Captain Ron Posted May 13, 2021 Share Posted May 13, 2021 Any tips or advise on travelling with a very cute but oh so busy, stubborn, compulsive climbing girl-tot turning 3 in November? (with new rules and restrictions)... Sigh Hoping to fly in November - will book next week! Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoll Posted May 13, 2021 Share Posted May 13, 2021 Valium ……..for you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rammygirl Posted May 13, 2021 Share Posted May 13, 2021 A smile. Remember that many on that plane will have travelled with toddlers in the past and will be sympathetic. Keep calm apologise if required but engage your child as much as possible. If you are stressed and agitated they will pick that up. Oh and tire them out as much as possible prior to boarding and at any stop en route! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calNgary Posted May 13, 2021 Share Posted May 13, 2021 We flew with a just turned 3 year when we came years ago. My biggest tips would be- -Dont let them sleep unless you are in the air. - Take their fav reading and colouring books. - If flying with your spouse/ partner, take turns entertaining, to give each other break. - Have plenty of snacks on hand. Overall it wasnt as bad as i thought it would be. Good luck Cal x 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nemesis Posted May 14, 2021 Share Posted May 14, 2021 9 hours ago, Captain Ron said: Any tips or advise on travelling with a very cute but oh so busy, stubborn, compulsive climbing girl-tot turning 3 in November? (with new rules and restrictions)... Sigh Hoping to fly in November - will book next week! Thank you! The flight might end up being the easiest part - its the thought of 2 weeks in a hotel room.......Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Ron Posted May 14, 2021 Author Share Posted May 14, 2021 7 hours ago, Quoll said: Valium ……..for you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Ron Posted May 14, 2021 Author Share Posted May 14, 2021 3 minutes ago, Nemesis said: The flight might end up being the easiest part - its the thought of 2 weeks in a hotel room.......Good luck! Yes, i know.. and we have two boys as well!! Im very worried, Lol!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Ron Posted May 14, 2021 Author Share Posted May 14, 2021 7 hours ago, calNgary said: We flew with a just turned 3 year when we came years ago. My biggest tips would be- -Dont let them sleep unless you are in the air. - Take their fav reading and colouring books. - If flying with your spouse/ partner, take turns entertaining, to give each other break. - Have plenty of snacks on hand. Overall it wasnt as bad as i thought it would be. Good luck Cal x Thanks so much - do you remember if you did a night flight? As this is what we are thinking might be better for all 3 of our kids. The 10pm flight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Ron Posted May 14, 2021 Author Share Posted May 14, 2021 7 hours ago, rammygirl said: A smile. Remember that many on that plane will have travelled with toddlers in the past and will be sympathetic. Keep calm apologise if required but engage your child as much as possible. If you are stressed and agitated they will pick that up. Oh and tire them out as much as possible prior to boarding and at any stop en route! Thank you - I think if we do the 10pm flight she would have had a very long day and will be tired (over-tired) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoll Posted May 14, 2021 Share Posted May 14, 2021 OK so maybe I was a bit flippant (you can take it in turns to take the Valium!). 1. Have faith in your parenting, I'm sure you're a good parent and you will be a good parent on the flight and chances are there is going to be nothing to worry about at all. 2. When the 3 year old sleeps, you all sleep but if she doesnt sleep then the adults take it in turns -2 on 2 off is a good break up 3. Dont be afraid to distract and take her to the back of the plane (where there is usually more room) if she is awake in the middle of the night. Practice some exercise moves before you get on the plane that she can get used to = toe touching, star jumps, high kicks, etc and do those moves in the relative quiet of the back of the plane, alternatively have some other activity she enjoys doing with you. 4. Travel light, you dont need to take the kitchen sink. Let her have a backpack with her precious friend (teddy, doll, whatever) and her favourite book, a doodle slate (where you can draw and clean it off with a swipe - often found in pound shops!). She can be boss of her special friend and make sure that the special friend knows how to behave in a plane - if she is managing her special friend she is likely to model the right way to do things. 5. Load up your iPad with toddler friendly activities 6. If she is inclined to be travel sick, try out any travel sick remedies BEFORE you travel - some of them can have a paradoxical effect and instead of making kids go to sleep, they make them HYPERACTIVE like bouncing off the walls HYPERACTIVE. However, if she has never flown before I would check her reaction to travel sick remedies beforehand anyway because there is little worse than a chundering kid except perhaps a bouncing off the walls kid. 7. Fly at night - you're all so buggered after a busy day, chances are you will sleep like babies and, no, you dont need to stay awake for the meals. 8. Have a drink bottle/lollies on hand for take off and touch down - ear pain due to pressure changes can be one of the biggest problems for little kids, swallowing helps equalise pressures. 9. Make sure she doesnt kick the seat in front of her - there is nothing worse than having a fidgety kid kicking the back of your seat all night. It is a very long time since I travelled with a 3 year old (and a 12 week old) on my own back to UK - looking back I wonder how I managed but from memory the worst thing was me being ignored by the hostie (who was chatting up a single male further down the plane) and I was dying for a cup of tea because I was BF the baby. As far as I recall the 3 year old was good as gold. Since then, I've travelled with grandkids but we've never had problems and once, even, a very stern lady across the aisle congratulated my son and daughter in law on leaving the plane because she'd been scared stiff the then 18 month old would be a nightmare to travel with. Apart from queue jumping to go to the loo (early toilet trained) she was good as gold. Dont sweat it, it'll be fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Ron Posted May 14, 2021 Author Share Posted May 14, 2021 8 minutes ago, Quoll said: OK so maybe I was a bit flippant (you can take it in turns to take the Valium!). 1. Have faith in your parenting, I'm sure you're a good parent and you will be a good parent on the flight and chances are there is going to be nothing to worry about at all. 2. When the 3 year old sleeps, you all sleep but if she doesnt sleep then the adults take it in turns -2 on 2 off is a good break up 3. Dont be afraid to distract and take her to the back of the plane (where there is usually more room) if she is awake in the middle of the night. Practice some exercise moves before you get on the plane that she can get used to = toe touching, star jumps, high kicks, etc and do those moves in the relative quiet of the back of the plane, alternatively have some other activity she enjoys doing with you. 4. Travel light, you dont need to take the kitchen sink. Let her have a backpack with her precious friend (teddy, doll, whatever) and her favourite book, a doodle slate (where you can draw and clean it off with a swipe - often found in pound shops!). She can be boss of her special friend and make sure that the special friend knows how to behave in a plane - if she is managing her special friend she is likely to model the right way to do things. 5. Load up your iPad with toddler friendly activities 6. If she is inclined to be travel sick, try out any travel sick remedies BEFORE you travel - some of them can have a paradoxical effect and instead of making kids go to sleep, they make them HYPERACTIVE like bouncing off the walls HYPERACTIVE. However, if she has never flown before I would check her reaction to travel sick remedies beforehand anyway because there is little worse than a chundering kid except perhaps a bouncing off the walls kid. 7. Fly at night - you're all so buggered after a busy day, chances are you will sleep like babies and, no, you dont need to stay awake for the meals. 8. Have a drink bottle/lollies on hand for take off and touch down - ear pain due to pressure changes can be one of the biggest problems for little kids, swallowing helps equalise pressures. 9. Make sure she doesnt kick the seat in front of her - there is nothing worse than having a fidgety kid kicking the back of your seat all night. It is a very long time since I travelled with a 3 year old (and a 12 week old) on my own back to UK - looking back I wonder how I managed but from memory the worst thing was me being ignored by the hostie (who was chatting up a single male further down the plane) and I was dying for a cup of tea because I was BF the baby. As far as I recall the 3 year old was good as gold. Since then, I've travelled with grandkids but we've never had problems and once, even, a very stern lady across the aisle congratulated my son and daughter in law on leaving the plane because she'd been scared stiff the then 18 month old would be a nightmare to travel with. Apart from queue jumping to go to the loo (early toilet trained) she was good as gold. Dont sweat it, it'll be fine. You're amazing, thank you! I do worry about letting her out her seat even once, lol, because i fear i may never get her back in again!! She has never flown before. She may surprise me but i won't hold my breath. She absolutely doesn't sit still for love or money.. But i think with a night flight and already being tired im hoping I can get her to sleep for majority of the ride. My husband and I might just have her sit with us and my 2 boys can be together - that way hubby and i can take her in turns - it usually takes all 4 of us to look after her!! Im going to buy a Doodle slate, thank you for the idea! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Craig Colas Posted May 14, 2021 Share Posted May 14, 2021 12 hours ago, Captain Ron said: Any tips or advise on travelling with a very cute but oh so busy, stubborn, compulsive climbing girl-tot turning 3 in November? (with new rules and restrictions)... Sigh Hoping to fly in November - will book next week! Thank you! We flew to Brisbane and back within 6 days in March 2020 with a 4 and 2 year old. All you can do is keep them entertained as best you can and try get them to sleep as much as possible on the plane. Like someone said above its the two weeks stuck in a hotel that might tip you over the edge . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Ron Posted May 14, 2021 Author Share Posted May 14, 2021 2 minutes ago, Craig Colas said: We flew to Brisbane and back within 6 days in March 2020 with a 4 and 2 year old. All you can do is keep them entertained as best you can and try get them to sleep as much as possible on the plane. Like someone said above its the two weeks stuck in a hotel that might tip you over the edge . Brisbane and back in 6 days Craig, not gonna lie, absolutely dreading those two weeks!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calNgary Posted May 14, 2021 Share Posted May 14, 2021 3 hours ago, Captain Ron said: Thanks so much - do you remember if you did a night flight? As this is what we are thinking might be better for all 3 of our kids. The 10pm flight. I honestly cannot remember. We actually flew here,had 10 days here then flew back again. Then 6 mths later flew back here again. My eldest was just 8 yrs and totally hyper but he was kept occupied by the on board movies quite a lot. Cal x 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Craig Colas Posted May 14, 2021 Share Posted May 14, 2021 3 hours ago, Captain Ron said: Brisbane and back in 6 days Craig, not gonna lie, absolutely dreading those two weeks!! Yer was a dreadful trip to be fair. Went for a friends wedding was staying at a load of different locations up the coast. Missed the quarantine by 12 hours which was lucky. But they started closing borders etc. Wedding was cancelled and we decided didn't want to get stuck so changed our flights and headed home. Would of been worse if we had never been before but still was a big waste of money, basically paid a load of money to go to Australia Zoo for the day Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Ron Posted May 14, 2021 Author Share Posted May 14, 2021 3 hours ago, Craig Colas said: Yer was a dreadful trip to be fair. Went for a friends wedding was staying at a load of different locations up the coast. Missed the quarantine by 12 hours which was lucky. But they started closing borders etc. Wedding was cancelled and we decided didn't want to get stuck so changed our flights and headed home. Would of been worse if we had never been before but still was a big waste of money, basically paid a load of money to go to Australia Zoo for the day No way!!!!!!! And still so many unknowns... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.