Maine Nesties
maeghan21
member
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Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
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Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Flying with 17 mo old
DD and I will be flying to SC to visit my family in Sept. Obviously, I'm a little nervous. She's mobile now and will be even more antsy then. For those that have flown with toddlers, what are you recommendations? I know to have a bag with everything available, including a change of outfit. But, some of the stuff you don't read online that you've learned from personal experience. Also, did you purchase a ticket for them and bring the carseat? Unless my mom buys a carseat just for that week we go there, I'll be bringing mine anyways. I feel like between the safety issue and that she'll be older and probably more comfortable in her own seat, I'll get her her own ticket. IL's think this is a waste and they see lots of ppl fly with toddlers on their laps.
Re: Flying with 17 mo old
I have a cousin(-in-law) who flys with her 3 kids under 6 quite often. I know that car seats go in to bags that then get checked. She checks the seats with blankets (if necessary) in the seat so it doesn't take up room in their luggage. Checked seats don't count as your checked bag.
As for buying a ticket for them, I would check with your specific airline as some of them seem to have restrictions for age/weight requirement. Also consider if you want her on your lap the whole time to SC when September comes and she's even bigger than she is now.
Just my 2 cents as a non-mother.
Owen was 14 months old the last time we flew, so not quite as independent as a 17-month-old, but he was mobile. We didn't get him a seat (for a flight to California), and we did okay. On the way out there we got lucky and had an empty seat in our row. (I always book "window/aisle" on the hopes that the flight won't fill and no one will want to purchase the middle seat. It works about 30-40% of the time, and when it doesn't work, the person with the middle seat is usually thrilled to switch with us.) We took turns holding him, and MH did several laps up and down the aisle. I brought a ton of books, and several small toys. I've taken to traveling with plastic Easter eggs filled with small things like toy dinosaurs, cars, etc. Opening and closing them and finding out what's in them is part of the fun and keeps him occupied a little longer.
We also flew Virgin America, which helped -- TV! Owen and I watched the map a bit when he was awake, and it made being trapped under toddler more bearable when he was asleep...especially the part where you can order drinks/snacks from your TV.
Personally, I think it is a waste of money to buy her own ticket. As far as safety goes, you are in an airplane. If something goes wrong, a car seat isn't going to be all that much help. We traveled as much as we could before Ridley reached two just so that she could fly for free on our laps. Honestly, if a toddler is cranky, it doesn't matter whether they are in their own seat or not, you are going to know about it. Plus, Ridley ended up with her own seat 99% of the time anyway. I think she ended up on our laps twice out of a total of eight flights. My mom rented a car seat and a pack and play for when we visited.
The best advice I can give is to just accept whatever happens as it happens and do your best to shrug it off. We had a young couple in front of us on a flight once when Ridley was REALLY acting up and they were getting so pissed. She was either screaming or kicking their seats. Every time they turned around to shoot us a dirty look I smiled the biggest smile I could muster and shrugged my shoulders. Seriously people, what do you want me to do?
So, Kclouts, when you flew without buying a ticket and was lucky to get an open seat did you just buckle her into the seat like normal?
My worry is the flight from Charlotte or Atlanta is always packed. Even early morning it's ridiculous so I know I wont get a seat on that flight, but it's only 35 minutes. Obviously, I want her to behave but I've flown with plenty of screaming kids, it's my turn :P Just trying to figure out the logistics.
Also, where did you rent a carseat from?
If I only had one kid and was flying alone, I would get them a seat and put their car seat in it... if I had DH with me I probably wouldn't buy a seat because we could pass them off to the other when they needed a change of scenery...
where we have two and there is two of us... we would get the boys a seat or two... I think when they were smaller we could have gotten away with one extra because one of them would have probably definitely wanted to sit with us... now that they are bigger I would definitely get them each a seat (besides the fact that we have to now because they are 2)
You have to hold them on your lap during take off and landing, but yes, she was "buckled" into the seat like an adult. And really, she wasn't buckled in when the seat belt sign was turned off. I let her move around as much as she wanted because it kept her relatively quiet. And a few of the flights that I was referring to were from Atlanta to Florida and I was by myself. It was actually easier when I was by myself because I could control how I was feeling about the situation. I could not control how DH was feeling about it when we were traveling together, and that is a whole other story
We had very early morning flights so she was tired again by the time we got into the air and was willing to sleep sometimes.
I think my mom looked up car seat rental in her area online. There are lots of snow birds where she lives who have visiting grandchildren so I think there were a few services that rented baby items. It is worth a shot.
I also recommend bringing something to watch movies or TV on.