Toddler Flying

How old should your child be when you take them on an airplane? Well, after this week, my answer is NEVER! The girls are great on airplanes. We love to travel and are experienced in airports, so the girls have been doing it long enough to know the drill. My hubby, wonderful though he may be, really missed the boat with the travel preparations for this last trip.

We had a week long vacation planned out of town and had some last minute issues with the dogs, which meant that our original plan was to travel separately. I was going to take the girls on one day and my husband was going to take the dogs to the boarding place and follow us with KC the next day. Based on this plan, I was in charge of packing for myself and the girls. Easy, peasy, lemon squeazy. Clothes, socks, underwear, hair stuff, bathing suits, jackets, books, crayons and paper. DH was in charge of packing for himself and our son. But because of a problem with the shuttle driver and missing our flight, we ended up all going together.

Now, a pop quiz. If you are traveling on an airplane with a 3 year old, what should you bring with you?
A) toys
B) books
C) snacks
D) all of the above
E) none of the above; it's a short flight

Well, the correct answer, in every universe and plane imaginable, is never, EVER in a million years, E. I just doesn't happen. So what do you think got packed for him? Nothing. Nada. Zilch. Apparently the airline magazine and the SkyMall catalog were supposed to hold him over. Well, guess what? That plan didn't work. The flight out there wasn't too bad. But the flight home was a nightmare. Because I held up my end of the bargain for me and the girls, the boys were left to fend for themselves. I had no sympathy for that guy sitting across the aisle from me with the crazy, loud, hysterical little boy who was obviously bored out of his skull.

Air travel is a wonderful thing. But if you haven't done it before, here are my suggestions for a nice and quiet ride. At least three or four books, something along the lines of The Berenstain Bears or Aesop's Fables. A short story that doesn't require critical thinking skills to follow. Small Ziploc baggies filled with healthy snacks, like Goldfish crackers or small chunks of fruit. If you have an iPhone, there are some great apps for kids. (I have a couple, but I didn't pull it out for DH until other passengers started to complain). There a Wheels on the Bus app, a matching game with colors and shapes, and several others. Spend a few bucks on a few good ones. And some small toys. Not the entire collection of matchbox cars and every Barbie doll ever invented, but a few select distractions will go a long way toward a pleasant flight.

Next trip, I'm in charge of the packing.

PS - I've included a link to an article that has some good recommendations for iPhone/iPod Touch apps for kids in the "Favorite Links" to the right.