This summer we boarded an airplane to see my side of the family. My oldest boys are fine on a plane. It’s even nice to say that my four-year-old daughter is much better on the plane than she was a year ago. They keep themselves busy with books, snacks, stick-by-number, and movies. It’s the wiggly one-year-old that’s difficult. One flight was challenging, and one flight was smooth. I find that even if I am well-planned, a flight can be great or not so great. There are so many variables that are outside of their organized backpack. Despite all of that, here are some tips for traveling with a one-year old.
Bring a Stroller and/or Wear Your Baby
We have an old beat-up sit-and-stand stroller that we got from a family at church years ago. It’s been my favorite stroller by far because it’s already kind of worn out, so a few more dents doesn’t seem so bad. What I like about it is that we can dump a bunch of backpacks and lunch bags in the front and along the sides, and have my daughter ride in the back. Meanwhile, I wear the baby. Then we toss the stroller through security conveyor belt, check it at the gate, and then someone drags it onto the airplane below. You can tell this stroller has been through a lot, but it still holds up! I should have taken a picture of our pack mule stroller, but I didn’t think to do that. Our doesn’t look nearly as nice as this one does. When I am one the airplane, I store the carrier in the luggage compartment and then throw it in the washer after our trip.
Questions to Ask
Each child is different and likes different things. I found it helpful to ask myself, “What does my child like to do?” Mine likes to get into the marker bin. He also likes throwing balls. Someone else’s list of things to pack for an airplane ride with a one-year old might look different for each child.
What I packed
- A dried-out maker (because he loves to take the caps off)
- Toy balls
- A plastic cup to put the balls in
- Books
- Suction spinning toys
- An empty plastic spice container with pipewires (you pull the pipewires through the holes, but my son liked to shake cheerios in the container. They don’t spill)
I didn’t spend any money on him. I just found stuff around the house and threw it into a ziplock bag. When I looked on other blogs, they suggested a bunch of toys. That’s great, but it’s also more money to spend. The spice contains was one idea I found a blog somewhere that I thought looked promising.
What My Old-Year Old Liked
He loved the toy balls with the cup. I would toss the ball into the cup, then turn the cup over and let the ball fall out. Oh, did he like that. To keep him busy, I also stuffed the ball down his shirt. That confused him! He also really liked the spice container toy. He liked to shake it and close the lid.
Snacks & Lunch
Traveling with a one-year-old means that snacks aren’t only for nourishment on an airplane. They are really just to keep kids, or babies in this case, busy. I packed rice cakes, animal crackers, Kix cereal, some fruit and vegetables, and a lunch. We never buy lunch in an airport for our kids. It’s because one time we purchased a ten-dollar sandwich in LAX, which my son later refused to eat. They just want to eat their normal lunch. Their backpacks and lunch bags count as their two carry-ons.
The Airplane Seat
My son found great fun in putting the tray down and up. He also liked the pamphlets stored in the top part of the seat in front of us. Staring and smiling at people behind us was also fun. We were fortunate on both flights to have kind and gracious people sitting next to us who didn’t seem to mind my son a great deal.
The Tired Baby
My son can stay awake for about three to four hours at a time. That means that any plane ride will most likely also mean nap time. It’s amazing what happens when you remove routines and naptimes – you get a very loud, unhappy baby! I have had plenty of babies cry on airplanes. Some people get it, and some people don’t get it. It’s best to ignore rude comments when traveling with babies. As the mom, I know how my son acts when he’s rested, and I know how he acts when he has his crib taken away and he’s asked to sleep on an airplane. He did eventually fall asleep, but it took some crying before that happened.
Last Thoughts
I like traveling with my kids, but it is hard. There’s nothing easy about traveling with a one-year-old – leaving their familiar home and hoping they behave well without having enough naps. I say it’s a good trip as long as you make it your destination. I know it’s hard to have a baby crying in an enclosed place like an airplane, but it happens all the time. Ironically, during one of our tough flights, I found out there was another baby on the plane just a few rows ahead of us. She was very quiet the whole time. Every baby is different, right?
Carly from DesertHomeschoolDays.com
