months at the time , she just took headphones , a tablet , and pencils and paper because drawing really helps keep your mind off of all the stuff going on , also I read that Benadryl is great to take as long as they’re over 12 months … helps them relax and sleep.
Good luck 
Go on Amazon and look up buckle toys. I tried linking it on here but couldn’t. It was really great for my 2 year old grandson when he traveled he’s a real busy bee also
a little coloring book and crayons
If he has his own seat bring the car seat on.
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Dont? Lol I’m kidding sort of.
Portable dvd player was what saved us.
Our girls started traveling at 6 months old. With 2 babies I learned a lot! Keep toys in the carry on under the seat that you can easily rotate. Snacks too. A binky or even water will help with take off and landing. Any small activities are great. My best advice at that age is buy him his own ticket, don’t do a lap baby!!
A sucker is the best for taking off and landing to help with the ear popping. Lots of snacks, books, pillow, blanket, take a stroller with you and they will take it at the door of the plane and return it when you leave so you don’t have to worry about carrying the little one and all your stuff. Makes it so much easier. Shoes that slip off easily for when you go through the dectors. Organized bags because they will go through all of it. You can bring sippy cups but they will test the contents when you pass through security. I bought my daughter her own seat for the plane and that saved me on a lot of head aches. Because she did not want to sit on laps. If you bring a tablet make sure everything is downloaded and you don’t need wifi, unless you’re going to pay for the plane’s wifi. If you’re taking a late flight buy coffee before all the places inside the airport close, because I didn’t and regretted it when I ended up getting delayed 5 hours.
Come prepared with an unhealthy amount of his favorite snacks.
- Most important is to buy him his own seat and bring a car seat to strap him in. Find a cheap light weight one at Walmart or on Amazon that is FAA airline approved. Light weight is key because you’ll have to carry it through the airport. We bought one for $50, 3 lbs and use it as our travel seat. Being in car seat is way easier to fall asleep than in your arms.
2.Bring a light weight stroller to get through the airport safely without him running away. You can gate check it once boarding. - LOTS of snacks: goldfish, fruit pouches, Cheetos, lollipops (give him one right at take off and landing for ears), bring a sippy cup for water, cookies, really anything he deems as a treat that you can use for bribery
- Toys: get a few from the dollar store you won’t mind breaking or losing on your trip, cars, play dough, doodle board, coloring book…
- Pain meds because you never know what can come up and you don’t want to be without help if a fever arises.
- Tablet, iPhone…anything with cartoons if your flight does not have a personal tv on the seat
- Extra change of clothes and a light weight blanket to snuggle with
- Portable Sound machine
Panadole/ fanergan just before you board this is npt to drug the babie it help relax them if this is first time experience. On take off give bubb somthing to suck on to help with ears
Use a baby carrier that you can strap to you!
Melatonin gummies 30 minutes before your flight takes off. 2.5 mg
They have ear plugs for toddlers and bring their favorite toy
Purchase him his own seat for starters because that’s safest but also you can strap him in to contain him.
Bring snacks, coloring book, small toys etc switch things in and out to keep them exciting and new.
Sucker for take off, favorite blanket/stuffed animal or something.
And ear plugs for everyone on the plane!