My travel tips with a Toddler

Toddler Travel Tips (by Plane)

I also posted this to Facebook :)

We have made 2 trips by plane with Jenna so far and many are asking me for tips. Here is what I’ve got so far! Jenna will NOT sleep on a plane no matter how tired she is, so we do not have that to count on.

· Make sure baby is rested / has had a nap before the flight (not all babies zonk out on a plane – mine included)
· I give Tylenol before the flight to help any ear / teeth pain
· Benadryl does not make Jenna sleepy but it does help calm some babies (test this at home before the flight though b/c it CAN have the opposite effect and make some kids hyper)
· Take lots of plastic baggies/ Ziploc baggies for trash and for keeping stuff together
· Let baby crawl / run around a lot before boarding. They are about to be made to sit still for a long time.
· Change diaper close to boarding time.
· Get on the plane last (this is the most crucial one on my opinion)
· Take your big / decent stroller to the airport. It helps hold drinks, bags, etc. Gate check is free so it is worth it to wheel it down there.
· Make sure to have extra pacifiers available in case she drops one
· Have a bottle made and ready if she still takes one

Things that kept Jenna occupied:
· Stickers – seriously 15 minutes of sticking them to herself, me, Jeff, the tray, etc.
· Lollipop (Ring Pop). Although she got mad when we would not let her hold it herself and she cried then
· Books (new and old)
· TV shows downloaded to my laptop (although I’m not sure if she watched it long enough to warrant me lugging that thing around)
· Napkins (ripping up)
· Cups (stacking)
· Sugar packs (taking in and out of the cup)
· Crayons and paper
· Playing cards! I bought cute cards at Target from the $1 bin with animals on them for “matching” but she loved it when I dealt them to her and she made a little pile. She also liked watching me shuffle the cards.
· A rubber stamper and some paper
· SNACKS – lots of them. I took Puffs, Cherrios, yogurt melts, cereal bars, graham crackers, you name it