If your baby has become mobile, you’ve got a whole new set of challenges. When you have just learned to walk, sitting for long periods of time is entirely unacceptable. Flying with a toddler is not the same as flying with a baby but totally do-able once you adjust your expectations.
Booking the flight
Children are free until the age of two as they can travel on your lap but if they are approaching their second birthday you may want to consider buying a seat for them anyway. A toddler can get pretty heavy on your lap and they will have space to lie down for a sleep on a seat. Either way, consider choosing an aisle seat as your little explorer will want to take a lot of walks up and down the airplane. A night flight may be your friend here as a sleeping toddler is easier to deal with. Find a non-stop flight if you can, as layovers are no fun for a cranky toddler.
Passport
If you’re traveling overseas, you will need a passport for your toddler. Domestic airlines do not usually require any identification although it is a good idea to check when booking your ticket. Passports are reasonably straightforward but you need plenty of time, so if you need one make sure to book the appointment as soon as you know you will be traveling.
What to pack in your carry on
Anti-bacterial gel and wipes as you just know she is going to touch everything. Plenty of snacks and water – pouches are great as you don’t need a spoon and she can feed herself.
Diapers – if you’re in the middle of potty training, get some pull-ups. It won’t set them back but it will make the flight less stressful.
Think about taking something your child can suck on during take-off and landing to help with ear pain, like a drink or some gummy candies.
Toys – a few small favorites and a few new ones to whip out when you can sense an approaching meltdown. A coloring book and crayons is a classic, as is a lift-the-flap story book. Finger puppets you use to tell a story are engaging. Shape sorters are also fun. Toddlers love getting into things, so wrap up your gifts in paper for extra entertainment. Try not to take anything valuable, or small, as it’s pretty difficult to retrieve things from between the seats. Or messy. Definitely nothing messy.
There are some great ideas here for entertaining toddlers on a plane, including free printables.
Depending on their age, you might be able to persuade them to play a few games on a tablet. Sago make some entertaining ones and there are plenty of drawing apps available for free. Don’t forget to download them in plenty of time as there may not be any Wi-Fi at the airport and test them in advance, as some apps require an internet connection to work.
Spare clothes, including layers as the temperatures on flights can vary quite a lot. Make sure you have a blanket and something you can use as a pillow.
Getting through security
If you have a child under two, the TSA advises you to ask to join the priority line through security, which will help speed things up a bit. You are also allowed to take more than the standard 100ml of liquids if you want to take water, milk or juice on the flight. Children under 12 do not have to take off their shoes. When going through the metal detector, you can carry your child, or just accompany her if she wants to walk.
If you’re taking a car seat or stroller to the gate to gate check, these will need to go on the belt to be X-rayed. Consider buying a bag to protect your car seat as they can get banged up during the loading and unloading process.
On board
Once on board, expect your toddler to want to explore this exciting new world. It should be fine to walk up and down a few times once the seatbelt sign is off. Hopefully they will soon be pretty tired and ready for a nap and you can settle down peacefully for a while. We also drop all rules on screen time during a flight and make sure we downloaded plenty of shows and games.
Flights aren’t all bad. Just don’t forget the snacks and the passport and you’ll be fine.
