7. Make Friends
When I get on the flight I make to sure to make friends with the flight attendants and passengers around me. This is make a huge difference to how your journey goes. People don’t mind an excited toddler waving hi for 45 minutes, or even the millions of laps your going to do up and down the aisles, but its certainly nice to have some smiles thrown your way when they are less than perfectly behaved. The flight attendants on our recent journeys were amazing and went out of their way to help keep my toddler happy and entertained.
8. Personal Electronics
Even if your toddler has their own seat, they will probably not sit and watch the built-in TV screens in the seat back. The best thing to bring is a personal iPad or tablet that you can give them to watch a favorite movie, or three, on. The whole “limited screen time” kinda goes out of the window when you’re in travel mode. If you are lap sharing this also allow you to watch your own show or movie and take some “me time” for a moment while your toddler is content. The airplane headphones don’t work super well, especially for kids so I highly recommend purchasing some kids headphones, like these.
9. Secret Weapon
Now I try not to give my toddler chocolate, especially on a flight, but I need a secret weapon to whip out for the take off and landings to help keep her occupied while strapped to my lap, and also to keep the screaming to a minimum. Whatever it might be, a new toy, favorite snack, keep a secret weapon up your sleeve to use in those moments when there is no other option.