I recently flew solo with my 16-month-old daughter. To say that I was nervous would be an understatement.
In my mind, strategy was key: How I would go to the restroom if the need arose, what I would do to entertain her, how I would deal with seat mates who might not be charmed by small children.
All the thoughts and worst case scenarios ran through my mind constantly.
Well, I lived to tell the tale. And it was not nearly as bad as I expected. In fact, it went much better than I had built up in my mind. Here are my best tips for flying alone with a toddler.
>> RELATED READ :: Traveling with Toddlers? 7 Staycations Within “Napping Distance” of Collin County <<
1. Get in Travel Mindset
You must get your mind right before taking a flight with a toddler. Let go of any expectations, good or bad. Don’t expect sunshine and roses. Expect it to be hard. This way, you will feel pleasantly surprised when it goes better than expected.
Know that it may be rough, that your toddler may lose his or her mind, or heck, may even have an epic, in-flight poop. Be prepared, and take it in stride. It’s only a couple of hours (hopefully) of your life in the grand scheme of things. Give yourself grace and give your toddler grace, too.
2. Pack Snacks
For young toddlers, snacks are key. Bring ALL. THE. SNACKS. And a cup for water. Feed them snacks throughout the flight, and be sure to ration them so you have enough for the duration. Since young toddlers may not be that interested in a screen (TV, tablet games, etc.), snacks are important. My daughter ate almost all her snacks on both of our four-hour flights between California and Texas.
>> LISTEN :: The Truth About Trantrums :: Episode 94 <<
3. Bring a Stroller or Carrier
When you have a young toddler who is new to walking and can’t quite navigate through a crowd, a stroller or carrier is clutch. You can gate check the stroller right before boarding.
Unfortunately, I forgot my carrier at home. When we arrived at the airport, I didn’t anticipate how far the exit would be from the gated area. It felt like I took an uphill hike with a 20-pound baby on my hip. A stroller or carrier would have saved my back.
4. Board Last
Although gate agents call for families with young children to board first, I highly recommend boarding last, especially when flying alone with a toddler.
Leading up to boarding the plane, I let my daughter roam the gate area as it gets less and less crowded. I let her get out as many wiggles as possible since she is about to be confined to a tight space for a few hours. After all, I didn’t purchase a seat for her because she still qualifies as a lap infant, and I wanted to save the expense.
I find that boarding the plane last helps limit overstimulation and fussiness while waiting for the entire plane to board.
5. Let Go of Schedules
If you operate on a structured schedule like me, realize that for the duration of your flight, you may need to let that go. Toddlers will be tired, cranky, and overstimulated when flying, so it’s safe to assume you can forget about naptime — especially when you’re flying for more than two hours.
Just roll with the punches. When we arrived in California, I put my daughter down for a nap at 2:00 p.m. local time (4:00 p.m. our time) because she was in desperate need of rest.
On the way back, the flight coincided with her naptime luckily, and she slept for the last hour of the flight. Thankfully, she fell asleep that night with no issues, even though there were only two hours between her plane nap and bedtime.
>> RELATED READ :: 7 Travel Sleep Tips for Kids over the Holidays <<
6. Do What You Gotta Do
On our flight to California, we got really lucky. No one sat in the middle of our row. This gave my daughter more space to move around.
At certain points, I even let her stand on the middle seat, play with the safety cards, and bang on the tray table. I let her stand in the aisle when it was clear, and, luckily, she never went beyond my reach.
On the flight back, she had a stinky diaper. I had to change a poopy diaper in an airplane restroom. Thankfully, it did have a flip-down changing table (though it’s best suited for an infant versus a wiggly toddler).
As for using the restroom myself, I’m not the mom who is comfortable leaving my toddler in the company of complete strangers on a plane. So, I made it work. In the tiny airplane bathroom, there was just enough room for her to stand on the floor while I maneuvered to use the facilities. Not ideal, but you do what you must!
7. Diaper Bag Must-Haves for Air Travel
Be sure to pack the following necessities:
- books
- diapers
- extra change of clothes for your toddler AND yourself
- hand sanitizer
- wipes
- snacks
- toys
And then add some more snacks.
Bonus tip: If an extra seat for your toddler is in your budget, or you have extra points, use them! Having the extra space helped a lot. Also, I’ve heard great success from parents who purchased their child a seat and used his or her car seat to create a travel experience he or she is familiar with.
