any tips on traveling with a 3yr old?

Question

we are flying from texas to california. next wednesday.

this is her first flight and she seems very excited.

our flight is at 945 am...the husband is going to be with us...I am sure that we will be fine but...tips never hurt. :)

Answer 1

i regularly fly with my VERY active 3 and 2 year olds, and my watch word is: preparation preparation! some of the things which worked the best ofr us was:
1. etch-n-sketch. they are great as you dont have to take crayons and paper and all that...
2. books - small ones which are not heavy and can be held by little hands.
3. play-doh in small sealable containers. this only works if she has her own lunch tray

make sure you take:
loads of wipes for spills, dirty diapers, dirty hands and faces and more!
spare clothes and diapers
sippy cups- i gove them water only to avoid sticky spills and hyperactivity
sugar free snacks in small bags (pretzels, crisps, apples, fruit leather, cucumbers etc)
favortie doll or stuffed toy
pacifiers and security blankets if applicable + spares

pack all the hand luggage in a bag with loads of small compartments so that the stuff is all neathly contained and easy to reach. when i travel alone on long journeys, i lable the pockets so i know at a glance what's inside them. i dont let the kids see or play with the toys and books i intend to take for at least a week before we leave, to help novelty.... only offer snacks when hungry and not when bored so that you dont run out of them when you need them. i try to board the plane last - even though they like to board kids and elderly first. the longer the kids ahve to be on the plane, the mroe irritable they will be. i always let my kids run around while we wait for the plane, to get rid of excess energy. make sure she gets a good night's sleep the night before - a cranky kids is the pits. most of all, dont worry about what other passengers think of you - you will never see them again! good luck!

Answer 2

bring toys and snacks. If possible, get a couple of new toys so the baby can amuse itself. Take the red-eye flights, the nighttime ones. This way the child should sleep through. Make sure your child still takes the normal nap at the normal time. Plan this into your activities. This is about all I can think of right now. Hope this helps!! Good Luck!!

Answer 3

Make sure you have some snacks, extra clothes, a blanket, some books....We recently flew from Michigan to Utah with a 3 year old...She seemed pretty excited about being up in the sky, and the airplane in general. If you get the chance, sit in a window seat and let her look out the window. Also, something like a pacifier or a sippy cup to help her ears adjust to the elevation. I know from experience their little ears can hurt if they dont adjust well.

Answer 4

Where do you live in TX??? Well, be sure to take snacks and drinks in a sippy, maybe a couple of colors and coloring books, a favorite toy or two (depending on size), some of his/her favorite books. It would be helpful if they played w/ a the Leapfrog toys. You could take that and buy some headphones. Hope that helps. Good luck on your flight.

Answer 5

Well it would have been great for the trip to happen during nap time so she'd sleep however I do not recommend waking her early or putting her to bed late. May back fire and she'll be irritable and annoy the other passages.

Bring games and things to keep her busy and call ahead to make sure the flight is on time.

check out web site
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/509/tips_for_flying_with_a_toddler.html

http://www.disneycentral.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1315
http://www.babiestravellite.com/travelguide_flyingwithatoddler.html
http://www.quakeroatmeal.com:8000/toddler/ParentsGuide/article.cfm?ArticleID=97

Answer 6

Is this the first flight for your kid? If so, he/she may get scare. I traveled with a 1 and 2 years old kids and my 2 years old was scare to dead. She didn't stop crying till we arrived. It is good idea travel with somebody else if is possible. Somebody that can help you.

Answer 7

duct tape? lol! just kidding. Maybe some good lap top things like etch-a-sketch, color wonder markers and paper, oh, and make sure u bring a couple of baggies with some of the childs favorite snacks along with a cup for juice, milk, or water.

Answer 8

if they are old enough,bring gum,(it helps to pop the ears on an airplane) and magazines that they like and anything that they would normally have at home,its also good to have a blanket and small pillow to have them sleep on the plane if its a late or early flight.

Answer 9

If your child can have benadryl give him some before the flight, also,chewing gum,and sippy cup. all these will help alleviate the pressure during take off and landing.

Answer 10

Let him/her have a tour of the plane - don't expect the kid to just sit & be an angel. Most grownups aren't angels! lol Take a few books, a favorite toy, snacks & make sure you're patient!!!