Flying with a child

[ctfirewife-mjn109]

Hello! My family and I will be heading to Aruba next February.
My son will be just shy of 13 months and I have to admit, I am terrified to fly with him. So far, he is an easy going, laid back little boy. All I can hope is that he stays that way.

I have done some research online but am torn as to whether or not to get him his own seat. 4+ hrs is a long time to have him on our lap-because I am sure he'll want tire of that at some point. But I definately don't want to be THAT parent who's kid is running all over the plane

Any tips or advice for flying with a young child?

We will most likely be leaving from JFK early in the morning-which thankfully is his best time of day.

Thank you all!

[Andrea J.]

if it is affordable for you, get him his own seat.
you will then have him in his car seat in that airline seat.
check with the airline if there are certain kinds of car seats that are approved for air travel.

as for him being back and forth on your laps.............it could be great or it could be a nightmare passing him back and forth between you and your husband.

but you already know that and that is why there is the dilemma :-(

i hope others can give their advice from experience.

when our son was infant /toddler we never bought him his own seat.
we were lucky as it usually worked out.

[fattypatty]

buy him his own seat. chances are your son will sleep sometime during the 4.5hr flight. i always try to fly out early morning (8-9am) and try to have the kids sleep a little later than usual the night before. this helps ensure that they will at least fall asleep during the middle of the flight.

[WendyS]

I have flown with my now 3.5 year old son on numerous occasions since he was a year and a half and certainly can understand your anxiety.

If your budget allows, get him his own seat. It is a long flight and, quite frankly, I just feel it's safer. Instead of lugging his car seat, we use a c.a.r.e.s restraint...check out kidsflysafe.com for an overview of the product. It's FAA approved, so you shouldn't have any problem with its use.

Bring plenty of things to keep him amused...stickers, crayons, dvd player, plus some of his favorite snacks. Also, if possible, try to get him to feed or suck on a pacifier during take off and landings.

At the risk of getting flamed, I also give him a bit of Benadryl about an hour before flying. This was on the advice of his pediatrician when I inquired about potential motion sickness issues. The doctor said that the active ingredient in Benadryl is the same (or similar) to that in Dramamine, etc. Works like a charm!

I've found that my son is VERY good on planes...and he's not the laid back type! Of course, I may be singing a different tune by tomorrow at this time when we're in flight to Aruba!

Have a wonderful trip!

[Andrea J.]

hahaha flaming is NOT allowed here.
and we too always gave our son a dose of benadryl per doctor's advice.

worked wonders!

Originally Posted by WendyS

I have flown with my now 3.5 year old son on numerous occasions since he was a year and a half and certainly can understand your anxiety.

If your budget allows, get him his own seat. It is a long flight and, quite frankly, I just feel it's safer. Instead of lugging his car seat, we use a c.a.r.e.s restraint...check out kidsflysafe.com for an overview of the product. It's FAA approved, so you shouldn't have any problem with its use.

Bring plenty of things to keep him amused...stickers, crayons, dvd player, plus some of his favorite snacks. Also, if possible, try to get him to feed or suck on a pacifier during take off and landings.

At the risk of getting flamed, I also give him a bit of Benadryl about an hour before flying. This was on the advice of his pediatrician when I inquired about potential motion sickness issues. The doctor said that the active ingredient in Benadryl is the same (or similar) to that in Dramamine, etc. Works like a charm!

I've found that my son is VERY good on planes...and he's not the laid back type! Of course, I may be singing a different tune by tomorrow at this time when we're in flight to Aruba!

Have a wonderful trip!

[fattypatty]

benadryl? really? what does that help with? does it make the kids more tame?

[Andrea J.]

it is an antihistamine
promotes drowsiness

our son's pediatrician recommended it

many will sing its praises
many will condemn

we used it numerous times.

it is the PM in tylenol pm

[WendyS]

"Promotes drowsiness" being the key phrase in this scenario! LOL!

[serene56]

BUT on some kids that benadryl has the oppsite effect.

[WendyS]

Serene is absloutely correct, which is why it's important to know how your child will react to any medication prior to a trip.