2 Sure-Fire Steps to A Great Flight with Your Little One

Recently, we were lucky enough to be taken to Disney World for vacation by a set of very generous grandparents (Thank you!).  We had lots of fun, and even learned some important lessons along the way.  The lessons started immediately - at the airport.  Flying with a toddler and a pre schooler is no joke; but it doesn't have to be a disaster!

I'm not going to give you my list of 30 things to pack when you fly with toddlers.  I can't tell you what snacks to pack that will magically keep your little one happy during the long travel day.  I have no idea what activity or what movie will keep your child occupied long enough for you to drink your 3 oz. of complimentary beverage. 

Do you know why?  Every kid is different, and every trip is different.   What worked wonderfully for someone else might not work at all for you.  What worked on the flight TO your vacation might be the worst thing in the world on the way BACK from vacation.  (If your child is anything like mine, nothing ever works twice, so you're used to inconsistency.  If not, welcome to the club; let your creative juices flow!) What works great for one of your children, may not be the right fit for a sibling.

Let's face it, flying is a great way to get somewhere, and there are some cool parts about it, but it makes for a long, stressful day.  Most kids love watching planes take off  and land through the giant terminal windows.  It can be a fun adventure: seeing the cockpit, soaring like a bird, etc.  There's lots of waiting and lines, though.  For little ones, without a fully developed ability to wait patiently, all that time between take-off and landing where you can't really move around too much can become a problem pretty quickly.

I do have some advice about how to make your trip go as smoothly as possible, though, and it all boils down to just two things.

1. Over Pack

Is your child still wearing diapers? Pack way more than you think you'll need.  If you get delayed for any reason, you don't want to run out!


The same goes for extra clothes.  Even if your kiddo has been using the potty for a while, you never know what's going to spill, leak, rip, etc.  Pack extras of everything - for you and them in your carry on.

Things to do, too.  Distraction will be your friend for passing the time.  You know your child and his or her interests - follow them.  Pack small toys, books, paper, crayons, stickers....whatever will keep them occupied for a while.  Electronics are fine too, if you use them.  I suggest making them a last resort - once they come out other things don't always seem so cool anymore.  A few new surprises never hurt, but familiar favorites are great too! (We packed everything in an individual back pack for each boy.  They felt special getting to carry their treasures, and it made them easy to get to when we needed to switch activities.  All except the lap top - that was stored safely in Daddy's carry on when not being used!)

2. Create a Mental Blueprint

This is especially important if your little one is taking his/her first flight or may not remember the last one.  They have no way to anticipate what will come next, which can be scary and frustrating.

On our trip, Mr. L. loved the tray tables that pulled out so he was able to reach them.  He was really enjoying using his little personal table to play before we took off.  Then came time to put the tray tables up for take off. Without the experience to tell him what would happen next and that he would, indeed, get to play again, my tiny two year old got mad pretty quickly.  (Hey, you would too!)

That's where signs saved our day, yet again!  We used the sign AIRPLANE along with classifiers to explain what was about to happen....we would TAXI-DOWN-THE-RUNWAY, then we would TAKE-OFF and CLIMB before LEVELING-OFF. Right now we needed to WAIT.

Mr. L. shows off his approximation
of Daddy's explanation

We had to re-iterate this fact several times, but it helped Mr. L. (and big brother, Mr. I.) make sense of their situation, connect to something they did have experience with, and have a successful flight.  In fact, but the time we got on our connecting flight, Mr. I. was using classifiers to explain to the stranger sitting behind us what was about to happen.  (Thankfully, she was very accommodating, albeit a bit thrown off.)

If all else fails....hope they nap!

Ready to make American Sign Language part of your communication with your little one?  Check out SigningWithMissSteph.com to find out about classes in Northeast Ohio, or Contact Me about scheduling your own in person or virtually!