Car Seat vs Restraint on Plane??

[wallawala]

Help!

DH has decided to take DD alone to see his parents (yeah him!!) in 2 weeks! I'm a wee bit stressed as while I've traveled alone with her, this is his first solo stint. It's a 2.5hr direct flight. MIL will pick him up at airport with a carseat. It's the same carseat we have, and I know she's had it prof. installed... so all good there.

He is planning on walking 6 blocks to public transport (subway) to airport with her, their bags in winter (snowy midwest). He has no intentions of bringing a carseat or stroller on the trip because his mom has everything there and realistically couldn't carry that with bags too.

What kind of restraint do we have to use on the airplane? In the past she's just sat in our laps. She's 15m and 25lbs. Prices were low enought that we justified buying her her own seat for the trip. DH is 6'5" and barely can fit his skinny legs into a single seat, and no way could keep a wriggly toddler on his lap the whole way. He's planning on strapping her in the seatbelt for take-off or holding her on his lap for take off at least (which is what we've always done).

I'm trying to convince him to drive to airport and just ignore the cost of parking for the weekend there, as I think his expectations of carrying her and stuff and stuff is crazy. He's used to traveling as a single guy!! I'll be out of town the same weekend (am leaving the day before), and we don't have any friends with a carseat installed that could drive him.

Are we crazy to NOT have carseat in her airplane seat?? Is the CARES harness appropriate? Please don't flame me, really looking for advice I can talk my DH into.

[Joolsplus2]

If she's in the weight limits for the Cares (doesn't it start at 22? I hope?), I'd do that. Otherwise he's going to have to hold her (he probably will anyway, wiggly younguns don't seem to do well in the Cares in real life, no matter what the minimum weight is). Plane lapbelts don't really have any protective effect before 40 pounds (though I used them for my 25 lb 2 year olds pretty well...but 15 months is a lot less mature than 2, so he'll NEED something to hold her down....you can't just put under-2's in plane seats without some kind of restraint, and I feel his pain about not wanting to bring a seat (though a snugride 35 or onboard 35 rigged to him like a backpack or something would be ideal, lol))

[Multimama]

Since you bought a seat for her, she's required to be sitting in the seat during take off and landing. If the flight attendants don't realize that she's a ticketed passenger, they might not insist on it. But technically, they can insist because that's where she's supposed to be and that's where she'll be safest. I'd go ahead and get the cares harness. It does start at 22 lbs and 1 year, so she meets the minimums. It won't fit great, but it will fit well enough and will help to send her the message that this is her seat and this is where she needs to be sitting for take off and landing, at least. For little babies I think a car seat is much easier because it's what they are used to and it's padded and supports them if they want to sleep (plus they can be facing you and won't loose their toys, which is such a bonus at that age), but if a carseat isn't an option I would definitely get her the harness.

[wallawala]

Thanks!!!

The CARES harness is ordered and on the way!

[mom2binsd]

So do I understand he's going to be walking 6 blocks outside, in cold weather with luggage and a 15 month old....hmmm, does he not think an umbrella stroller might be helpful, what about when there is a delay in the airport, how about when he's got to go to the bathroom, doesn't he think it'll be good to have her in a stroller??????

I think men who haven't traveled with little ones don't really think this all through. I understand not wanting to bring the carseat although even in your situation I would, I just think it makes for an easier flight.

So will you be enjoying a weekend to yourself??? That will be lovely!

[arivecchi]

I have flown with my kids quite a bit and this is what I would do in his case:

1) drive to the airport or take a cab

2) take a car seat - I just flew with my almost 4 yo and he behaved so much better this time because he was in a car seat. The CARES harness was a bust for us and a 15 mo is way too young for CARES IMO. I would suggest getting a Cosco Scenera instead. Super light, cheap and comes in a travel bag if you buy it at a B&M store. It costs about $40.

3) take an umbrella stroller and hang the car seat from the stroller

4) take one rolling bag with clothes for both

5) use one backpack as carry-on

I just did this last weekend with my 3 yo and it worked great. We have also used the Scenera with the 21 mo and he really does well in it when we travel with him.

[wallawala]

So do I understand he's going to be walking 6 blocks outside, in cold weather with luggage and a 15 month old....hmmm, does he not think an umbrella stroller might be helpful, what about when there is a delay in the airport, how about when he's got to go to the bathroom, doesn't he think it'll be good to have her in a stroller??????



Yup! It's like a scene from a bad movie "They won't ask for Directions..."
Men! I think the trip will be an eyeopener!

Keeping my fingers crossed that he'll wise up and just drive to Airport. I'm out of town for work at the same time, and actually arrive back in the day before they do... so I'd actually prefer to have car waiting for me instead of taking public transport and walking home.

I'll spare you all the details of our trip the winter I was pregnant and we got in late... did public transport and walked the last few blocks home. In not QUITE a warm enough coat. I was horribly, horribly sick ("morning sickness is a misnomer) and was puking in snowbank a parking lot yelling "Go on... save yourself". We can laugh about it now....

[wallawala]

I have flown with my kids quite a bit and this is what I would do in his case:

1) drive to the airport or take a cab

2) take a car seat - I just flew with my almost 4 yo and he behaved so much better this time because he was in a car seat. The CARES harness was a bust for us and a 15 mo is way too young for CARES IMO. I would suggest getting a Cosco Scenera instead. Super light, cheap and comes in a travel bag if you buy it at a B&M store. It costs about $40.

3) take an umbrella stroller and hang the car seat from the stroller

4) take one rolling bag with clothes for both

5) use one backpack as carry-on

I just did this last weekend with my 3 yo and it worked great. We have also used the Scenera with the 21 mo and he really does well in it when we travel with him.

That sounds like a great way to go! I'll have him read this. (and whisper... "Go on... Save your self" a few times)

The sad thing is we already OWN a Scenera. I will push this again. I can always return the CARES harness if I'm successful in talking him in to the Scenera. He could strap it to Al. Or maybe I can use this as and opportunity to pick up a Volo to keep Al clean! :hysterical:

[arivecchi]

I won't fly without a car seat again if I can help it. DS1 was so much better behaved in the car seat. He even slept the whole way on the flight back which he would never do when he sat on the seat because he was not as comfortable. I sold our CARES because he hated it.

Good luck convincing the hubby!

P.S. Don't fly with Al! ;)

[bubbaray]

The CARES harness was waaaaaay to big for my then-2yo last year. WAY too big. Useless big. We used a lap belt instead.

For a 15mo, I would take a car seat. And a stroller.

[Multimama]

Just for the record, since I posted earlier, if it were me I would also fly with a car seat. :) For all the reasons I listed, then the ones Arivecchi listed, and then the safety concerns too. When DS was that age I used a Traveling Toddler to attach the carseat to the roll-on and carried him in a baby carrier, but if she's not used to a baby carrier then a stroller is probably the way to go.

But if I for some reason couldn't (or in your DH's case just wouldn't) take the carseat and/or stroller, I would definitely take the CARES harness because it is true that they can require her to sit in her own seat if she has one.

[mom2binsd]

I have flown with my kids quite a bit and this is what I would do in his case:

1) drive to the airport or take a cab

2) take a car seat - I just flew with my almost 4 yo and he behaved so much better this time because he was in a car seat. The CARES harness was a bust for us and a 15 mo is way too young for CARES IMO. I would suggest getting a Cosco Scenera instead. Super light, cheap and comes in a travel bag if you buy it at a B&M store. It costs about $40.

3) take an umbrella stroller and hang the car seat from the stroller

4) take one rolling bag with clothes for both

5) use one backpack as carry-on

I just did this last weekend with my 3 yo and it worked great. We have also used the Scenera with the 21 mo and he really does well in it when we travel with him.

PRINT THIS OUT AND TELL HIM THIS IS THE BEST PLAN!!!!

It'd be easy to say do whatever you want and suffer the consequences, but you don't want DD to be uncomfortable, tired, cranky and possibly also make everyone around them miserable too!

[kbud]

I have flown with my kids quite a bit and this is what I would do in his case:

1) drive to the airport or take a cab

2) take a car seat - I just flew with my almost 4 yo and he behaved so much better this time because he was in a car seat. The CARES harness was a bust for us and a 15 mo is way too young for CARES IMO. I would suggest getting a Cosco Scenera instead. Super light, cheap and comes in a travel bag if you buy it at a B&M store. It costs about $40.

3) take an umbrella stroller and hang the car seat from the stroller

4) take one rolling bag with clothes for both

5) use one backpack as carry-on

I just did this last weekend with my 3 yo and it worked great. We have also used the Scenera with the 21 mo and he really does well in it when we travel with him.

This is pretty much what I do too. I use an Aria though and place the Scenera right in the seat and strap kid into Scenera that's in the stroller. Use a backpack for carryon so I can carry kid in one hand and Scenera in the other to board. I can also roll my bag while pushing the stroller one handed. I find it impossible to push an umbrella stroller one handed and steer so I do the Aria instead.

I've done this probably a good 20 times traveling alone with my kids. Works great. DH even says he feels like he's in the way when he travels with us because we have it down and it works so well.

At that age I always wanted a stroller so I could use the bathroom in the airport with out the kid crawling out under the stall!

Kiddos to him for traveling alone with a toddler! My DH won't even go to the store alone with a toddler! He's a great dad just not that confident alone with toddlers in public.

[connor_mommy]

If not a stroller than at least a carrier to put her on his back. Then maybe he could some how get the carseat to sit on his rolling suitcaser. And maybe use a small duffle for the carryon item.

[wolverine2]

The CARES was a bust for us too. It will make his flight SO much easier on HIM if he takes the carseat.

When traveling solo, I always had DC in the ergo, then used the umbrella stroller as a luggage carrier- put the carseat on, and then my carry-ons in the carseat-it fits quite a lot of stuff.

[suomi777]

15 mos is probably too young for cares. I flew with my 2 kids by myself to Europe when one was 3 and one was 18 mos, 26 hours door to door. I had the 3 YO in cares and the 18 mos old in a Sit N stroll--when we had a seat. When we didn't have a seat for the 18 mos old, 3 yo in the Sit n Stroll.

My hubby flew with both kids last spring, he strapped a Scenera on his back for the 2 yo and cares for the 4 yo, but I think he probably didn't even use the Cares and didn't tell me.

Enjoy your time alone! I spend my 5 days cleaning my closet like it had never been cleaned before--and it looks like junk now. I should have snuggled up and watched chick flicks.