Toddlers On A Plane: The Scariest Movie Ever Made
Posted
June 25, 2008 at
7:27 pm by
Maureen
Despite of the disaster of the last vacation, my husband and I just booked a trip for all of us to go away again the first week in August. (Dramatic pause)
Wait for it….Wait for it….
ON A PLANE.
I think the beers I drank while watching the Cubs game last Saturday are still floating around in my cerebral cortex somewhere. Because? A plane? Will probably equivocate to Dante’s version of hell, except instead of wasps there’ll be toddler temper tantrums, thrown Cheerios and formula sprayed all over the poor saps in front of us.
Mind you, we knew all of this fully when we hit that Book Flight button. But, we figured we deserved a vacation, it wouldn’t be that bad, maybe he would behave…blah, blah, blah. I believe I’ve just set the premise for every comedic movie involving what was sure to be a “fun-filled family vacation” that goes horribly awry.
It’ll be like National Lampoon’s Satanic Toddler Vacation.
Oh, did I also mention we have a two-hour layover in Atlanta? I’m sure my eleven month old will TOTALLY understand that connecting flights were much cheaper than direct flights and thus, we have to endure two boardings, two landings and two sets of people who will hate us from the moment they lay eyes on us.
And I’m sure he’ll be just FINE with the fact that the flight crew generally doesn’t like it when crawling babies block the aisles, stopping only to turn red-faced and grunt out a good, smelly poop, so he’ll have to stay on my lap.
He’ll definitely understand when I remind him that it’s not polite to rip out the hair of the person next to you, no matter how much her hair resembles something a bird would live in.
I mean, right?
(Oh, and to anyone who is traveling from Chicago to Savannah in early August, may God have mercy on your soul.)
Tags: babies, babies-on-planes, movies, Parenting, temper-tantrums, toddlers-on-planes, traveling-with-toddlers |
5 Responses to “Toddlers On A Plane: The Scariest Movie Ever Made”
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1. SHS
June 25, 2008 @ 9:39 pm
The way I always thought of it was like this: How many times have YOU been bugged by a crying baby? Well, now it’s your turn.
Ignore everybody, seriously!
2. Rita
June 25, 2008 @ 11:39 pm
Eh, it’s not that bad. I’ve flown with babies bunches of times (the first being when my son was 5 months old). I did a pregnancy test on an airplane when my son was four–and it was positive. Then I got to take TWO kids on airplanes to and fro, all over the damn country. And now I have three.
Really, if you pack well and you’re proactive, then it’s not that bad at all. It’ll be fine, don’t worry about it.
3. Grandma frm Ks.
June 26, 2008 @ 12:25 am
Maureen, not sure if you are familiar with the Gosselin show or not, they have twins and sextuplets and they flew from Pa.to Utah, and those 6 were 3 yrs old, So sure you can do it. If some body gives you a dirty look, show them where the door is, and tell em’ walking is not crowded.
4. SHS
June 26, 2008 @ 11:55 am
Yea, well who couldn’t do it with 3 extra adults. Don’t go by what Kate did, or you’ll end up crying. Such a terrible example for your kids to see Mom losing it. You will be fine!
5. PsychMamma
June 26, 2008 @ 3:22 pm
We’ve flown several times with our daughter (now 2) since she was 1. It’s always gone great with her, but I’m the one who’s stressed out w/worry and apprehension.
Every time, I stress less. Here are some tips I would offer:
Check out the CARES toddler harness system instead of lugging a carseat if possible. http://www.kidsflysafe.com You can rent a carseat from the car rental places if you need one.
Plan the flight for nap time if you can
Let them have a pacifier (if they use one). It helps keep their ears clear and their mouths closed.
Bring a sippy cup. If they start screaming from pressure in their ears, get them to drink (tell them it will make it better). The swallowing helps relieve the pressure.
Take snacks (obviously)
Our diaper bag was a fantastic backpack designed for the job (can’t remember the brand right now - expensive, but TOTALLY worth it). It had lots of great compartments for organizing and made airport navigation a breeze (hands-free). If you’re interested in more info, email me and I’ll check on the brand
I saved the great plastic packaging from Robeez shoes that zips up and collected misc. small toys before the flight. Mostly old favorites are great, but throw in a few new ones for the novelty factor. Here are some things we’ve packed: Matchbox cars, FP Little People, Schleich plastic animals, *safe* kids meal toys, finger puppets, etc. In the absence of Robeez packaging, a ziploc bag works just fine too.
A few small, paperback (light) books
A mini magna doodle
A favorite stuffed animal or “lovey”
A travel pack of tissues
In case of puke: a plastic shopping bag or 2 (wads up nicely in the diaper bag) can be used for catching puke or putting soiled clothes in afterward, a change of clothes, wipes, and 1 or 2 cloth diapers.
We also talked about the airplane beforehand, including the fact that it might be bumpy and noisy, that her tummy and ears might feel a little funny but that it would go away, that there would be a lot of people and, finally, that she would have to stay buckled. Don’t forget to talk up the fun factor: being in the sky, seeing the clouds, getting to your vacation FAST, etc.
I’m probably forgetting something, but you’ll do fine. Remember, a flight is just a small brush stroke in the big picture of life. Even if it goes poorly, it will be over before you know it.
http://psychmamma.wordpress.com