Thank you to everyone who gave me great tips on traveling with children! I thought I’d share with you all the great tips I’ve learned, including these tips for flying with a baby from Pampers.

I especially like this tip from their website:

Choose an evening flight. Flying is much easier with a sleeping baby, so consider flying in the evening to increase the chance of your little one nodding off. If a daytime flight is your only option, you might consider trying to delay your baby’s usual nap until after takeoff.”

Tips for Flying with a Baby

Sarah says:

Here are the best 2 tips I’ve ever been given regarding flying with children:
  1. Assuming there are two adults, you get on the plane for early boarding with all your gear. Let the other adult keep the child(ren) outside in the airport until the last possible minute. That way they can burn off as much energy as possible in the final minutes and not be strapped down that much longer.
  2. If the child gets really fussy, have Dad hold him/her. Studies have shown that people are more compassionate toward fathers with fussy babies than toward mothers. I guess moms are supposed to have it all figured out, and dads are clueless! haha! These both have really helped us in our traveling. oh…and Benadryl! 🙂

Tips for Flying with a Baby

Gena says:

Dum dum suckers, dum dum suckers, and dum dum suckers. Lots of baby wipes, too.

Mandy says:

  1. My ped actually suggested Benadryl, but give it to him a few days before you fly to make sure it doesn’t make him hyper instead of sleepy. I’ve never actually given it to my kids, but I always have it ‘just in case’. The dum-dums are a good idea, I hadn’t thought of that one. When my boys were that young I just nursed them or gave them a bottle, even if it got them off schedule. Good luck!

Nettie says:

I suggest you make sure he is as hungry and as tired as possible on the plane so that you can feed him as you take off (helps with the pressure) then he can fall asleep. That’s what we had to do with Ava and it worked. It was those connecting flights that were hard because she had already napped and eaten.
 
Tips for Flying with a Baby

Original message:

I‘m not giving the tips, I need them! I am flying twice this year with my baby and I am terrified. I need any tips you can give. He will be 8 months on the first trip and 10 months on the second.

We did a long 19-hour road trip with my first son when he was 10 months and the only thing I remember is buying new toys that I slowly revealed during the drive. Of course, flying will go by much faster, but my biggest concern is naptime and how that happens when you’re on a plane. I’m also worried about his ears hurting when we’re in the air. He’ll be too young to chew gum and that is the only trick I know to relieve that pressure.

As you can see, I need help! I will post any suggestions I receive!