Thursday, August 13, 2015

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!

Family standing with circus performer Daisy Duck

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.

Backs of boys watching planes take off through giant window

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.

Toddler approximation of plane sign

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.

Using stickers to make pictures on tray tablesOn 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.

Daddy Explains what will happen using AIRPLANE and classifiers
Mr. L. shows approximation of PLANE TAKE OFF
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!

Exhausted boys sleeping on a plane

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!

30 comments:

  1. I've never flown with my little ones but I can see how these two tips can really help - especially making sure that they are prepared for what's going to happen next. We use signing too and it has been great, especially before the girls were really able to communicate verbally. Love the photo of your boys having a nap on the plane :-)

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    1. There are so many reasons to sign with little ones - and to keep signing once they get a bit older. That was a great nap - post vacation :)

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  2. Awww, the photos are priceless! I like how you said that something that worked well for one person, may not work well for another but I enjoyed seeing the two points you made also. Thanks for sharing with #SocialButterflySunday! Hope to see you link up again this week :)

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    1. When I can catch them with they camera, they're pretty cute...though I am biased. Thanks for your visit.

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  3. A mental blue print is a great idea, I often forget how little my kids truly know about the world!

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    1. I often forget too, but my husband and I are getting better at noticing when they are obviously not working with all the information they need. Signing has helped them know how to ask for what they need, how to comment on their world, and has helped us be more in tune with their language and communication and general. Definitely a life saver for us! Thanks for stopping by.

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  4. Great tips! Thanks for sharing them at the #sundaysdownunder linky party. I've pinned your post.

    Best wishes,
    Natasha in Oz

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    1. I'm honored to be part of your board! Thanks for visiting.

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  5. Those are great ideas! I will keep them in mind if we fly with our little kids soon! Visiting from #RaRaLinkup.

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    1. Anything to shorten the list of stresses while flying can only help! Thanks for stopping by.

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  6. What great ideas for traveling with little ones on a plane! It is hard to travel with kids in any situation, but I have to say flying is the hardest. Visiting from the TimeWarpWife.

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    1. There are definitely a lot fewer things in MY control when flying, and lots more to stress about. It can definitely be a success though! Thanks for stopping by.

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  7. Warning kids what is going to happen is very important, whatever their age - and it's remarkable how much they forget! We recently flew with my 9 year old daughter and she'd forgotten a lot of what happened when she flew when she was 7.
    Popping over from SS Amazing Achievements.

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    1. My oldest was only 1 the last time he flew, so I knew he wouldn't remember. Walking the fine line between preparing them and over-exciting or scaring them is becoming an art form in my house. Glad I'll have plenty of time to use my new skills! Thanks for dropping in!

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  8. Great tips, we are flying in a few weeks so will remember this! X # ssamazingachievements

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    1. Have a great trip! Stop back and let us know how the flight goes! Thanks for stopping by.

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  9. Great tips, we are flying in a few weeks so will remember this! X # ssamazingachievements

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    1. I hope you have a great trip! Stop back and let me know how it goes. Thanks for visiting.

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  10. You are so right every child is different and what works once may not work again. You have great tips. Glad it was a successful flights. We definitely rely on the technology when we fly! Thanks for linking up with #fbfriday

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    1. So far, we've been lucky enough to use a pretty minimal amount of technology - aside from more TV than I'd like some days at home. It's a great help though! We lucked out on the planes, but we had quite a meltdown through TSA on our way home - over tired, over stimulated toddler who didn't get to follow his beloved Grandpa made quite an impression on our fellow travelers for a while.

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  11. These are lovely tips. I've never had to fly anywhere with my littles but I like to be prepared!

    Thanks for sharing (and for linking up to the #SHINEbloghop).

    Wishing you a lovely weekend.
    xoxo

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    1. Thanks for hosting a great link up and for stopping by! This is only the 2nd time we've flown as a family in the past 6 years, but preparation is so important to be able to handle all the crazy things that happen with the airlines these days!

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  12. I don't have kids, but I was a classroom teacher (of little ones) for many years. I always love seeing families on planes who have creative ways of occupying their kids. Thanks for linking up at the Weekend Blog Hop at My Flagstaff Home!

    Jennifer

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    1. Thank you for being such an important part of so many lives! There are so many recourses out there - like pinterest - to find great activities for kids. I try to stay balanced between cool fun things and time needed for them! Thanks for stopping by.

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  13. Great tips for flying with little ones. Like you say, every child is different and its best to be as prepared as you can. Delays can be inevitable as part of flying and your tips about extra nappies and clothes could be invaluable in our modern but quite scary age.
    Thanks for linking up with #SSAmazingAchievements

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    1. Flying with little ones is definitely a test for a mama (and a daddy)! The better prepared we are and the easier we roll with the punches the calmer and happier our little ones will stay - usually. Thanks for dropping by!

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  14. We don't have any plans to fly anytime soon (well if my husband has his way, never). However we are planning on taking a bus sometime, not sure how soon though.
    These are some very good tips. Thanks for stopping by and sharing on Littles Learning Link Up. Glad you could join in again. I hope to see you again soon.

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    1. I'm not a huge fan of flying myself...but I'm willing to do it to get somewhere I really want to be. I'd imagine the same would be true of bus or train travel...we haven't tried those as a family yet. Thanks for stopping by.

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  15. What great tips! Thanks for sharing on the Thoughtful Spot Blog Hop!

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    1. They made a huge difference for us. Thanks for stopping by!

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