Travel - Bradenton,FL

these may be repeats......DVD player with headphones, NEW, small toys from Dollar Store the child has not seen before.

I have been flying so often alone with my son and even with my 2 kids!
Here are a few ideas:
- a night flight. Try to schedule the flight a little bit before her bedtime (for example 5pm). At the beginning, she will be exited, have a dinner and a bottle and then sleep.
- Lots of snacks, especially small ones so that you can give them little by little (animal crackers, cheerios, raisins, blueberries...). It's a good time to try new treats if she is not used to them. She will be curious about what she eats and a little bit quieter for 2 minutes!
- Books, paper and crayons
- soft, silent toys. My son favorites were animal bath toys. He could recreate a zoo/farm in the plane in a small space and it was very light to carry.
- maybe a DVD player (we don't have one, so I never tried but have seen it often in planes) or laptop with her favorite movies/TV shows.

If the plane is big, try to get a bulk-head place. If you can afford it, try to have 2 seats (one for you, one for her) This will give you more leg room were she can play/sleep on the floor. Usually, if the plane is not full, the company and flight attendants will be happy to keep the seats around you empty.

You don't mention how long is the flight. However, I would rather do 10 hours in a plane than a 2 day car trip alone with a toddler. You need the same tricks to keep them quiet/entertained but cannot tend to them because you are driving.

Good luck

If you think flying with your daughter is bad it willl be worse driving. Did you take her favorite toy on the plane along with treats and drinks???? A music box or etch a sketch or something new to play with will help. Most people fly early morning or late night with small children so that way they will more than likely sleep...

Our ears hurt when we fly. Babies are the only passengers who tell the truth by crying out loud...
Get a pacifier, bottle, lollypop...anything to suck on during the flight. Don't make yourself miserable in a two-day car ride.
Bite the bullet and be patient. I wish you patience...like a saint.

DD has flown several times a year since 3 mo (we live 1000+ miles from all family), and around 18 mos was definitely the worst--didn't have her own seat yet, didn't want to sit still, wouldn't sleep on the plane, etc. There's no way to do it (that I know of) that won't be a challenge, but, quite frankly, a 2-day car trip probably won't be any better--at least the flight is over more quickly! A few things that have helped--STOCK UP on snacks and new toys. Avoid candy, since that will cause hyperactivity (the last thing you need!), but I'll pack cheese and crackers, pretzels, raisins, etc. Usually we're very structured about eating--3 meals plus snack each day, all at the kitchen table--but those rules go out the window on the plane. If she wants goldfish, she gets goldfish (on the condition, of course, that she sit nicely while she eats them). I also stock up on goodies at the dollar store, so DD will have new, exciting things that I can pull out throughout the flight--stickers, coloring books (at 20 mos, she's probably just starting to be able to use a crayon--let the plane ride be a chance to practice a new skill!), little cars, winnie the pooh cards, whatever; just be prepared to pull out something new every 20-30 minutes when she starts to get restless. Puppets are great--be prepared to put on a show. On a long flight, don't be afraid to walk her up and down the aisle a few times--it helps her not to have to sit still for 3+ hours (a challenge for any of us), and everyone on the plane would rather see a cute kid wander past than hear her scream. Finally, just accept the fact that your ONLY job for the WHOLE flight will be to keep her entertained--break out the songs, patty-cake, bear hunt, itsy-bitsy spider, i'm a little teapot, etc; read books; have a funny-face making contest. Don't bother packing a book; you won't read it. Accept that the other passengers would rather see/hear you making a fool out of yourself than a little girl having a tantrum. It will be exhausting, but you can do it, and know that once she gets just a tad older (especially old enough to color on her own, do those activity books where you identify colors and shapes, etc), things will get MUCH easier. Just after her 2nd birthday DD turned into an expert flier, in part, I think, because she began to understand it--we have to sit and read books for a long time, but then at the end we get to see nana and poppop. Now (at almost 3), if we tell her we're going to visit grandparents, she runs off to pack her backpack full of "snacks and toys and books for the airplane," then stands at the door ready to go. GL!

maybe the altitude is bothering her ears, when we flew with our twins at about that age, I tried to get them to eat snacks or take their pacifier during take off and landing so that the pressure in their ears would equalize. Good luck!

I don't know if she has her own seat or not but if she does then don't bring her carseat on leave it at the entrance if she is on your lap try and see if she can't sit next to you. you can try and Give her some benadryl, and tylenol about half hour before the flight. Have several books and try reading them. And last but not least SIPPY CUP(bottle) and SNACKS!!!

This is probably too late but may help next time: go to the health food store and get cat nip drops. Catnip is relaxing.
Good Luck and God Bless