Parker is going on his first plane ride next month to NYC! I'm terrified and excited at the same time. I've been reading travel tips to prepare us for what to expect when flying with a baby and they all end with "Even if everything goes wrong, the flight will eventually end". One blogger even likened it to child birth. Greeeattt. Here are the top ten tips that I've read. I'm curious to see how this list with change after our trip.
1. Bring a change of clothes for you and baby. Apparently kids have the tendency to explode in their diapers and throw up all over you on airplanes. Pack a change of clothes for you and baby in a gallon size ziplock bag so you have somewhere to put your dirty clothes.
2. Dress in layers, preferably in black because black hides pee and vomit stains better.
3. Send one parent to board first and wait until the very last second to board with baby. This makes sense. I've always hated waiting for everyone to board the plane.
4. Bring ID for your child. Duh.
5. Stock up on travel toys that your child has never seen before. Check out this list from Tips for Family Trips.
6. Be prepared for delays. Pack more diapers, food and wipes than you think you will need.
7. Feed your child during take off and landing to help with air pressure. Be it lollipops, the boob, or a bottle. Parker will probably be getting the boob.
8. The best flight times...depend on your kid. Some people say to take the red eye so baby can sleep. Some say take the earliest flight out to avoid delays. I don't think there is a magical time but we will be flying out first thing in the morning because that is one of the only flight options. Good luck to us.
9. Do the best you can to calm baby down if he has a melt down. People will be understanding if they see you are doing what you can to make it stop.
10. It will end. You will get to your destination and any horribleness experienced on the plane will be forgotten.
[Ready for take off!]
Post-Its with stickers he likes on them! Sometimes this only buys 10-15 minutes of fun, but they take up no space or weight. I've flown with Asher 5 times (distances ranging from Phoenix to Boston) and it was really about filling tons of 15-minute increments (when awake and not eating). Until he discovered the iPad anyway, which is a Godsend.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tips Alyssa! We will definitely be bringing the ipad.
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