Hi All,
This year we are celebrating Thanksgiving back in the US. We are really looking forward the celebration and my husband, my son and I will be flying in 3 weeks time. Zurich-JFK and JFK-Ohio. 13hours in total. I am starting to get worried because this is the first flight we do with a ‘walking son’. He will be 2 years at the end of Jan. I have already bought three games/toys for the trip, knowing that are the ones that he really likes in the kindergarten.
Considering that the flight is 13 hours, these are my calculations: he will be hopefully sleeping for 1h, eating for 30mins (x2), snacks 15m (x2), change of diapers 40 mins (10x4), transfer 1.5h, boarding 30m (15x2) and ‘first time’ usage of toys 30m (x3). All this leaves me with over 6hours to fill. I am nothing but scared . I am already having the hysterical laugh about it. My husband is quiet about it (bad sign….) I really need tips from someone who has already being in similar situation. He is very active kid and I am not sure how other passengers would take if I handover plastic full body suits with hats to protect their clothing from unwanted liquids, cookies, cereals and others…..
Perhaps I should look into buying his own seat (three rows, would be safer….) but it is rather costly solution....
Any suggestions?
Thank you very much!

Some older threads might be of interest to you:

Long-haul flights with young children

car seat or not for toddler on long haul flight?

Flying with a baby (1yo)

Is it advisable to fly with infant to another continent?

Any Advice? - Travelling with Baby

Travelling with two young kids on your own.

Air Travel for Baby

Flight with 2 babies, starting to freak out!

I havent had a problem flying i found that they slept more than i expected the motion, the excitement. If the aircraft wasnt full they always gave me a spare seat for the bubba that was on my lap to use after the plane had taken off and landed.

People seemed generally happy to entertain the kids when they peered over but obviously not all. you can walk up and down a few walks to the toilet helped pass the time. You have toys and snacks he likes i also took a dvd player to give so he could watch his favourite programmes.

In the airport beforehand we used to fly from gatwick there was a soft play area so we would let him run around but other airports we just let them walk around despite having the buggy so they were more tired before having to sit down for so long.

I know how you are feeling though as in march we have our first long flight with all 3 boys, 5.5, 2.5 and 1.. we will be flying to heathrow then on to calgary! I am going to buy a clippersafe belt which makes the seat more like a car seat harness with chest belt, hoping will feel more like the car in which he will happily sit for our 12 hour drives home with hardly any moaning!

Just remember it wont be as bad as you think and it is worth it at the end of it... ill be keeping an eye for any more tips though.

hey hayleyob!,
thank you very much!. I keep taking notes and read in the forum. There are also some great tips!.

I fly quite a bit (mostly alone, too) with my toddler. My top tips are:
- pack a take off / landing bag, something that you can shove under the seat in front and fill it with toys which don't roll (nothing more distressing for little one than dropping a favourite car and you being unable to run back three rows to find it because the plane is taking off) biscuits, drink, books and muslin cloths
- great toys for mid flight are; finger puppets (don't roll and won't hurt anyone if randomly thrown, plus fellow passengers sometimes join in the fun with a game of puppet peek-a-boo), ipad (there are loads of toddler friendly apps), one wind up car (put the row of tray tables down, fill the gaps with the safety cards and voila, a great race track), etch-a-sketch
- if you sit at the very back of the plane there are 50% less people to annoy, plus the air stewards will probably have more contact with you and play with your little one
- pack lots of nappies (a nappy change at 40,000 ft kills 10 minutes and gives your little one a change of scenery).

If he watches DVDs or likes listening to music or story CDs then take your whole collection with you!

Also in circumstances like this my concerns about a good diet go right out of the window. Mini bags of crisps (I get hoola hoop bags from the UK as they are nice and small; also cheddar snacks in small bags) get produced at regular intervals. Neither of my children like sweets but if they did I'm sure I'd pack lots of mini sweet packets too. And those purees in pouches are great .. particularly as they are less than 100ml per pouch so get through the no liquids rule at security.

A combination of new little toys, old favourites, DVD/story music CDs, lots of taking a trip around the plane, books, together with the activities you've already listed and I think you are as prepared as a mother can be.

Have a great Thanksgiving.

PS We once had turbulence for 2 hours with the seat belt sign on the whole way so child on lap. Sang every single nursery rhyme I knew again and again and again and again .... when it finally stopped a passenger infront popped his head up to say what a lovely voice I had and that French nursery rhymes were the perfect antidote to turbulence for a nervous flyer .. not sure anyone else nearby agreed mind you, they all kept rather quiet during this exchange!

Get a trunki ( http://www.trunki.com/ ) pack it with snacks, paper and crayons, a few small wrapped presents to be opened only after on the plane, a small blanket and lovey. I love it as the kid can ride on it instead of crying about walking, they pull it along like it's a game and, it's something filled with their own stuff which is often a win. That and a movie or cartoon series on the laptop to fill in the gaps works wonders.

The biggest challenge will be with the change at JFK since you'll have to collect your bags and go through US security all over again which will take 1-2 hours depending on what time you arrive.(Also recommend arriving 3 hrs prior to the Zurich end as there are extra hoops for the US bound flights, too). It will help if you have the OH along as we had a 3 hour layover in PHL with the plane 1 hr late and we barely made our connection due to all the security and hassle with the bags. It was nice being home, though. Enjoy thanksgiving! I'll be missing the turkey and all the fixings myself....

I had never heard of these until now. I opened the link, expecting to shake my head at yet another gimmiky toy, but am actually quite impressed. So long as no toddler actually runs me over at the airport, I would be quite happy to see them filling in terminal time on one of them - imagine the fun if you can find a not very busy, long, shiny floored corridor. I can also see a child being happy to roll their own way around, rather than be asking to be carried or put in a bulky stroller. Much better for letting off pent up energy and relaxing before a flight.

trunki .. they are selling a similar product (ride on animal shaped suitcase) in Aldi at the moment for around the 30 Chf mark .. was slightly fuming as bought ours in Manor last year for ALOT more!

Having just come back on a flight I can tell you how annoying kids can be.

Before you bite my head off though, it is not the younger ones that are the problem. People expect little kids to be restless some of the time so it is all part of the flying experience. Generally, any seasoned traveller has noise cancellation headphones so lives in a fairly cocooned existence on a flight.

What I find annoying in the extreme are those kids in the early teens who jump up and down in their seats ( particularly when those seats are in front of me! ) and their parents just let them be and do not admonish them or tell them to behave. I work as a teacher, so I am not afraid to confront such behaviour when I need to, but I shouldn't have to. It is awkward and not very pleasant for either party.

I once flew with my daughter ( who was 2 at the time ) from Abu Dhabi to Manchester and these are a couple of things that we did to try and alleviate the journey:

1. Have cotton wool present. Your child will feel the air pressure on his ears and this will cause him a large amount of discomfort. Plugging his ears with cotton wool will stop some of the engine noise and regulate some of the pressure differences.

2. Don't be afraid of picking him up and walking up and down the aisles with him. Ignore what the other passengers may think. The important thing is that your son is comfortable as that will mean he will not be cranky and will go to sleep ( hopefully ).

3. As other posters have said, have something that he enjoys watching. an iPad or something with movies on will make him much happier. I suspect that the plane will have something on there for him to watch but he might not like it.

4. Be prepared that his comfort is the important thing and that you might be uncomfortable for the flight. You and your husband can take turns amusing him so that each of you can get some rest.

Good luck and enjoy thanksgiving.

And think about the flight back!

Maybe that is why:

Malaysia Airlines bans babies in first-class

To be honest I would do all the things everyone mentioned, and also book him his own seat to wriggle in. We did the trip to New Zealand with an 18-month-old and were very glad of him having his own space.

Also arrange with your dh to take turns dealing with the little one, rather than both playing with him at once all the way. We did 30-minute turns I think. It gives you each a chance to relax a bit, and gives your little one some variety since Daddy probably has different ideas from Mummy. (just saw someone already sugggested this, so consider this another vote for it!)

We always pack raisins for take off and landing, for their ears.

Have fun!

Don't you need tweezers to get them out again?

They are a bargain at twice the price as it get so many comments and such from other parents in addition to being cherished by my daughter. She has a ball with it.

True story...once my BiL dropped us off at the airport in the US as he had an early morning flight, too, but in a different terminal. Later that day, he met a colleague who took a different flight and mentioned the horror of getting behind a woman and child in the security line but, amazingly, the woman was organized as was the child who had their own adorable carry-on. My BiL asked, did the woman look like a German in black with Docs and the kid look like something out of a Nordic travel brochure? When he said yes, my BiL informed him that it was his SiL and niece.

It's one of those brilliant ideas I wish I had thought of first. And it's my standard gift for parents of 1yo kids.

First off, let me just say...JEALOUS! Wish I was going home to celebrate Thanksgiving with my family. And what part of OH are you flying to? I've done the trip a million times with my kids since they were born (3 years, and 1 year). We do JFK, or Washington Dulles to CVG...and the good news, you'll be fine! My first advice..when you're checking in, ask if you can sit in the bulk head row. Usually you have to pay extra for this, but I've found several times there has been a lovely airline worker who takes pity on you and will give you this seat with extra leg room, for no extra charge. It's worth a try! Next, DO NOT take a diaper bag..pack a backpack with all you'll need to take with you for diaper changes (and dont' forget the extra change of clothes, and extra shirt for mom and dad). I found people really dont' like being hit in the head when you've got a diaper bag slung over your shoulder, and a baby in your arms...a backpack is ideal! And yes, lots of snacks, books, STICKERS, and the airplanes to the US always have kids movies playing during the flight. The most important thing..don't stress. IF your'e stressed, your darling baby will pick up on it, and it will just make things worse. Go into it knowing it's not going to be perfect, and it usually turns out better than you ever imagined. And, when you board, board LAST! Let your little one run around the gate waiting area like there's no tomorrow. And there's no sense boarding early and then having to sit in the plane while everyone else boards! With all the trips that I've done, I've found the most annoying thing is not dealing with the kids, but having to pick up your luggage at JFK, only to have to give it back, and then go through security again....with a kid (or two)!! SO ANNOYING! But! GOOD LUCK and have a wonderful flight, and make sure you stuff yourself on Thanksgiving day!!

Oh dear. Raining on your parade. We bought one for our 3 year old and it just didn't do it for him. Rode on it for about 30 seconds, and had no interest in pulling it anywhere! A better buy for him was a Littlelife mini back pack with a parent handle and lead (yes a lead!). There is no way I would ever have had a lead for my child until he ducked under the elasticated barriers in a very long security queue in Heathrow and ran for his life (he can run very fast) in totally the wrong direction scattering the security queues in all directions and with armed security men (and me) trying unsuccesscully (because we had to run round the barriers not under them) to chase him. He got all the way to gate 53.

When you are travelling, there are many times when as an adult, you need both hands free (to take your shoes off in this case) and a lead attached to a backpack that they cannot wriggle out of may not make him happy but I at least know that we will not be creating any other security incidents in a rather packed (and humourless) Heathrow Terminal 5.

Hee Mine's a runner, too, but I explained that if she ran too far or too far afield that she and I would both spend the night in the airport jail which made an impression as she now keeps her trunki close and doesn't leave it unattended (as the soothing airport announcer frequently reminds us not to do...). She's a way better traveller than I am, I am sorry to say as once we're in the airplane, I'm sweating bullets since I'm claustrophobic and she's just happily coloring or pointing out what we're not allowed to do until take-off.

I agree, though, that the trunki isn't for every kid but it certainly was a major win for mine....this after I swore I'd never fly with her again after flying with her in my lap at 18 months for two hours on a packed flight screaming the entire way.

Every kid is different, but I found telling my kid that I'm a completely terrible traveller and that I needed her to be good on the flight to keep my sanity has helped a lot. We're all people and I think kids are a lot smarter than we give them credit for, even at the tender age of two. I talk to her a bit too much like an adult maybe as I am flawed and I am ever so willing to ask for her help in situations like flying where I am rather unhinged.

And there is some sense in boarding early, especially on the long-hauls as you get to settle in a bit easier with a lot fewer people giving you a hard time. I don't use the overhead bins, but it's nice to be first on the plane with time to get comfortable before all the folks without kids arrive. Kids are always going to be wound up, but getting them used to the idea of needing to sit in a small space for 9 hours is helpful in my experience. On the short flights...it's less of an issue.

We always pack raisins for take off and landing, for their ears.



Raisins!!! He loves Raisins!! Another thing on the list! I am going to need the 'trunki' thing (x2)

DVD player! Saved our life many times and allowed us to have a nice meal out with the kids.

We bough one with 9 hours battery. It cover most of our trip which is also around 13 hours...

Plenty of her favorites movies and she is good for a while. She has crackers, toys, books, drawing, etc.

She also got a small luggage on wheel from Dora. She loves it and is proud to carry it around, which makes it easier for us. All her toys are in there.

Good luck!