Flying with a Toddler (and how to overcome failure)

If you would’ve seen me an hour before my daughter’s first flight, you would’ve said, “Now there’s someone who has her life together.  She’s obviously done her research on flying with a toddler and is over prepared for whatever this flight has to throw at her.  She’s picked an ideal time, flight duration, and has anything anyone could need to entertain a toddler.” 

Honestly, I would’ve agreed with you. 

Well, my friends, that was before I spent an hour (and a half!) in the cramped bathroom at the rear of an airplane. 

How exactly I ended up there, I’ll never be clear on.

I did my research.  I asked all the friends, read all the blogs, Googled all. the. things.  I thought I was as prepared as possible for flying with a toddler. And guess what?  My little girl did not want to settle down.

Booked a flight during a sleep time…check

Gave her plenty of time to run around before boarding…check

Brought food, milk, and toys to entertain her…check, check, and check

Guys, I even went with a group of people so that she had lap/entertainment options!  No matter how many suggestions I was given, nothing worked for this tiny, terrorizing (yet absolutely amazing) toddler of mine. 

Nothing I tried seemed to help.  She kept crying and wasn’t entertained by anything or anyone for more than a few minutes.  She wanted nothing more than to run free in the aisle, which isn’t ideal plane behavior.  It’s when the lady in the seat in front of me kept shifting her position (due to my toddler’s insistence on reaching over the seat and hitting her on the head), that I decided we needed to take refuge in the bathroom. 

And I know it’s at this point that you’re reading and wondering why you’re even here; perusing what you thought would be a helpful guide to flying with a toddler.  It’s here that I’ll tell you what I wish someone had told me; you’re doing an amazing job, mama. 

Flying, like many other firsts with our littlest loves, comes with its own challenges.  It’s okay if your baby is crying.  It’s okay if they are crawling from one lap to the next.  It’s okay if you’ve resorted to giving them orange Fanta because it’s the only thing that keeps them entertained.  It’s even okay if you buckle under the pressure and hide in the bathroom for the duration of your flight. 

Here are some items on my airport packing list that made flying with a toddler a bit easier to manage:

1. Stroller

If you don’t have a stroller, no matter the size, that you can bring with you, I’d suggest getting an inexpensive one.  If you’d rather go the route of converting your child’s car seat into a stroller, here’s a strap to make that happen.  I’ve personally never used one; however, I’m getting one to use on my next trip.  Trust me, you’ll be happy you have a way of containing your toddler as you go through security.

2. Car Seat Cover

This cover worked so well for our car seat.  My favorite part was that it has shoulder straps, so you can wear it like a backpack!  Otherwise, I would’ve never been able to push the stroller, pull my suitcase, and manage the car seat at the same time.  A huge lifesaver!

3. Stroller Hooks

I have never in my life appreciated a hook more than this one!  It was so easy to hook the diaper bag to that stroller and take it off when I needed to (hello security).

Diaper Bag Essentials When Flying with a Toddler

Any parent knows just how essential a diaper bag is to traveling with a little one; however, consider switching out items that you won’t need with special items for the flight.  For instance, I always keep a pouch of medications in Poppy’s diaper bag.  I like to be ready in case she has teething pain, gas, a temperature (yep, I definitely carry a thermometer), or a stuffy nose.  However, that pouch takes up so much room!  Instead, I switched items out for the following:

1. A Pacifier or Comfort Item

Poppy doesn’t like to sleep without her paci.  Her favorite one has a giraffe stuffy attached to it, which we lovingly call Rafi.  She loves it so much that she’s already broken one and is working on her second.  Whatever comfort item your kiddo needs; paci, blanket, stuffed animal, make sure you bring it on the plane!

2. Wipes, Diapers, Diaper Bags (for a cheaper alternative, I use dog popper scooper bags)

This seems obvious, but let me tell you, make sure you have enough.  I ran out of wipes and had to wait until we got to the resort to find the ones I’d packed in my suitcase.  I was so panicked and will make sure that never happens to me again.

3. Child-sized headphones

My daughter hated the ones that went into her ears, but she’ll wear the bigger ones that cover her whole ear.  I didn’t have them and wished I did.

4. Snacks and Drinks

You can easily pack snacks and bring them through security.  I think that it depends on the security person as to whether you can bring a drink through.  I had a full sippy cup of milk for Poppy, and I wasn’t asked to pour it out; although, I was fully prepared to. 

Now, what worked for me on our return flight (in addition to all the tips above)?

I relaxed.  I sat in the window seat (as opposed to the aisle seat I had going down), and I tried not to overstimulate her.  We had an early morning flight, which meant we had to get up at 4:00am to make it to the airport on time.  I’m not sure if that helped, but it definitely didn’t hurt.  Most importantly, I gave myself permission to take my baby’s lead.  I played with her when she wanted to play and held her when she wanted to sleep.  And I’m proud to say that I didn’t step foot in the bathroom on our return flight. 

Do you have any tips, disaster stories, or words of encouragement when flying with a toddler?  Leave them in the comments.

Want to see the location Poppy got to explore on her first flight? Find out here.