plane travel with 6mo and 3.5yo - alone!!

[cgmom]

Hi there,

I've already read some great advice on travelling by plane with lo's. I'll be travelling with a 6mo and a 3.5yo, and I'll be alone with them. It's a 5h day flight, but I've asked to book a baby crib and they don't have one available anymore!!

I was wondering if anyone has any specific tips on how to manage the 2, and any unexpected problems they've encountered in similar situations, so we can be as prepared as possible?

Lo is bottle fed and we have just started her on solids, shoudl I skips the solids for the plane and just stick to bottles?

ANy tips on how I can get her to nap on the plane? I was wondering if I could get her to lie down on my seat and just hold the older one?

Any tips woudl be greatly appreciated, as you can guess I was really counting on that crib...

[Deb_in_oz]

i would take a sling / baby pouch on board and wear the 6 mo old. your arms are then free and not tiring and baby can nap in there - you could even try doing laps around the plane to lull her to sleep long with the whirring sound of the flight. i woudl only bother with the solids if she is in a growth spurt or a very hungry baby, otherwise i would do it before take off (maybe in the lounge area) or when you get to your destination (unless you need a distraction on board and then i woudl just bring a simple jar of a single food like apple or pear puree)

suggest taking your 3.5 yo to the toilet before boarding as you wil get on bord and then be able to do so until cruising altitude...and seatbelt signs off. also instead of boarding firs when they give families that option it is sometimes good to get on last so your time in seat is lessened. i woudl let baby have floor time in the waiting area while you wait to board (i alsways put a blanket on the carpet and let her play for a bit)

don't hesitate to ask the staff for help - whether it is getting your 3yo a drink or snack or getting something down from the overhead bin etc. if they have a moment they can help.

[cgmom]

Thanks! I hadn't thought of having floor time for the baby before the flight, I'll definitely bring a blanket for her!

Would you take the sling instead of a buggy? I dread having to fold it/unfold it for security, while making sure the older one doesn't run off, but I don't think I can carry her in the sling for hours before the flight either. ALso, she's never really liked the sling when she was a little baby, now that she can face out and see the world she loves it, but she is a touchy baby when it comes to sleep, can only hope to get 30min out of her if not in a darkened room/her cot, lovey and swaddled! Shoudl I try her facing me agian for naps? Still have a few weeks, will practice at home!

Any games/toys ideas?

[Deb_in_oz]

well when i was alone with alex at 4mo (australia to US and back alone) and again at 11mo (NY to london alone) i had te stroller and the pros were i could walk her around in it for a little attempt at sleep etc and i coudl put stuff in it while i carried her at one time, but mostly it was a hinderance with the security issues. BUT then i had her in a pouch at one point on the trip and she was even asleep and they made me take her out of it to run the bjorn thorugh the xray machine - either way there are pros and cons.  but i only had her then - with the 2 kids i think i would go the sling so you can load a cart with the luggage and stuff and have the baby on you.  when we travelled with both kids (with dh each time) we often had youngest in maclaren and oldest sitting on the pile of luggage on the cart (you do whatever ...)

toys /activities - baby - rattle, small toys; 3.5yo: stickers, colouring book and new crayons, doll, books, small toys you know she likes.  mix it up with food - so play for a bit, then have a snack, then read a story, then give a toy, snack etc

we have always spent time walking around - they like to look around (even babies) and people like talking to them etc. win win.

i am gearing up for a trip in 7 weeks involving flying to paris via seoul.  this will be new since they are now 5 and 6 1/2yo.i have put aside such a stash of stuff to bring though LOL i always over prepare and i swear 1/2 of it does not get touched. always get used = stickers, colouring supplies, books, etc

[jess, lukeys_mom]

hi there,

i just wanted to add something about the sling/carrier to help manage your expectations - in all flights i've taken in the last year, i have had to take my lo out of the carrier for take-off and landing and put the seat belt on. this has been so annoying as dylan was napping for one of them and of course waking him up caused a crying fit. they insisted though because with baby n a carrier you can't get into a brace position.

do you breast feed? i have used breast feeding for APOP on planes, it has helped a lot. we also always travel with a pillow for our laps so that there is some soft cushioning rather than our seat belts etc. here is a link with some travel tips i wrote out last year, hope it helps http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=152008.0
x

ps for your 3.5 yo, i don't know what kind of kid she is but my 3yo does not like head phones on planes, the little ones that stick in his ears. i bring my own headphones which are ones made for kids and can be used in the plane. the kids' shows and movies keep him very occupied (like a zombie in the airplane seat! lol)

[shivi]

hi..

Have travelled alone, albeit  a shorter 3 hr flight with my two 3 times, a fourth coming up, since Emma was 3 mths so Oscar was almost 3 yrs. I found the earlier flights quite easy  - Oscar is a seasoned flyer and LOVES planes - stickers, colouring books, aquadraws etc yes and varying the activities and keeping something special for when all goes haywire.

BFing helped too, APOP here as well  - but I don't think I will get away with that this time unless she is really OTd as we only now feed am and pm.

At 6 mths we flew just around the time of intro'ing solids and I just skipped them for the day - flight was around 12 so we were in my parents for 5pm and left our house at 9am....it just wasn't worth the hassle.

Yes - bring your bigger child to the toilet before you board but don't be surprised that they want to go with the cabin crew at least 5 times more for the fun of the airplane flush mechanism - O was at this at Christmas at 3 yrs 8 mths!

Lots of baby wipes - lots of rubbish bags - disposable bibs if the LO spits up  - hmm,....I always tend to get on first with mine, they need time to adapt and I like to plan where to put essentials in the seat pockets etc so as O can be as independent as possible during the flight esp when I am trying to get E to sleep.

Food faves for the older one so they won't have a tantrum about things not being "just so" or due to hunger etc. And you may be lucky that your older LO may make friends with another child who is travelling alone with 2 parents and decides he wants to spend a great deal of the flight playing dinosaurs with the kid in the row behind!

good luck and let us know how it goes!

S x

[cgmom]

THanks soo much for all the replies, I'll probably end up taking everything with just in case (baby carrier, stoller), was even thinking to try an actual sling as she really loves being swaddled for naps and when she was little and napping on us she'd bury her face in us, which is a bit difficult in a babybjorn.

We don't bf anymore and she really refuses the bottle unless she's hungry, so I'll have to time that well. On the other hand she does take a dummy, so hopefully that helps during the landing.


They've booked us a window and middle seat, and there will definitely be someone in the aisle seat, they told us the flight is full. Would you say its better to swap to have the aisle seat instead of the window? I was thinking that I'd rather be the one doing the disturbing than have to get us all up whenver the person needs to go to the toliet?

[Hester]

I would swap the window seat if the person is ok with it... too much disturbance and now you can get out whenever needed to go for a walk. Go for a lot of walks! I went on a 10 hour flight with my two (alone) then they were 2 and 4. Don't expect to get ANY rest .
In addition to what has been said, I brought presents. Maybe this is anidea for the 3.5 year old? I went to the dollarstore and bought 10 presents each. (one for ech hour on the flight) I didn't end up using them all, but any time they were getting antsy, I'd say PRESET TIME and they would unwrap another little thing and played with it for another 30 minutes... Movies worked as well...

HTH!! Let us know how it went and if it gets though, just keep repeating to yourself, it's only 5 hours, it's only 5 hours....

[jess, lukeys_mom]

i am going to add one more thing too and not to freak you out - but in traveling with my two i have found that the flight was pretty much fine, it was getting through the airport that was a nightmare. the security checks especially - at one point luke ran off (he doesn't usually do this but was just playing) and i had to grab dylan and run out of the secure area to get him. then no one would take dylan for a second so i could undo the stroller and help luke - they are not allowed! (this is in US). so i would prepare very well for this too. shoes completely slip on/off for everyone (they even made me take dylan's booties off! he was 7mo!), no belts, as few things out of bags as possible, liquids nd baby foods impeccably packed and all in one bag. if you have formula, even just powdered, take that out and put it through. i have been stopped 2x before and had to have my bags searched due to having a "possible liquid substance" in my bag. (that was in uk both times).

i think having the stroller is a good idea too. you never know how long it will be from check in to the plane itself and you'll undoubtedly be lugging a diaper bag and various things for your 3yo so better to not break a sweat with a baby on you too! X

[cgmom]

Thanks for the warning, jess, lukeys_mom, i was also thinking that my older one will undoubtebly decide to run off somewhere, so I'm thinking reins or something to keep her loosely attached to me without freaking her out? We're in Europe and from previous flights I think they're more lenient when it comes to liquids for babies, but good plan to have it all packed in one bag so we dont need to unpack it all. Are they really not allowed to hold your baby? How on earth am I supposed to fold stroller, hold baby etc all with no free hands? I'll be doing plenty practicing at home before that!

If you have a textile sling on you, do they still make you take it off and go separately through the metal detector?

[jess, lukeys_mom]

If you have a textile sling on you, do they still make you take it off and go separately through the metal detector?

I've had both. In Amsterdam where I live, it is pretty lenient. In UK everything comes off, shoes too. I don't know whether all the European airports are the same in terms of holding baby, etc.; But yeah - peoples' unwillingness to help put me in a really bad mood! I asked another passenger to help me, which is always something that can be done.

[shivi]

yes - the stroller has to be folded and x-rayed here, but not in Dublin....whereas in Dublin I had to throw away any sippys of water, only sealed bottles or jars allowed but here I just had to taste it or let the kids taste if already opened...

I think I have had to take the sling off to be x rayed.....

great advice everyone...now scared at the prospect of Emma running off so will be rooting out my sling!

S x