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Did you know that flying with a toddler is a stressful??

Our first time flying with our little guy was when he was 6 months old and I was nervous and stressed, but other than having him eat during take-off and landing, he slept or sat in my lap. I knew that giving him a bottle would help pop his ears so they wouldn’t hurt him during the flight. He had some small snacks during the flight, and play with some small toys in our laps.  It was great!

Then he turned into a toddler and he was moving all over the place. I was a brand-new kind of nervous and stressed to fly again. I knew he probably wouldn’t nap because it was a different place and different movements were happening. He had toddler FOMO! We had a 3-hour flight to fill time and ensure he didn’t escape to roam the plane.

Here’s the tips I learned to reduce my stress flying with our toddler.

1. SNACKS! All the Snacks!

Even if it’s not time for a meal, just have snacks. We found this awesome matching game snack container. We used easy snacks like Goldfish, pretzels, fruit snacks, blueberries, and Cheezits. He loved it! I also had baggies of grapes, clementine pieces, extra Goldfish, extra Cheezits, and chips.

2. Window Clings

I made sure we picked our seats so we were all together and that we had a window seat. I ordered a pack of window clings, we got beach/water-themed since we were going to Florida. He was able to stick them to the wall and window of the plane. They left no mess and no color on the plane walls.

3. New Toys

I picked out a few new toys to only pack for the plane ride. It should be something that will keep their interest and haven’t had before. I grabbed a pack of cars because he loves them. I had them in a bag in his backpack and got them out when we were in the air. We also found this road tape on Amazon and it was the best! There was no mess taking it off and he had constant fun with it. We put it on the plane seat as he was standing then on the floor of where we stayed. We also had easy toys for him to play with like, water color pads, and this nuts and bolts set.

4. Electronics

Most planes have screens now for passengers but it was easier to bring his tablet. We were able to have him sit and watch some episodes of Paw Patrol and put a movie on for him. He may not have sat through the entire movie but it was a small time he was occupied.

5. Walk Around

Take a lap or 2 around the airport. You’ll be sitting as well for that time so may as well walk around and try and wear out those little toddler legs. We had his backpack full of things for him to do but wanted to make sure we got out as much energy as we could so he would, hopefully, sit easier.

6. Board Early

I will always recommend to have 1 of you to board early or board early even if it’s just you flying with them. If you have luggage or car seats with you then it is easier to do it before normal boarding starts and it’s chaos to get stuff in the right spots. If we are flying as a family then we will have one of us board early to get everything settled in our seats while the other stays out with our little guy. That way we could have him up and moving around just a little longer before being stuck on the plane. We take turns so one would go early on the flight down and then switch for the flight home.

I’m an overprepared Mama trying not to be stressed.

These tips were lifesavers for us. We still had some times when he was trying to escape but he’s so friendly that people around us always commented on how well he would do during the flights. I think we were stressed too because we didn’t want him to grow up with a fear of flying if he didn’t have good experiences early on. Luckily, he loves flying now!

As he’s now a little older and no longer a toddler some of these still apply but he’s also a seasoned flyer and can get his things out of this backpack to occupy himself. I still pack mine full of snacks too. I may have been overprepared for flying with a toddler but I wanted to make sure we would have all we needed for him.

Flying with a toddler can be challenging, but it can be manageable and even enjoyable. By planning ahead, packing smart, and keeping your little one engaged with creative distractions, you can significantly reduce stress for both you and your child. Remember to stay flexible, embrace the journey, and focus on the positive moments. With these tips in hand, you’ll be better equipped to handle the ups and downs of flying and turn each trip into an adventure.

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