Wednesday, 27 June 2012

Top tips for flying with a toddler


Travelling with a toddler *screeeam*. No wait, it's not that bad. Or at least it doesn't have to be. Having lived in China for three years we were often flying backwards and forwards to the UK and elsewhere and what started out as a ramshackle make-shift affair eventually became a military operation. Our last holiday abroad was to Walt Disney World in Florida and I finally managed to put all our experience into action. So here's my top tips for flying with a toddler:

#1. Request a booster seat.
If you're flying with Virgin Atlantic request a booster seat that comes with a 5 point car-seat style harness (and if you're not flying VA it's worth checking with your airline if they offer the same service). The booster lifts a small toddler up high enough to be able to see the seat-back television screen and keeps them snugly secure during the flight. As the harness is something that Curly Girl is used to wearing in the car she settled right in. It also has the bonus of not being able to be undone by little hands so that you can rest easy if they, and therefore you, decide to take a nap.

#2. Prepare a goody bag.
A goody bag is an essential piece of kit to take with you on the flight. Even the most tv fixated toddler gets bored of wall-to-wall cartoons so a goody bag of small, inexpensive toys can provide a welcome distraction. I also add in a few old favourites that I sneakily hide away for a few days. Seeing them again is like meeting an old friend! I tend to ration Curly Girl to a few toys each hour and usually have enough left over to use as emergency toys throughout the holiday. On our trip to Disneyland Orlando, the goody bag included:
  • two small bean bag Disney characters (we bought a set from Disneystore before we left and gave her one each morning before we set off to the Disney parks, much cheaper than buying the toys in the gift shops) 
  • sheets of different stickers 
  • wirebound plain paper A5 pad for scribbling and sticker sticking 
  • pack of washable crayons (don't need sharpening) 
  • - when you turn them over they make a picture of Thomas = instant puzzle 

#3. Take familiar food with you.
If your holidays are anything like ours they start with a very early start indeed. Curl Girl ate her breakfast an hour earlier than normal on our last trip and was hungry again by 10am. So I packed a bag with (fairly) healthy snacks (yoghurt raisins, breadsticks etc) that she could graze on while we were on the road and at the airport. Once on board the plane it's usually a good two ours before the first meal is served (and with Curly Girl there's no guarantee that she'll eat anything the airline supplies) so I also packed a mini-lunch for her with toast, a fruit pouch, banana, custard pot, crackers and cream cheese so that she could eat when she needed to. Getting over-hungry and over-tired are the two main factors in toddler melt-downs on flights in my experience. Unfortunately there's usually too much going on for Curly Girl to nap when we're travelling but as soon as we arrive at our destination I try to get her straight into the new time zone and back on schedule. It can take a day or so but it's worth it for everyone to get a good night's sleep when there's so much excitement during the day.

#4. Relax the rules.
Ok so I don't let Curly Girl watch too much television at home. And chocolate isn't an every day staple food. And that's fab when we're at home in a familiar environment with all things being equal. But when you're travelling all things are most definitely NOT equal. I'm not suggesting relaxing ALL the rules (as I mentioned above I believe that maintaining as much of our normal bedtime routine as possible is important to give some stability) but we do flex 'em a bit. So a bit more tv than usual is cool and the treats are, well, a bit more abundant than normal too. But that's what being on holiday is all about.

BUT - as soon as we're back at home the schedule is back with a vengence. I try really hard to get everything back to normal as soon as possible and Curly Girl feels secure that she's home again where she knows what happens when. It's not for everyone, but it works for us.

Do you have any top tips for travelling with toddlers? Or with a toddler and a baby? I'd love to hear them - leave me a comment below!

Image(s): FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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  7. Cat Parrott26 April 2013 10:55

    I'm taking both boys to Seattle in July so this is fab advice, thanks.

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  8. 26 April 2013 10:55

    Have a fab trip! Would love to hear your tips on travelling with two when you get back - I'll be flying with a toddler and baby in February :D

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  9. Cat Parrott26 April 2013 10:55

    One question I did have is what's the deal with pushchairs and checking them at the gate? Is that something I have to arrange beforehand or do I just turn up with it?

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  10. 26 April 2013 10:55

    We checked our pushchairs at the gate until Curly Girl was able to walk there comfortably. You need to tell them you want to do this when you check in and they will attach a special ticket to the pushchair. Be warned though, sometimes the pushchair is automatically taken off the plane to the luggage carousel when you land so if you need to have it at the door as soon as you get off the plane, let them know this too.

    I'd also recommend that you use a pushchair bag like this one from Kiddicare - http://www.kiddicare.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/productdisplay0_10751_-1_98454_10001.
    It helps to protect your pushchair or buggy somewhat. Good luck!

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  11. MidlifeSinglemum26 April 2013 10:55

    All good points - thank you. My tips for flying alone with a baby or toddler are here: http://midlifesinglemum.blogspot.co.il/2011/05/travelling-alone-with-baby-or-toddler.html

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  12. Louise Lloyd26 April 2013 10:55

    Great idea of a blog post! We have been flying with B Lloyd since she was very little and have to say have been doing pretty much the same as you! She loves going on a plane and see's it as a huge adventure. We always have a "goodie" bag of new things in, simply stickers, colouring pencils, little notebooks to draw in that sort of thing. Definitely agree on the snacks as it helps to be able to pull something out when they are getting restless!

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  13. 26 April 2013 10:55

    Glad you relate Louise!

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  15. LagosMum26 April 2013 10:55

    This is perfect, thank you. We're on a long haul trip to Bali in a month, which involves taking 3 separate flights. Eeks! The hardest thing is carrying everything!

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  16. 26 April 2013 10:55

    Hello? I hope this comment comes up - I coudnt see the others. Some really good tips here. Little A hasn't been on a long haul flight yet, and I want to put it off for as long as I can. having said that alot of what you recommend applies to short trips too - like taking lots of games, goodies and distactions with you!

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  17. Anne26 April 2013 10:55

    Good tips here. One I have switched to is bringing along those little single packs of hand alcohol wipes which are more convenient through airports these days than the little bottles of hand sanitizer.

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  18. 26 April 2013 10:55

    Oh that's a great idea, one to add to my list!

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  19. 26 April 2013 10:57

    ooh great post, we're flying this weekend and this reminded me to get an activity pack together! Ours is only a short flight but by the time you put travel to and from the airport...eeek!
    My tip would be to always check car rentals before hand. Ours didnt accept debit cards even though we'd paid with one! Many are credit card only when picking up the car. This could be disastrous to rectify with tired kids in tow after a long flight!

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  20. 26 April 2013 10:57

    Glad you liked it and great tip! You're right, it's not just the flight, it's everything around it too.

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