Parenting Toddlers

As I wrote the other day, I flew up to Alaska with my youngest child. As result, I decided to detour from development for a moment and talk about traveling with toddlers. Yesterday I even wrote in Parenting After Adoption about traveling home with your adopted child. Today I’m going to list tips for making flying with toddlers more enjoyable. I can not guarantee you won’t experience tantrums, but I hope that these tips can help alleviate most of them.

As you prepare for your trip, consider finding some books at your local library about flying and reading them several times to your toddler. Some great titles that my family has enjoyed are: Freddie Goes on an Airplane by Nicola Smee, Going on a Plane by Anne Civardi and Stephen Cartwright, and A Day at the Airport by Richard Scarry. Reading these stories about airports and airplanes will familiarize your toddler with the concepts and realities she will experience when she flies.

When packing a bag of essentials for your toddler, remember the 3-1-1 rule for liquids.

Essentials for traveling with a toddler:

• Wet wipes. Drew has left toddlerhood behind so I did not remember to bring wet wipe on my most recent flight. I regretted it. So remember the wet wipes. They can be anything from baby wipes to wet paper towels in a sealed bag.
• Diapers, Pull-ups or underwear. What ever your toddlers needs, bring along extra.
• If still in diapers or Pull-ups, remember the diaper cream or whatever you use for diaper rash.
• Healthy snacks that you know your child will eat, particularly favorites she rarely gets to eat. Put them into single-serve snack cups or sealed bags.
• An empty water bottle or spill resistant cup. Remember that you can not take any liquids over 3 oz unless it is medication, breastmilk or formula. You can, however, buy drinks after you clear security.
• Surprises for the trip. They don’t have to be new, but it helps if they are things that will hold some novelty for your toddler. Plan on one new surprise for every hour of the flight.

Many toddlers are pleased to carry their own backpack. We have a toddler size backpack for Drew. You can include the following:

• favorite or new toy appropriate for air travel
• board book
• small snack
• coloring book or blank paper
• small box of crayons

Some optional items that you might consider taking if your flight is more than 2 hours and you have access to the items:

• DVD player and videos
• small music player
• video game player

If your toddler has sensory integration needs, remember to have activities and items on hand for him. A book that might be helpful, is 101 Activities for Kids in Tight Spaces: At the Doctor’s Office, on Car, Train, and Plane Trips, Home Sick in Bed . . . by Carol Stock-Kranowitz.

Remember that a toddler attention span is only 5-10 minutes long, if your lucky. Rotate the activities and items you use to keep her attention. Toddlers are also squirmy so don’t expect her to sit still the entire time.

Share your tips and ideas for flying with toddlers.

© Copyright 2007 Rebecca Wilson.  All Rights Reserved.
Used with permission.

Photo credit: Free Digital Photos

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