We recently took our first family vacation to Marco Island which is located in Southwest Florida. I have three words of advice regarding flying with a toddler… “Just DO IT!” I was so nervous and didn’t know what to expect from the trip but it was AMAZING. We had such a great time, we even ended up changing our flight and extending our stay.
We kept our first time flying with Daniel short, just under 3 hours. He always loves seeing the airplanes in the sky so we were excited for him to actually be on one. Thankfully, he LOVED it! We enjoyed everything from looking out the window to sitting in the cockpit and even speaking into the loudspeaker to say “Hi Dada”!
The flight out was a morning flight. I think morning flights are the way to go because your kids will be well rested from their night’s sleep. The flight home was a little tougher because we took an 8pm flight (which was his bedtime). We thought Daniel would get on the plane and go right to sleep… but no. The feeling of being over excited and tired mixed together did not work as planned. Luckily, it only took a few walks up and down the aisle for him to fall asleep. All in all, the flights were not nearly as horrible as I had originally anticipated. Quite the opposite to be exact. I will definitely do it again!
Listed below are some things that worked well for us on the plane…
Clorox wipes: If you know me, you know this would be at the top of my list…haha. People probably thought I was a little crazy but I didn’t care. Planes are filled with so many germs and I didn’t want my son getting sick on vacation. For my own sanity and my son’s health, I wiped down the tray table, seat belt, window and arm rests. I also brought along some Purell wipes.
Bottle: This is a MUST! Due to the pressure of the plane on their little ears it’s crucial for them to continuously swallow. This helps to alleviate the pressure while ascending and descending.
Sippy Cup: We brought Daniel’s sippy cup so we didn’t have to worry about any major spills in flight.
Toys: Daniel’s mini-backpack was filled with new books & toys so he was excited about them.
Stickers: Window stickers worked really well for Daniel. He loved putting them on and taking them off again. This kept him busy for a little while.
Ipad: We loaded our Ipad with Mickey Mouse & Daniel Tiger episodes for additional entertainment when Mommy & Daddy needed a little break.
Diaper bag: Most planes have a changing table in the restroom but they are super small so be prepared. I would recommend having spare diapers, wipes and an extra outfit, just in case.
Favorite snacks: Bringing things you know your children enjoys is good because you never know what (or if) they are serving in-flight. Some things I brought along with us were Cheerios (in a spill proof container), pretzels, fruit snacks and applesauce pouches.
These were really all the essentials we needed for the flight. A few other things that helped make the ride more comfortable for him were his blanket to keep warm, baby neck pillow, comfy socks and earphones. He probably could have done without some of those but making him happy means the rest of the passengers, including us were happy too! 😊
