Image via Wikipedia
W. & I have planned two flights in the next couple of months and we are scared of what it will be like to fly with Abi. I must admit prior to Abi if I saw a screaming baby/toddler boarding my flight I would hope my seat wasn’t near the child. I really couldn’t stand the older kids who loved to kick my chair from behind over and over again and the whole time I was hoping the parent would do something about it before I went postal.
Now I’m a parent. Oh yes the tables have turned. I will be that lucky person who gets the “oh shit a baby on the plane” look. I already have had some nervous dreams about it. So like always I have done some research. What to do to keep my baby calm on a plane? And what to do if my baby is crying on a plane?
First off W. & I booked a red-eye flight for our very long trip to Mexico City this December, hoping that Abi will just sleep the whole time. We also booked our seats for both flights to the very back of the plane hoping we wouldn’t be disturbing to many passengers this way. Other advise I plan to follow comes from these books:
The Smart Family’s Passport: 350 Money, Time, and Sanity Saving Tips by Nina Willdorf and the readers of Budget Travel
- When flying with a baby bring along a few extra pair of disposable earplugs to give to passengers sitting nearby.
- Flyingwithkids.com has everything you need to know about planing a flight with infants and children
- Try to change your baby’s diaper just before you board since most flights won’t have a changing table
- give your baby a bottle if you can during take off and Landing to prevent pressure from building up in her ear.
- your never to young to be a frequent flier. Register your baby with the airline’s loyalty program and start racking up points.
The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook: Parenting by Joshua Piven, David Borgenicht, and Sarah Jordan
- Make highly visible efforts to quiet your child. Passengers and flight attendants will not be as upset with you if they think you are doing everything you can.
- Do not panic if your child will still not calm down. Remember this is only a moment in time.
- Use the lavatory. If your child will not calm down, retreat to the lavatory with him until he exhausts himself.
But as another blogger recently wrote:
“Obviously we can’t make them do anything. If we could, parenting would be easy. We could make them eat what they’re served, make them go on the potty, make them behave in public places,make them go to sleep and make them stop crying. If only!” you can read the rest of the post called Baby Haters?.
I’m even thinking of getting a couple of $5.00 Starbucks gift cards to hand to people sitting near us as an I’m sorry if Abi starts shrieking and won’t stop. That will be my last resort for the worst case scenario. But at that point I probably will be ordering a drink and crying because I have become “that parent” with “that baby”. Fun Times.
Related articles
- 5 tips for traveling with baby (momentsofexhilaration.com)
- Babes on a Plane: Apps for Babies that you can Feel Good About (integratetech.wordpress.com)
September 23, 2011 at 10:29 am
Grace, I have been the parent with the crazy inconsolable baby and I have been a parent who gloats about how much better her baby was on the plane than the other babies on board. Either way you are on edge the whole time. The red-eye thing did not work for us. Jacqueline woke up twice shrieking at the top of her lungs and woke up the whole plane, that was horrible. I can say that traveling with her pre-walking was much easier than after. If Abi is sitting up and active at the time of flight then getting her a seat is my suggestion. We learned this the hard way the very last time we flew. If Abi is content being held and nursing frequently then having her on your lap should be fine. Jacqueline has taken 5 round trip flights and every time has been different, you can never predict their behavior. I read somewhere that a parent should offer to buy everyone around them a cocktail on the plane as a pre-thank you which might in the moment be more appreciated than starbucks. Just remember to nurse or give a pacifier during landing and take-off and you should be fine. Good Luck!
September 24, 2011 at 1:24 pm
To be honest I hope, I really hope, I get to be the parent who gloats. But like you said you can’t really control the situation. Thanks for the advise. Please keep on reading.
September 23, 2011 at 10:38 am
I’ve taken a baby on a plane before. Yes, there are baby haters out there. Yes, they will shoot you dirty looks.
But no, it won’t be your baby’s fault. And no, it won’t be your fault. THEY are the adults. THEY are the ones who should now have a semblance of understanding. THEY are the ones it is not worth stressing over, because quite frankly, if a grown man or woman gets that angry at an infant, there is probably little you could do to make THEM calm down either.
There, I said it. Now, hope you have a great flight!
September 24, 2011 at 1:22 pm
thank you, for the comment. I agree adults should not be so mean and I shouldn’t take it personally if they do. Please keep on reading.
September 25, 2011 at 7:50 pm
Good luck with the flight! This most recent trip was the first one we’ve taken with our baby since she’s started walking and it definitely is harder. But I just kept thinking: ok, this is going to be over soon. And once we’ve made it through we’ll be on an awesome trip and that will be great! Even if Abi is crying the whole time, you will make it through!
Have fun!
September 26, 2011 at 8:26 am
I think this will be my mantra while flying, thank you. Just read your suggestions on flying with a baby, I enjoyed it. Please keep on reading.
October 22, 2011 at 6:28 am
I empathize with mothers who have a child Abi’s age. It never bothers me. There are annoyances like loud inconsiderate know-it-all’s, want-to-be’s, and use-to-be’s that are much more annoying.
I was sitting with this thirty something guy on a flight to Detroit a few years ago. He was busy telling me how important he was. He interrupted himself only to complain about a crying baby. He said something to the stewardess. The mother was about in tears. When the flight was over I told the guy, “Somebody as successful as you ought to fly first class from now on.”
Kenton Lewis