Reddit put me off flying with a toddler but y’all were wrong
@johnd I loved reading this. When I have time I always jump on posts of people travelling with littlies to try and reassure them that it generally doesn’t have to be as bad as everyone makes out. I always encourage people that if they are comfortable relaxed travellers then it’s more likely their kids will be too. I get downvoted so much 
But I love travelling with my 19 month old daughter, she has done multiple international sectors. So glad it worked out for you.
But I love travelling with my 19 month old daughter, she has done multiple international sectors. So glad it worked out for you.@johnd My wife flew alone with our 22-month-old last summer from Eastern Europe to New Mexico, easily over 24 hours of travel and zero problems. Because we were also nervous about it, I booked a trip to Amsterdam so I could help on the last leg of the return flight, and I was just unnecessary (but I did get a fun solo week in Amsterdam out of it.)
Of course people are going to share their worst experiences on Reddit. I don’t know why that is.
Of course people are going to share their worst experiences on Reddit. I don’t know why that is.
chegrmom49
New member
@mikeydb Imo, it's because people feel the need to both vent and make sure they aren't overreacting after a bad experience. It's normal to seek validation when you're upset, and to want to get those feelings out.
Whereas after a good experience, you're satisfied. You're relaxed. You're more likely to just want to appreciate it than hop on social media.
Whereas after a good experience, you're satisfied. You're relaxed. You're more likely to just want to appreciate it than hop on social media.
@wakemantk Everything is Yelp now.
@johnd let’s be real, there’s always the possibility of there being upset babies, toddlers, young children crying and screaming when you’re on an airplane. anyone who books a flight knows this. while it’s obvi not the most enjoyable thing in the world, folks know the opportunity risk when they book their flight and they get on planes anyway. it’s just a part of flying and not that big of a thing.
i flew with my son when he was 2 and 3 multiple times across the country (we’re in the US), and halfway across the country. sometimes it was chill, but he usually hated it and cried and screamed quite a bit despite my best efforts to soothe and distract him with anything and everything i could think of that might have helped. the folks around us were almost always understanding or at least aware enough to not complain. it was definitely stressful af at times, like when he cried non stop on a flight from philly to denver and i couldn’t do anything to soothe him for longer than a few minutes at a time. but we survived, and experiencing some of those rough flights with him didn’t stop me from traveling with him via airplane again afterward.
your mileage may vary, every kid is different, etc. personally my son as a toddler hated it. i’m glad your kiddo seemed to do well and you had an easier time of it than i did! i will add that i hope that parents aren’t discouraged from flying with their young kiddos even if they have a tough flight. as you said, live your life, take the holiday, visit family, do your thing. toddlers are people too and have just as much a right to be on an airplane as any other paying customer imo.
i flew with my son when he was 2 and 3 multiple times across the country (we’re in the US), and halfway across the country. sometimes it was chill, but he usually hated it and cried and screamed quite a bit despite my best efforts to soothe and distract him with anything and everything i could think of that might have helped. the folks around us were almost always understanding or at least aware enough to not complain. it was definitely stressful af at times, like when he cried non stop on a flight from philly to denver and i couldn’t do anything to soothe him for longer than a few minutes at a time. but we survived, and experiencing some of those rough flights with him didn’t stop me from traveling with him via airplane again afterward.
your mileage may vary, every kid is different, etc. personally my son as a toddler hated it. i’m glad your kiddo seemed to do well and you had an easier time of it than i did! i will add that i hope that parents aren’t discouraged from flying with their young kiddos even if they have a tough flight. as you said, live your life, take the holiday, visit family, do your thing. toddlers are people too and have just as much a right to be on an airplane as any other paying customer imo.
johnnybefree
New member
@johnd I agree! We fly with our incredibly energetic babe (now 16 months) as a lap baby. She is an incredible traveler and handles it like a champ… and absolutely loves the new experiences of new places etc.
We also let her set the pace sleep wise and just make sure we are fully loaded with snacks.
We also let her set the pace sleep wise and just make sure we are fully loaded with snacks.
romanqueen1
New member
@johnnybefree This is it. We have flown internationally with my nearly 2 year old as a lap baby 3 times. Letting them set the pace is so important. He can choose when to sleep, when to play with toys, and when to have snacks. Snack variety and quantity are key!! We have our last lap flight with him next week right before his second birthday. He is kind of huge now so I am a bit nervous but overall I know it’s going to be ok in the end 
@johnd This is quite reassuring as I'm doing a 15 hour flight in June with my partner and two year old boy, who has the energy and stamina of a marathon runner.
We're not planning on taking a car seat, but we do have a CARES Harness which I'm hoping acts a bit like one.
He really is very restless though. He lasts about 5-10 minutes in a high chair in a cafe for example.
I'm really, really dreading it.
We're not planning on taking a car seat, but we do have a CARES Harness which I'm hoping acts a bit like one.
He really is very restless though. He lasts about 5-10 minutes in a high chair in a cafe for example.
I'm really, really dreading it.
preciousleslee
New member
@godseb You are not alone, I'm absolutely terrified for my trip! My husband and I are taking our 19 month old son in a few weeks to see my husband's family who live on the literal other side of the world (almost as far as you can be from where we live). It's a 3 flight trip, 2 hr, 13 hr, and 7.5hr flights... but my husband hasn't seen his family in almost 6 years so it's important we go but I am so scared!
@preciousleslee Sounds very similar to us - our parents live very far away as we live in New Zealand. We have three flights too, with a long layover before the last flight. Nightmare.
Are you taking a car seat for the flights? I'm so torn.
Are you taking a car seat for the flights? I'm so torn.
preciousleslee
New member
@preciousleslee Oh nice, them sky couches look great. At least your child can lie down. We've bought an inflatable footrest so we can attempt to make a makeshift bed!
We're also getting a CARES Harness to strap our boy to the seat, to try and stop him leaping around & wanting to run down the aisle.
We're also getting a CARES Harness to strap our boy to the seat, to try and stop him leaping around & wanting to run down the aisle.
preciousleslee
New member
@johnd I have only heard of a good positive story from one person about flying with a toddler, everyone else just gives us their horror stories. We're desperate to go on holidays lol, but with a 1 and 3.5 year old, my nerves are shot just thinking of it. Even for a 2-3 hour flight to Spain (be popular holiday destination near us).
Refreshing to read. Thank you!
Refreshing to read. Thank you!
4godslove1st
New member
@johnd I agree it’s doable. I just flew from the US to Japan and back mostly on my own with 3 kids (6, 3, 1). It had rough moments, but the flights themselves weren’t too bad.
It can definitely be terrible if toddler has a bad day and is screaming the whole time. Or if they are super active and going everywhere.
It can definitely be terrible if toddler has a bad day and is screaming the whole time. Or if they are super active and going everywhere.
simonjohn213
New member
@johnd Because there's still a lot of negative responses to your post despite your good experience, I'm jumping in to share some more positivity.
My daughter has flown as a lap infant for two trips, once at 14m and again at 18m. (We are also taking her on her first trip with her own seat on the plane this Friday at 25m.) Flights ranged from 3.5-6 hours, and she has been great each time, no worse than I get when sitting still for so long. For us, the key is preparation. We bring novel toys, yummy snacks, and give her plenty of attention. Not once have we dealt with crying or screaming.
We were nervous too when we first started traveling with her, but I'm so glad we didn't get scared of by others' horror stories. I genuinely love flying with my girl, and I'm thankful to continue traveling, especially with an awesome kiddo in tow.
To anyone else considering this, you can do it! Can't guarantee it will always go smoothly, but it can!
My daughter has flown as a lap infant for two trips, once at 14m and again at 18m. (We are also taking her on her first trip with her own seat on the plane this Friday at 25m.) Flights ranged from 3.5-6 hours, and she has been great each time, no worse than I get when sitting still for so long. For us, the key is preparation. We bring novel toys, yummy snacks, and give her plenty of attention. Not once have we dealt with crying or screaming.
We were nervous too when we first started traveling with her, but I'm so glad we didn't get scared of by others' horror stories. I genuinely love flying with my girl, and I'm thankful to continue traveling, especially with an awesome kiddo in tow.
To anyone else considering this, you can do it! Can't guarantee it will always go smoothly, but it can!