Do you absolutely love your freedom and prefer to get out and about? Are you afraid that flying to sunny holiday destinations is no longer an option once you have a child? Let me share my honest story with you. I have experience flying with a baby, a toddler, and older children.
Flying with a baby
When our son was just six months old, we flew to Turkey. It was a flight of just under four hours, and he was allowed to sit on our lap. When boarding, you see the looks of ‘a baby on board; hope that goes well,’ but I must admit that it went 100% better than expected. Right when we boarded, we asked the stewardess to prepare his bottle, so we could feed him during takeoff. This reduces the chance of ear pain. He then fell asleep (we used the table for support so our arms wouldn’t go numb) and during landing, we used the bottle trick again. When he was awake, we entertained him with peek-a-boo games and some cuddly toys we had in the diaper bag.
Flying with a toddler
With good spirits, we also boarded the plane with our toddler to fly to Turkey for a holiday. For those who don’t know the term ‘toddler,’ it’s a child aged 1 to 2.5 years… After that, they’re called a ‘preschooler’ (up to four years old). We already had good experiences flying with a preschooler; before the pandemic, we had gone to Tenerife for a week. And that went surprisingly well. We had a suitcase full of toys for the trip and an iPad in a brightly colored, protective kid’s case. He had no trouble with his ears and enjoyed the view of the clouds.
Dare to fly with a toddler
In short: with those positive experiences, we dared to fly with a toddler as well… Well, that turned out to be a very different experience. And that’s why I want to share it here. On the outbound flight, the crying was limited to just after takeoff, then he fought his sleep (we flew at six in the morning, and he had been awake since 1:00 AM…) The return flight was another story… He wasn’t in a great mood during the vacation (sleeping and eating – two pretty essential things – were already difficult). And he absolutely didn’t want to cooperate during the flight. This resulted in quite a bit of crying, or rather, screaming. Nothing helped.
Everyone was watching us…
And there you are… in the aisle. Baby in your arms, trying to soothe him. Then sitting again: Bumba video on. Offering a bottle. Making funny faces. Looking sternly. More cuddling. Stroking his hair. We tried everything, but he kept crying furiously for a long time. At that moment, you really feel like everyone is watching you. It’s tough. Though now – a few days later – I can laugh about it. What an experience! And then you get comments from people as you disembark that he has ‘good lungs.’ Will I dare to do it again next year… Probably: he’ll be two and have his own seat.
Lessons learned from flying with a baby or toddler
What have I learned from the three times I’ve flown with children? Here are my tips so you can benefit from my experiences if you’re planning to fly with a baby or toddler.
IMPORTANT: Children can always cry. Don’t worry about it. And yes, even if you’re in the spotlight in the airplane aisle with a crying child, it will eventually end… Let people look. How would they feel in your situation? But there are also practical matters to be well-prepared:
- Flight timing: Pay attention to the flight times, considering your child’s naps and biological clock. Our return flight was during his active time, making it harder to get him to sleep. If you can book more spacious seats, that’s also highly recommended.
- Baby food: Make sure you have baby food on hand; you can let them drink during takeoff and landing. You can also bring something to nibble on during the flight. Did you know you can take baby food on board? That way, you always have food in case of delays.
- Pacifier clip: Attach the pacifier with a clip so it doesn’t end up under the seat. This prevents a lot of searching in such a small space. And in case of a crying fit, you have the comforting pacifier at hand.
- Entertainment: Have entertainment at hand. We had a separate bag in the diaper bag with books and a few toy cars. Even a shape sorter came along. He played with it quite peacefully on the outbound flight. The advantage was that he could do that in the first row where there was a lot of space (we had family sitting there).
- Download favorite shows: Download your child’s favorite series. If you’re filling your tablet or smartphone with entertainment for the flight, make sure to download a few episodes of your child’s favorite series. This gave us a few comforting moments with Bumba.
Concerned About Losing Freedom?
Are you hesitant because you’re afraid of losing your freedom? Do you think traveling is no longer possible? In that case, also consider your current situation. Are you making the most of your freedom now? If you can see yourself with a child, also look at other travelers’ experiences with kids. A lot is possible. In short: try to form a complete picture. You can do this based on your own wishes and others’ experiences (like this article). Be sure to also read: 3 tips for those afraid of changing due to motherhood.
Photo Patricia de Ryck (Twijfelmoeder) – My English is not very good, so I’m translating this with the help of Google Translate and ChatGPT.