Flying with 1 Yr Old and 3 Yr Old

If you can swing it, I'd get a seat for her. My 10 mo and 3 yo would have done better had I had another seat. I finally got up, put the LO in my seat for a "break"-he was much happier.

HTH~C.

Little ones benefit nursing on take off and landing because otherwise it can really bother their ears. I think it is tough flying with little ones period. they don't like to stay put, they want to move about... My husband and I would take turns pacing up and down the isles when the seat belt sign was off with my son at that age...but he didnt mind sitting on our laps. if they are in a seat of their own (required at age 2) they have to have the seatbelt fastened all the time which my son (2) hates now! On my lap I would bounce and tickle and play (big time work) to keep him relatively entertained (eat those wheaties!) but the vibration of the plane can lull them into la la land after awhile, thank God! but, if you have an approved car seat your baby is used to and dont mind spending the extra $ I've heard that some have done this since their kids are used to their own seat and instantly fall asleep in them????/oh..I almost forgot..eihter way....our portable dvd player with elmo or mickey or baby einstein is indespensible!!! good luck:)
Hope this is a little helpful!
M.

My suggestion is to buy a seat and use your car seats with both children. When we fly, I put my now three year old in his car seat and he assumes that just like in the car he can't get out of it while in the plane. (I did fly by myself with my daughter when she was five months old and held her on my lap...it was way too long to be holding a baby 3 hours.) I also second or third a goodie bag with lots of surprises. I walked thorough the dollar store and bought anything that looked like it could be fun. The binoculars I almost didn't get were the biggest hit of all. And lots of snacks...lots and lots. Napping in a car seat also seems to last longer than in your lap...plus you will have extra room to get those surprises and snacks out of your bag in your lap. Good luck!

Hi L.!
Wow - we must live the same life. :) I have done this several times, and I have a 1 and 3 year old. I also have nursed on a plane(Yikes). It's pretty tough! I actually took them both on the plane (3 hours to PA) all by myself this summer as my husband could not attend. I'd say if you can afford the extra seat for the 1 year old, it would be well worth the luxury. However, I have not ever afforded myself this treat, and I still survived. A couple other tips: Ask to sit behind the bulkhead because there is more room and if the flight attendants aren't too concerned, your childen can actually play on the floor in the extra space in front of you. (Put a blanket down first if that makes you feel better) Also, I believe car seats fly free in that they don't count towards your lugggage quota, but you better check on that. Bring LOTS of snacks - even forbidden, junky ones, new toys from the dollar store - things they haven't seen before. Keep pulling a new trick out of a special bag every five minutes or so. You can also put the treats back in the bag and start recycling them towards the end of the trip. :) Stickers and silly putty (actually doesn't make a mess like play-doh) were a big hit with my three year old. Anything edible was a big hit with my one year old. There's always Benedryl. My doctor said it was a legitimate use. ;) Call your pediatrician to discuss the dosage. Have a wonderful time - you'll make it. You have to. That's what we women do - we make it all work out.

We have always purchased a seat for our son b/c it's just more comfortable. I recently flew with my 3 year old and 6 month old by myself so I got her a seat also. They both sat in their carseats ( I nursed her on takeoff even though she had a seat and no one said anything). It also gives you a place to leave the baby if you or your older child has to go to the bathroom. If you know the flight is not going to be booked, then chance it and ask for a row with an empty seat.
I always bring snacks and a DVD player. Playdough and small toys are also a hit with my older son.

Personally, I would hold her and avoid spending the money on a ticket that I don't have to buy, but maybe I am just cheap. You could always put the armrest up between you and your 3 year old and have her sit in between when she is getting especially wiggly and doesn't want to be on your lap.

We took my granddaughter from Dallas to the Bahamas when she was 11 months old and it was a breeze. You will have to purchase a seat for the 3 yo, but not the 1 yo if you have her in your lap. You do need to make sure she is sucking on a bottle, pacifier, etc. when you are taking off and landing as this will alleviate the ear problems for her. We always take something new in the way of a toy that they haven't seen before. That's always good for getting their attention for a little while at least.

I was a little worried before our trip, but she was a little traveling trooper and hopefully yours will be too.

Good Luck.

Hi L., I have some experience with this. Your one year old will be happier on your lap, especially during take off and landing (you can nurse her and it will prevent pressure build up in her ears). Make sure you bring a sufficient "arsenal" for both kids, lots of snacks, favorite toys, books. I usually buy a couple of "surprise" items for emergency situations. If your one year old just HAS to stretch her legs, and won't be distracted at any cost, just walk her up and down the isle a few feet in each direction from where you are. Everyone will smile at your cute baby and it may sate her need for a while (but only as a last resort). Distraction is the best way to handle plane trips with young kids. Good luck!!!!

I have been flying with my daughter since she was 13 weeks old. And I would recommend (if you can afford it) buying her a seat as well. The two kiddos will entertain themselves and if she needs to be held, you can spread out over that 3rd seat to nurse or just hold her. That way you wont feel to cramped or too busy to enjoy the flight yourself. Good Luck.

Buy them both seats for safety reasons. If something were to happen with the plane, you would not be able to hold on to her in your lap. Take LOTS of toys,books,anything to entertain them. Snacks (must be unopened packages). Be prepared for ugly looks if your child is not perfect. Guess what, all adults were children once. Toughen up and be prepared. Parenting is, at times, embarrassing - get over it. Enlist the help of others if they look sympathetic. Good luck! Not a great age to travel with.

If you can afford the extra ticket, obviously that's going to be easier. We have tried the lap baby approach and it can be very difficult to hold on to a squirmy toddler who wants to get down and walk around. If she has her own seat you can bring her carseat, strap her in, and then she's much more likely to fall asleep. Don't forget to bring a bottle or cup so she can drink when the plane is ascending/descending to help with the change in pressure.

side of safety. If, God forbid, the plane should have problems and has to make an emergency landing, the force is too strong and you will not be able to hold onto your child. Our budget is tight but it's always been best for us to buy that extra ticket. I've heard to many horror stories to not err on the side of extreme caution.

I just did this! My 15 month old girl went with us on an emergency flight. Ours was 8 hours and she did fine. She seemed to understand that since everyone else was sitting, she had to sit too. Children under 2 do not need their own seat. Make sure to nurse her when the plane is taking off and landing. Also, I picked up baby benadryl strips just in case her ears bothered her. We didn't need them but I felt better having them. Good luck!

Hi L.,
I have flown with 2 smaill children and I had sits for both. I am so glad I did! The airline that I was on wanted me to have a seat for the youngest. Plus if she has her own seat she could sleep in the car seat. If you use car seats for both children they have to be by the window. Which was great! I would put your 3yr old at the window and put the youngest by you. Hope all workis out. FYI Make sure to give them a snack as you are on take off. The chewing relieves the pressure in the ears. Also, do it for landing. If you don't want to do a snack I would do a drink or pacifer. Gook luck!

I travel all the time with my two girls. One is in my lap, the other has her own seat. I do the following: 1. take lots of snacks, 2. Have our DVD player with us (with headphones for my oldest), 3. Coloring pad/colors. Those seem to be enough for us. We recently few from TX to FL. I forgot the DVD player, but my daughter had her Leapster. I usually don't let them watch hours of shows at a time, but when traveling we bend the rules a bit. It works and it keeps us all happy and sane.

Hold her, you can breast feed her during take off to ease the pain in her ears. I had to travel with my son when he was only 2 weeks old and he sat in my lap and fed during take off. It was all good!

L.,
I think for a three hour trip you should be OK with not having an extra seat for your 1 year old. Your 3 year old won't take up all the space in their seat and they can share a bit if needed. When you check into the flight ask if you can have bulkhead seating so the kids have some extra room to wiggle. Also bring extra snacks, something fun that they don't normally get, and a few surprise toys that they can unwrap and enjoy on the plane. I have traveled quite a bit with my kids; and although they are a lot more work once they learn to walk if you bring them some new things to play with they will have their attention diverted. Another life saver that we never leave home without, be it the hour and a half trip to Odessa or a nine hour flight to Italy, our portable DVD player. Bring a player and their favorite cartoons and those three hours, and whatever time you spend on layover, won't seem so long.
Don't forget to have the kids drink or suck on something during takeoff and landing and if your kids are in need of milk know that the airline don't normally have milk for more that the coffee.
A little history: We have traveled many times with my son from WA-WY , WA-PA and WA-Italy at ages 1mo, 6mo, 1yr, 1 1/2, and at age 3 I flew by myself with my son and 4mo old daughter five hours . We are now preparing our trip to the Netherlands sometime this year with both kids. Travel can be and should be done with children it just takes some planing. Good luck.
S.

My husband is an airline pilot, so I fly often with my toddler. If you can afford it, definitely get the extra seat. It will save you from being trampled for three hours! I always bring her carseat on the plane, and it is worth the effort of toting it through the airport, because she knows she has to stay in her seat. Good luck!

I have made several flights that were over 10 hours with young children. When both my sons were under 2 I held them during the fights. Takeing a flight that overlaps a nap is great. Also you can ask for bulkhead seats which gives you more foot room. I would always bring plenty of toys and with the extra room could give the baby room to sit in the floor and play. If the flight is not full you can ask if they will leave a seat next to you empty so you have extra room.
Good Luck!!!

Hi L.,
Bring lots of things for them to do on the plane, small toys, books, and snacks and drinks. Make sure that their drinks (sippy cups or bottle) are out for take off and landing as it will help with the ear popping from altitude changes.
Some folks give their children dramamine in case of airsickness plus it makes them drowsy (don't get non-drowsy formula and make sure it is the dosage for children). Some parents have given their children benadryl for the same reason, it makes them sleepy and they are easier to control.
I never bought an extra seat for the baby (one yr.)
HOpe you find this helpful.
Bev

L.,
Take plenty of entertainment and healthy snacks. One thing I found that worked well with both of my children was to have a bag of wrapped tiny surprises. Every so often they could unwrap a finger puppet, tiny book or something like that. Be imaginative. They can be mightily entertained by stringing Cheerios on a straw and then eating them or putting Scotch tape everywhere and then wadding it up.

D.

First of all, you will need to make sure you have plenty of things for the kids to drink/eat so they can swallow. Kids don't know how to clear their own ears when the pressure changes as the airplane takes off and lands. You will save lots of crying if you prepare. As to buying a seat. It could be a matter of safety. I think the airlines now provide child seats (you should check on this). Or perhaps they let you bring your own car seat. Holding a child on your lap during a flight is OK as long as there isn't a problem with the flight. BUT, if there were a problem, having a child on your lap in an airplane is the same as having a child on your lap in a car.

When my daughter was one we flew 3 or 4 different times with her. Once I flew alone and the other times we flew with my husband or my mother, and I never bought my daughter a ticket. She did well at sitting in our laps and on occassion there would be an extra seat on our row so she could move over, but she preferred sitting with us. When the flights corresponded with naptime she tended to fall asleep in my lap or my shoulder...which meant there was little for me to do but that was easily a price to pay for a content baby on a plane. I always took snacks, drinks, books, small toys (that make little noise)and even a portable DVD player with a charged battery so we had plenty to do in our seat. It was stressful at times but not too bad....good luck!

hold her. Unless your company will pay for the ticket. She'll end up on your lap regardless

I would strongly suggest purchasing a ticket. I used to work for an airline and I was always amazed that the FAA would still allow children under 2 be allowed to travel on an adults lap. If you happen to encounter bad turbulance it is very difficult to keep a good hold on to a child. Additionally, it is a long flight and I bet your 1yr old would be more comfortable sitting in her car seat safely strapped in. Please check with the airline and ask them the price for an infant under 2, see if they offer a discount.

Been there, done that, girl! Good luck! ( : I'll be honest and say that flying with the 1-yr-old will not be much fun. She's not old enough to understand sitting still and will want to get down and walk around. I think you'll be surprised how sympathetic other people will be though. You do have to buy a ticket for your 3-yr-old. If you can get any indication from the airlines on how full the flight will be, that would be helpful info before you buy a ticket/seat for the younger child. We usually don't buy a ticket for our youngest ones b/c generally we've had good luck in there being extra seats on the plane. If you don't buy a ticket/seat for the younger one, get to the gate plenty early and ask the desk people (whatever they're called) at the gate if there are extra seats on the flight and if you can get an empty seat next to yours for your little one. They're always very accommodating and will rearrange other people's seats to work this out if they can. It's kind of a gamble though. If you want to be guaranteed of a seat for the younger child, buy a ticket. Otherwise, just say a prayer that it will work out. Three hours is a LOOONNNG time to have just lap space for that child though. You might jump overboard before it's all said and done. ( : Have plenty of sippy cups/bottles ready to hand out to the little one. Using the car seat on the plane might help the little one be still for longer, but then it gets in the way once the child decides he's/she's had ENOUGH. ( : Good luck. Feel free to send me a note if you have any more questions. We've done this many times. ( :

Hi L.,
My advice is to hold your daughter on your lap. It will be much easier to nurse and will be useful when taking off and landing which can bother their ears. Nursing helps comfort them through this. Just take lots of things to entertain and hopefully she'll nap at least part way through. And you can pass her to whoever you are travelling with if she gets a little antsy. Between nursing and having different little toys to entertain her with and little snacks, you should be fine for a 3 hour flight. I did this with my kids when they were little and travelled fine. And try to relax. Kids pick up your vibe. If you are patient and handle everything good naturedly, your children generally follow suit.
Hope you have a good flight.

S.

I just finished with our plane trip this summer. My son was 3 and daughter was 1 also!!

Age 2 and under are free on your lap. 3 and over, is a full ticket price. Basically, even if you have an infant (some people use the car seat) if they take a seat, you pay. Most flights have empty seats after the plane takes off so your one year old can sit in a seat too.
As for one year olds!!!!! My daughter absolutely LOVES to put money into a piggy bank. I got the biggest RX bottle I could find, a pinch smaller than my fist, and cut a hole (with a dremel tool) in the bottom of it, big enough to fit quarters in it. On the inside of the lid, I glued a cotton ball. I carried about $3.00 in change (various coins) in a change purse. When we got on the plane and got going, I just brought that out and let her put in the coins to her heart's content!! The cotton ball kept the coins quiet (I didn't want to get mauled after hours of clinking) and with the easy off cap, I was able to take the coins out and she could do it all over again.

For the plane trip, the easiest thing is often the simplest things. If you pack a bunch of stuff to keep them occupied, you are bringing too much.

Things that work:

The coin thing was free and worked there and back.

A laminated whole piece of paper with a hole punched in it. (Office Depot or Max can do it cheap) In the hole, I tied a long piece of dental floss or string to it and tied and taped the other end to a washable crayon (nothing worse than fetching crayons off the floor in the airplane.)

Travel Aqua Doodle pad!! Don't forget water in the pen.

Of course, any hand held games.

One or two books.

Tooth brushes (they love brushing for fun)

Bring an empty sippy cup for each child, I hate apple juice in my lap! (NO liquids through security!! Except for baby bottles)

Snacks, dry snacks can make it through security (cherrios) and sealed packs of snacks.

Security is really picky, you might want to call first or you might want to just find snacks in the airport (past the security gate). Most airports now sell bowls of fresh fruit and such. Bring a empty ziplock bag and put the snacks in there to carry onto the plane.

What doesn't work:

coloring books and a box of crayons. They go EVERYWHERE when they fall, and you'll never find the one they want!

Cars..... Same reason.

Anything with a bunch of pieces means a bunch of pieces to find on the floor after the flight is over.

Markers..... well..... coloring on the seat in front of you is a lot of fun, much more fun than the paper in front of you!

I know this is a little long, but it really worked for both my kids.

My sister is a flight attendent, and after listening to some of her stories about turbulance, you will always have your child in a carseat on plane trips. Always think safety where your child is concerned. Have a wonderful trip and keep them buckled in.

Hi L.!

I flew with my daughter when she was that age and then again to Hawaii this last October (she's 4 now). If you have the money, I would purchase a seat for your one year old. It will give you extra room and you could put her in a car seat in that seat if you like. If you don't have the money, which would be the case with me, holding her on your lap won't be that hard, but just make sure you have toys, finger foods and a blanket close at hand.

Have fun!
L.

I took my first child on a plane at 2 months and 18 months. He did excellent. When taking off and landing you can nurse the baby to keep her ears from popping. During the ride you could have the baby in her infant carseat (most of the time the airline will give you an extra seat on the plane if you have a carseat with a baby in it.) You will have to pay for the 3 yr old, and I bet both will fall asleep once they get in the air. If all other ideas fail for the 3 yr old, you could give her a 1/2 dose of Benedryl to help her rest on the plane.
~K.

You definitely have to buy a seat for your 3 year old. I would put the 1 year old in your lap since it does overlap with her nap time. Before you get on the plane make sure that both of them run around as much as possible to tire them out. Childrens Benedryl is a last ditch effort medication that should knock them out. Try it on them before you leave though and of course consult your doctor first.

Hi
do not worry about buying a seat for a one year old. I fly all the time with my baby,even the steward on the plane help walking her up and down the plane,just make sure to bring something for the baby to suck on for the landing so it does not hurt there ears,best of luck,
hope this helps

D.
single mom of a 2yr old and 12yr old girls

You do need to buy a seat for your three year old. If you have the money to buy a ticket for the little one, more room is useful. However, I have flown with my children alone to Utah several times and my mommy thoughts are this:
At that age, they rarely will sit down in their own seat because they are nervous or because they don't want to be still.
Mostly, for me, at that age they are usually thrilled that they have your undivided attention for that long and do okay.
Make sure to nurse her during take off, but especially during landing because that is when their little ears plug up.
I always bought my kids a few new toys (notebook and crayon, doodle pad, barbie, etc.) to occupy them for a while too.
It really isn't as bad as it seems it will be.
If you are flying with your husband or other useful adult, I wouldn't waste money on a seat.
Good luck!

If money is not a problem I would go ahead and buy a seat for your 1 year old. That way you can bring her car seat in and strap her in. It's much safer and I found that my kids have always been comforted by the familiar feel of their seats!! Think about whether you could hold your daughter for 3 hours at home. Not going to happen (at least with my kids!!)

The best things I've done for my kids when traveling is lots of snacks (favorites they don't usually get at home) and a portable DVD player with earphones (I bring soothing music in addition to DVD for long flights). Also, a favorite stuffed toy or blanket helps also!!

It's really easier than it sounds, good luck!!

Hi L.,

Just my 2 cents, and I don't want to sound too alarming, but I'd definitely buy a seat for your one year old. In the last week or so, there was an incident (on Air Canada, I think) where a flight experienced unexpected severe turbulence that injured several passengers. While this type of event is very very rare, it's still possible, and it's the reason why pilots recommend wearing seat belts at all times during a flight. I hate to think how that turbulence could have injured a child!

Of course, there are also the benefits of you and baby having a little more room in the row, and she may take her nap in the car seat!

M.

Hi,
I only have one daughter, but she has been flying since she was 15 months and will be 3 soon. She has done great every time she has flown. I too was worried the first time about her wanting to get up, etc. Just be sure and take a lot of stuff for them to do. If you don't have a portable DVD player, I highly recommend getting one. Are you going alone or will you be having help? I hope it is the latter! Have entire carry on devoted to things for your children. Your 3 year old will have to have their own ticket/seat. Also, each time I've flown they've been pretty good about letting my child get down for a few minutes and go from lap to lap. Anyway, hope this helps and good luck!

L. I am a Flight Attendant and the airline only makes you keep the child in the seat for take-off and landing if the child is 2 or older. Even if you purchase a seat for the 1 year old you can still hold the child when you feel necessary! I've been flying for 20 years and I would stronly recommend buying a seat for the child! You can pad them with pillows and blankets, bring a car seat, or you can go to www.kidsflysafe.com and purchase their protection belt. Just trying to help. Good Luck!

I am sure you can do it! Do you have help, or is it just you flying with your little ones? I have actually made the trip to Utah with a connection in Phx, with my 4 kids, no husband (5 1/2 hour trip). My baby was 1 at the time. It was hard because our flight didn't arrive until midnight. All the kids were so sleepy, but they made it. Good Luck!

You should be able to hold the one year old and actually that's better than getting her a seat because if you buy the seat, they'll make you put her in it for take-off and landing and then you wouldn't be able to nurse, which is the absolute best thing to do so that her ears don't hurt (due to air pressure changes) during the take-off. I found at that age, nursing is the most fantastic tool for keeping a baby happy on a long flight. Just keep her busy before you get on the plane, so that's she's ready for that time on the plane. My youngest would sleep through virtually the entire flight, which made everyone else on the plane very happy. I always got so many compliments about what good babies I had. And, I can guarantee people are far more offended by a screaming child than they are a breastfeeding mother - I always made sure to sit on the inside seat.

Based on personal experience, every child is different. I have witnessed children that just sit there (like one would hope) and I have also witnessed the "nightmare" flights that people (later) talk about. I've flown a couple of times with my own children. Once, when my (very vocal) daughter was just an infant. I made sure to do the bottle trick during take-off for her ears...subsequently, that seemed to help for the first 30 minutes of the flight. The flight also seemed to relax her to sleep (like a car), so it didn't matter that she was on my lap. She was a perfect angel and it definitely helped that she was still so light! The next time that I flew, my daughter was 15 months and she was definitely walking! I was about 5 months pregnant with my second child. I made the mistake of taking advantage of that "free" seat (that came at the expense of my sanity!). Not only was she heavy, but she definitely wanted to roam the aisle. I was totally stressed out and embarrassed, but at least she wasn't crying or anything and everyone else seemed too distracted by her cuteness to care. The flight back home was even more jam packed and because of the extra booster that my legs were providing her, she kept trying to kick the seat in front of me. Then she kept jumping down and going up to the lady in front of me...like I said, her cuteness saved us, because the lady thought that she was the most adorable thing. I apologized and the lady began to tell me how she had several grandchildren and not to worry about it. The guy next to me was a really nice young man. He seemed intelligent and totally inspired by the world and excited about the rest of his life. He was definitely not the "average" guy. My daughter wanted to see out the window and he could tell that I was having a hard time holding her. I sensed that he loved little kids, based on his stories about his kid brother. I let my daughter sit on his lap to see out the window, so myself and my tummy could get a break. It was great! I totally lucked out! This young man held her the rest of the flight and helped me carry my bags at the end. He wished us well and went on his way. I shared that story with you, because you never know the empathy and generosity of strangers. It helped me to de-stress during my flight. Also, I vowed that I would ALWAYS buy my children that extra seat, regardless of how old they are! GOD bless you and I wish you much luck on your flights.

If its just you with the 2 kids and you can afford it, I would buy the extra ticket. Reason being that you may need to put her down to attend to your 3yo's needs. Now if your older one is self saficient and does not require a lot of attention and is pretty easy going, then that may play a key role as well. In that event I think you should be able to handle it with the younger one on your lap. If your partner is traveling with you, its almost better not to buy the extra ticket. You'll not be able to all sit together. Most planes are either 3 on both sides of the aisles. So typically the hb sits comfortably by himself. Hope that helps.

I've flown with babies of all ages! :) And I usually try NOT to buy a ticket, if I can help it. My son nursed until he was almost 3 years old and it was fine flying w/him on my lap until then (he's smaller for his age, so when he was 3, I passed him off as 2 last min). My kids loved to fly, so I never had an issue with them wanting to walk around the isles. Also, another thing that I do is get early flights or late flights and they'll usually sleep thru most of the flight (our flights are 4 hrs, from TX to NJ). Plus, you never know...you may be pleasantly surprised with a flight that isn't completely full and be able to have a seat for your 1 year old...

Have a safe trip!
L.

Have been flying with both my boys since they were 6 weeks and 4. They are now 7 and 3. We travel about 6 times a year. Just returned from Europe. Ugh 11 hours. I suggest holding in lap and not buying a ticket unless the expense is no big deal to you. When my youngest was little he would not have sat in his own seat anyway. He was either scared, or too excited, so it helped I was holding him.Be sure that you have no one not in your family next to you. Very often the pressure and noise on the plane knocks them right out. Nursing at take off and landing is a huge help. Keep them busy with books and quiet, easy to hold on to toys. We use our i-pods for movies with them and they stay very entertained. Don't be afraid to get up and walk with them if necessary. It may be hard the first time around, but kids get the hang of it and when they understand the expectations you have on the plane, they do well.

I flew from NW AR to Utah with my son and he was almost 2, so we didn't get the ticket. He sat in my lap and slept most of the time. When he wasn't sleeping and wanted to stand, he stood on the floor between my knees. He could look out the window there, so he was happy. Especially with having another little one to get settled into a seat, I wouldn't get a ticket for your youngest. I think you'll both be more comfortable with her in your lap.

We didn't have a DVD player at the time, but we took animal crackers for him to eat and play with. He had more fun playing with the ziplock bag!

Good luck and have a nice time in Utah!

Call your airlines, but I am pretty sure she will need to be in a travel seat. In an emergency, God forbid, she will need to be secure and not in your lap.