Update in OP:Still want to fly alone with 3: it's the 1yo

[maestramommy]

Update: So Dh and I talked about it tonight, and he's making a case for me to take only Arwyn with me, and go for a week instead of two. He would take a week off work and stay home with Dora and Laurel. He is really afraid that flying with all 3 is going to suck so bad, that he'll end up reading about it on CNN:p Besides which, he's afraid we'll lose stuff just getting to the gate. Dora and Arwyn typically carry their own backpacks, but sometimes Arwyn gets obstinate and doesn't want to do it. I would also have to carry a bag just for all the entertainment. And of course, once I get to CA, it's still going to be so much work, that by the time he joins us a week later, I'll be in such a pissy mood he'll be quaking in his boots:tongue5:

I have to admit, the idea is so tempting I want to jump on flight tickets before the cheap ones disappear. Traveling alone with just Arwyn, now that WOULD be a vacation. Entertaining her would be cake compared to what I was gearing up for with all 3. I think Dh enjoyed traveling alone with Dora so much that he's thinking this may be the way we visit out there for a while. At least until Laurel is a few years older.

Thanks everyone for all the suggestions! Even though I won't need a DVD player now, all the other suggestions were great!


I'm still wanting to fly to CA in Feb with the girls to visit family and friends. I'm thinking of going for 2 weeks, or actually 1.5 weeks, giving them a few days to recover from jet lag before going back to school. Dh just took Dora to San Jose for a long weekend for a wedding. He said she is a most awesome traveler. She even flew without her carseat on the way back and seemed to be more comfortable that way. So I may check the carseats for her and Arwyn, and just use Laurel's.

Here's my problem: It's Laurel. She listens really well, will most likely not run off in the airport, and actually is still agreeable being worn. The trouble is, she hates sitting restrained for too long unless she is tired and needs a nap. After several car rides in the last two weeks it seems to me that that one thing is the biggest challenge when it comes to considering cross country travel. And when she is unhappy, she screams loud enough to shatter glass. We have ear protectors now for the rest of the family, but Dh is actually concerned that she could cause such a ruckus the plane would make a forced landing and we'd get kicked off. Obviously since my attention isn't taken up with driving I can do everything possible to keep her happy, but what will that entail? We have flown with the other two, but they are just not the same personality.

My sitter has noted on certain days when she's extra cranky, continuing to feed her keeps her happy:p. She likes "reverse engineering" toys, but I'm not sure what would be a good idea to bring on a plane that won't scatter and get lost. I'm going to try and choose a flight plan that gives us a decent layover so all the kids can move around. Arwyn is pretty good, but even she gets a little squirrely. Thank goodness she's pretty mellow, so she won't fuss. So it's really Laurel. She will be 20 months when we go, if we go. I'm hoping Dh can join us for the second week and fly back with us.

One of my friends is a former flight attendant who flies back and forth to CA with her 2 DD all the time. She told me just to expect that it will suck, because it never will not suck. And I'll be okay. I'm prepared to do that, but I don't want it to suck for the other 50+ passengers as well.

[egoldber]

One of my friends is a former flight attendant who flies back and forth to CA with her 2 DD all the time. She told me just to expect that it will suck, because it never will not suck. And I'll be okay. I'm prepared to do that, but I don't want it to suck for the other 50+ passengers as well.

I agree with your friend. My younger DD is very much like your youngest. Flying with her at that age was truly torturous. She HATED to be confined. Honestly, I let her out of the carseat unless it was take off or landing. She would scream and scream otherwise. And while it's nice to be considerate of other passengers, really it is not your job to give them a pleasant fligth experience. If you need to get from A to B, then you gotta do what you gotta do.

I agree to feed them. A lot. Food is the best distraction. Pack lots of fun snack type food. Depending on the airline, spend $5 on a snack pack from the plane too. Crackers that comes out of a random box for the FA seem a lot more fun that what mom packed from home LOL!!! :) Pack empty sippy cups and fill them with juice and water on the airplace to keep spills down.

As for toys, I like to bring coloring books, and large crayons/markers/pencils and a smaller number. It's easier to keep track of 4 large crayons or an 8 pack of colored pencils than a 24 pack of small ones.

Also, I now load TV shows and music onto my phone. Watching things on the tiny screen is pretty entertaining for many kids!

[Clarity]

Also, I now load TV shows and music onto my phone. Watching things on the tiny screen is pretty entertaining for many kids!

Definitely this. We have several apps on our Itouch & IPhone for the kids (even the 25 month old) and it will keep them occupied for some time. We also have a video or downloaded that they can watch. We don't watch a ton of tv, but all bets are off when we're in a car or plane.
When I traveled with my kids, I packed some lift the flap books, a doodle pro or similar, lots of snacks, oh, and a doll with clothes. Undressing a doll is something that my kids just can't resist. HTH

[maestramommy]

Okay, I should probably clarify right now that we don't own itouches or iphones. In fact, the only electronics we own are our dinosaur cellphones. Dh has a laptop that he brings if we get really desperate to show DVDs, but it's his work laptop so I can't bring it. So whatever I bring has to be of the non-electronic type.

[egoldber]

Honestly, I would look into something. Maybe borrow one or think about an older/used one? I never needed that type of electronic entertainment for older DD, but for younger DD, it was incredibly helpful in making travel with her tolerable.

ETA: I'm not syaing it has to be iPhone/touch, but something. And especially something that they can use/handle on their own. That makes a big difference to my DD to be able to use it herself.

[Clarity]

Honestly, I would look into something. Maybe borrow one or think about an older/used one? I never needed that type of electronic entertainment for older DD, but for younger DD, it was incredibly helpful in making travel with her tolerable.

ETA: I'm not syaing it has to be iPhone/touch, but something. And especially something that they can use/handle on their own. That makes a big difference to my DD to be able to use it herself.

The 8G Itouch is $156 at Amazon right now which is a pretty good price and would have the space you need for some apps and a few videos. If you can afford it, I'd snap it up. It's worth the price when I'm traveling.Truly.

[ha98ed14]

And while it's nice to be considerate of other passengers, really it is not your job to give them a pleasant fligth experience. If you need to get from A to B, then you gotta do what you gotta do.


I understand this reasoning, BUT if you really think getting kicked off is a possibility, there is no way I would chance it. Also think about this: If you buy 4 plane tickets, which you will need to do if you use Laurel's car seat, what kind of configuration are you looking at here? Are you going to fly first class, where there are four seats across? I could see that, I guess, because you could put D&A on one side of the aisle and sit with L on the other. But if you intend to fly coach, the places are usually three across on both sides. Who is going to sit by herself alone?

If you plan to sit Dora by herself, I would call the airlines and make sure that they will allow you to let a child that young sit separately from a passenger who can attend them. Do you trust the neighboring passenger to assist her with her face mask? Do you think that she is well behaved enough to last on a 3-4 hour flight and disturb the person next to or in front of her (kick the seat?) Not trying to say your girls are ill behaved, but if she were to be a problem the people around her and Laurel is screaming, you are going to have a lot of enemies on that flight. If that happens and you do need a stranger to assist you, even in a non emergency situation (watch over L or entertain her if you have to take D or A to the bathroom so she doesn't scream) I would not trust that the people sitting in my immediate vicinity would be to happy to help. If you plan to page the flight attendant to take D or A to the bathroom, what if you get a male flight attendant? Are you comfortable enough to let a man possibly pull down her pants? Are you willing to say to the man, "No, please I would like the female flight attendant to take my DD to the bathroom?" What if they do #2 and need help wiping?

These are the things that would worry me.

[AnnieW625]

These toys saved us and are much less than an Itouch. DD1 is very much entertained by putting things together and taking thing apart too, but these toys also seemed to fill the void because you could push buttons and make noise.

Elmo remote control (http://www.amazon.com/Fisher-Price-Sesame-Street-Sounds-Remote/dp/B000LT1D56/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=toys-and-games&qid=1289231678&sr=1-2) (this saved us on our trip to Wyoming, which was a 2 hr. plane ride, and then a 4 hr. drive with a 15 month old, so although we did have a break in the middle it was still like flying cross country because of the time DD1 spent confined to a seat).
Parents Cell Phone (can't find a photo of it online, but they sell them at Target for about $10)

We have this for our refrigerator and while it is annoying DD1 really did like it and the pieces are big enough that you can easily find them if they drop in the seats. Leap Frog Fridge Farm (http://www.amazon.com/LeapFrog-Fridge-Farm-Magnetic-Animal/dp/B0001X0DR6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=toys-and-games&qid=1289231764&sr=1-1)

I don't know if it is an option, but have you considered a red eye? I never thought I would do it, but when we went to Boston when DD1 was 2/1/2 it worked out well. Our flight left at 9pm and it arrived in Dulles at 5 am so DD1 slept for most of it, we got some time to walk around and then boarded the last leg of the flight at 7 am and were in Boston by 9 am. It worked out quite well. We flew Jet Blue from Long Beach to Logan via Dulles. The return trip, non red eye was much more of a hassle for her.

[egoldber]

BUT if you really think getting kicked off is a possibility

IME of having been on many, many flights where mine :o or someone else's child screamed the whole way, I think the chance of it happening is pretty much zero.

[ha98ed14]

IME of having been on many, many flights where mine :o or someone else's child screamed the whole way, I think the chance of it happening is pretty much zero.

Probably so. I have flown a lot with DD, but she is a fusser/ whiner, not a screamer. And there is only one of her, so in that respect, I have an easier time of it.

I have a question: Has anyone ever been in the situation where their seat assignment had DC sitting alone, and the check in people could not change it, and you had to wait 'til you were ON the plane to get a seat with DC. This happened to me with DD, and while I know that no one wants to sit with someone else's child, I was so worried that I would have a hard time find someone to switch with. I did, but I wondered what happens if no one is willing to switch...

[maestramommy]

IME of having been on many, many flights where mine :o or someone else's child screamed the whole way, I think the chance of it happening is pretty much zero.

Oh, well it's just that there have been a couple of very well publicized instances of a family getting kicked off a SW flight (we will take SW) for an unruly toddler that I was pretty concerned. I'm not sure if it was because they wouldn't strap the child in, or also because the child was screaming non-stop.

ha98ed14, the plan was to sit Dora across the aisle from me. I assumed it was permissible, because when I posted about this possibility months ago, numerous suggestions were given for me to sit with the two younger ones and have Dora across the aisle. However! I will certainly check with SW now that you have brought this up.

I once flew alone with Dora when she was 14 months old, and the flight attendant was very happy to keep an eye on her when I went to the bathroom. When I got back she was holding Dora and said she started to cry. I am counting on that same goodwill if I have to take one or two of the girls to the bathroom, or if I have to change Laurel's diaper. I really have not had any bad experiences with flight attendants. They have always been so awesome and understanding.

[hellokitty]

DS3 is almost the same age as Laurel and I totally get where you are coming from. Our only saving grace is that he LOVES tv, so if I am desperate to keep him happy/quiet, the tv is my last trick. Does Laurel like tv? Is she does, then borrowing/buying an itouch as others have suggested would be a really good idea. My DH downloaded a bunch of movies onto our itouch and cell phones and it has helped to keep the kids at bay when snacks/toys were not doing the trick. And yes, the snacks will help a ton, just keep giving them if it keeps her happy. Do not feel like you are the only one with a child like this. We were on the plane with a toddler who screamed and cried so much, she threw up all over the place. The plane did not turn around, lol. I do understand though your concern that it could happen to you. I think that all parents of young children now probably cross their fingers that they won't be the ones that get kicked off a plane for their child.

[theriviera]

This thread is so helpful! My 18 mo DD sounds a lot like Laurel. We flew a month ago and it was terrible. We had "that kid" on the flight. I will definitely be taking these tips!

Question (and sorry to hijack) - does anyone know how to get dvds onto a ipad/iphone?

OP: I think it will be tough but everyone has lots of great ideas! I know it's gross but DD liked to play on the floor where our legs are. it kept her entertained for a while (well, 15 minutes which for her is a while!)

good luck!

[niccig]

I have a question: Has anyone ever been in the situation where their seat assignment had DC sitting alone, and the check in people could not change it, and you had to wait 'til you were ON the plane to get a seat with DC. This happened to me with DD, and while I know that no one wants to sit with someone else's child, I was so worried that I would have a hard time find someone to switch with. I did, but I wondered what happens if no one is willing to switch...

Someone didn't want to switch and I told them that DS gets airsick and would need help with the barf bag...she moved pretty quickly then. :innocent:

[hellokitty]

Someone didn't want to switch and I told them that DS gets airsick and would need help with the barf bag...she moved pretty quickly then. :innocent:

Ha ha! Love it! That is a great tactic.

[wencit]

I flew alone from SF to Boston with my 2 kids last month, and my youngest is almost the same age as Laurel. He is also my "difficult" child, so I was really dreading the flight. Surprisingly, it was not too bad. He did sleep for a couple of hours, which was a nice surprise. I kept him occupied with stickers, the in-flight magazine (peek-a-boo was a hit for a while), a few toys, food (I even broke my own rules and gave him a lollipop at one point), ice (wow, I never knew the power of fascination that ice holds over toddlers). I was also fully prepared to get up and walk through the aisles with him if the flight attendants would allow. I bookmarked this page for lots of ideas to entertain toddlers: http://www.momsminivan.com/index.html. It's geared for road trips, but you can apply many of the same ideas to air travel.

Good luck! In the end, the flight will not last forever, and you will land eventually, someday, right? I'm planning another trip alone with the kids back to CA next month, so I'll let you know if any of my advice changes! ;)

[maestramommy]

DS3 is almost the same age as Laurel and I totally get where you are coming from. Our only saving grace is that he LOVES tv, so if I am desperate to keep him happy/quiet, the tv is my last trick. Does Laurel like tv? Is she does, then borrowing/buying an itouch as others have suggested would be a really good idea. My DH downloaded a bunch of movies onto our itouch and cell phones and it has helped to keep the kids at bay when snacks/toys were not doing the trick. And yes, the snacks will help a ton, just keep giving them if it keeps her happy. Do not feel like you are the only one with a child like this. We were on the plane with a toddler who screamed and cried so much, she threw up all over the place. The plane did not turn around, lol. I do understand though your concern that it could happen to you. I think that all parents of young children now probably cross their fingers that they won't be the ones that get kicked off a plane for their child.


Thanks Hellokitty! Laurel likes TV, but only for short periods. She doesn't even have the attention span to sit through a short Dora episode, or any video for that matter, that is longer than 15 minutes. However, I am thinking that breaking down and getting a DVD player might be a good idea. IF I could sit Dora and Arwyn together, it would hold their attention for a LONG time. OR, has anyone put all 3 kids in the same row, and sat across the aisle from them?

An idevice is out of the question because 1) my kids get obsessed, and 2) they can't share or take turns for something like that, so 3) fights would break out, and that would defeat the purpose of getting one in the first place. I remembered that we actually do have an ipod Nano that plays video but the screen is the size of a postage stamp, so even more of a problem. Besides, I don't think it would survive the trip in Arwyn's hands:p

[longtallsally05]

Mmm...this is a tough age to fly with, no matter what goodies you bring along. After a very long, sleepless intl trip with DD @ 17 months, I finally understood the urge some people have to beat their kids senseless...NOT that I'd ever do it, but now I get it, IYKWIM (don't flame me)!

As to what to bring, I suggest a sense of humor, an iPod video, loaded up with lots of short cartoons eg. Oswald. Also, books (eg. I Spy), Crayola color magic, and things you wouldn't ordinarily give her to play with such as pen & paper or calculators (b/c she'll be totally fixated and you'll be closely supervising her). Try wrapping up new toys in gift wrap and putting them in a rolling mini backpack just for her. My DC have enjoyed their little backpacks as much as the toys I've put in them.

Snack traps and drink deputies are good to have. Bring savory AND sweet snacks. Get ready to play lots of peek-a-boo and sing lots of songs (increase your repertoire now). Don't be shy, as you'll be entertaining everyone seated around you too, so smile! Get a good night's sleep the night before you leave; it really will help in the patience department. Happy trails!

[longtallsally05]

I strongly urge you to consider the iPod video over a portable DVD player; it is much more compact, lightweight and easier to travel with, IME.

[Sweetum]

they're not going to land if a child is screaming too much! yes, they might not talk to you very nicely or repeatedly tell you to control your child, but really it's a child and there's nothing you can do about it.

I haven't read all of the posts, but here are some suggestions:
- do take small walk with her every half hour or so
- if you have an iphone or a laptop, do play her favorite videos
- take some adult chocolate or candy and hand it out to ppl around you if you think she's been screaming too much and make it "worth putting up with the screaming"
- if you can, find an adult around you who loves kids and let her engage your child (with you there, of course) - as you can probably tell, this happened to us. This lady loved playing with DS and he loved to play with her - playbuddy match made in heaven!
- like PPs said, lots of food, esp the treats.
- books worked for a while for us.

ETA: I should give DS some credit - he did beautifully on a recent trip to NY. On the way back someone even gave him a balloon since he was so quiet!

[maestramommy]

bump for update

[egoldber]

Besides which, he's afraid we'll lose stuff just getting to the gate.

He can get a pass to help you through security to the gate.

Just keep it simple, only one small carry-on per child and just make sure that they are a size and shape that they can all be either worn by you or slung onto a stroller.