We did it…. We flew a trans-Atlantic, 8.5 hour, flight with a toddler (she’s 20 months but we’re counting her as a toddler). Jack was optimistic and I was very nervous/stressed going into it. I should have learned after our first flight with Baby Fuller to not stress out so much, but I couldn’t help it. This time around she is a lot more mobile, she needs constant stimulation, and she doesn’t sleep as much. Three big hurdles I didn’t think we’d be able to easily overcome. Well, again I was wrong. Baby Fuller happily surprised me and was very good for the most part, that girl seems to be a natural born traveler, which is good for us. 😉
Now that we have officially experience a flight to Europe with our daughter, here are some things that helped us ensure that we had a smooth, or as smooth as we can flight, with a toddler
- Book a flight over nap time or a red eye
We purposely booked our departure flight to be a red eye. Now, we did that for 2 reasons. The first, selfishly we wanted to not waste a day flying and to land at a decent hour. But the second and more important, was to have a flight that was during bedtime in hopes that Baby Fuller would sleep. Our flight departed at 7p, which is about the time Baby goes to bed. We had hopes that maybe she would be tired and zonk out. This didn’t really work as she was so excited about being in the airport and then the airplane. Unfortunately, she then got overtired and cranky and cried for about 20 minutes on the flight while people were trying to sleep. But she did eventually sleep for about half the time which was great. One mistake we made was probably the screen time when we got on the flight. Learn from us and try to stick to your bedtime routine as much as possible. Also, try to limit stimuli as to get them to wind down. If you do this, you should have a chance at having your little get some shut eye.
- Plan for activities outside of screen time
Baby Fuller watches some TV at home, but we try to limit it. We brought her kids tablet and made sure to download episodes from her favorite shows so it was all ready. We (Missy) also picked up a couple activities/toys to play with. I’m glad I did that because while she watched her shows for a little bit, she wasn’t glued to the TV. It would be a show or two, or maybe part of a movie and then she was bored. I went to the Dollar Store and picked up some stickers, coloring books and crayons. She loved those activities, and they kept her busy for hours. Another thing that I was shocked she thoroughly enjoyed was a busy board. There are 100s of versions, so just type “busy board” in search and you’ll find a nice affordable version. They vary, but it’s mostly zips, buttons, clips, clasps, etc. meant for littles to work on their fine motor skills. Baby Fuller LOVED this. She played with it for hours and still continues to play with it at home. Where it came in most handy was on the train and plane when she was in a confined space. If your child isn’t into any of those options, find some sort of fidget activity (that doesn’t have too many pieces or too messy) and bring it with. You both will be so much happier not having to rely on solely screens to keep them occupied.
- Pack all essentials in your changing bag
This seems like it should be an obvious one, but it still makes sense to cover it. Everything you need for little, diapers, wipes, pacifiers, bottles, cups, toys, etc. should be in your diaper bag. At least enough to get you through the flight. We had enough diapers and wipes to get us through the flight, along with her water cup, milk cup, snacks, tablet, and toys. Yes, her diaper bag was kind of bursting at the seams, but it’s so much easier to have everything in one place. Within the diaper bag, pack a side bag, think like a clutch, with a few diapers and wipes. That way you don’t need to dig around your bag while you’re on the plane and can grab something quick and easy for a diaper change. So, lesson here is to first think about what you will absolutely need for the flight and then to organize your diaper bag accordingly. A plus, is that diaper bags travel for free and don’t count towards carry-ons or personal items.
- Have extras of essentials
Another thing that should be obvious but should still be covered is to pack extras of all essentials. Diapers and wipes and formula/breast milk or any item that is an absolute need to have extras of, especially in the air. Each child and each trip are different, and you never know how it will affect your child. Just do yourself a favor and be prepared so you’re not sitting there with a crabby baby in an overly saturated diaper that is about to blow out.
- SNACKS ON SNACKS
We touched on this one on an Instagram post, but legitimately, bring so many snacks. I had a gallon Ziploc bag filled with all ready to eat snacks. I did this for a couple reasons. 1. I wanted to make sure Baby Fuller had her favorites/comfort foods in case she was acting up. I did have to whip out some yogurt covered raisins on our departure flight when she wouldn’t stop crying. You gotta do, what you gotta do. 2. I wasn’t sure if we would be stopping at the grocery store the first day after we landed so I wanted to be prepared in case. 3. We were hoping on a 3-hour train ride straight from our flight and didn’t want to have to worry about what we were going to do if Baby Fuller was hungry. And 4. I honestly wasn’t sure how the meal situation would be on the flight. Baby Fuller technically had a ticket, but since she was under 2 she was able to sit on our laps and therefore I wasn’t sure if she would be getting a meal. Well turns out she didn’t get a meal, which is fine we shared, and they gave us extra snacks and milk for her whenever we asked for it. I’m sure if we would have nicely asked for an extra meal, they would have gladly gotten it for us, but she wasn’t accounted for. Remember that, so you’re not planning on the airline feeding your little if they’re under 2. Her diet wasn’t the best while we were flying, but we made it work.
BONUS TIP:
Again, like in the last blog I posted…. Be prepared to bring so much luggage. I feel like until she’s old enough to pack and manage her own luggage this will be an on-going theme. Just embrace it now. It will happen. Plan accordingly and make sure you’re able to manage everything between the adults.
BONUS BONUS TIP:
I touched on this, and it’s more travel tip than flight tip, but bring the a stroller. Seriously, your future self will thank you. When littles are on the move, it’s so much easier to operate when they’re in a stroller. And this also doesn’t count towards your carry-ons or personal items.
My last parting piece of wisdom, like the previous blog about flying with littles is to not stress. Much easier said then done as I will probably be stressing for each flight we take with her until she’s an adult. But, for the most part, people are humans and understanding that a child will most likely act up some and it’s ok. Try to remain calm and tell yourself that it’s only temporary. If you’re prepared beforehand it will help, with your anxiety and also help keep your little occupied and happy. You know your child best, so use the tips above as a guideline and go from there. If you have any additional tips, please message us to let us know! Happy flying!