I'd use benadry anyway...I did it when my daughter was 18 months old and it was my sanity. I didn't over do it, or use it more than once...just long enough for me to get a break. But you do what you think is best. We tend to treat our doctor's words like gospel...but you're the mom and you get to choose.
18 months old is a hard one. Does she like music or to watch anything like Little Einsteins? I would pack a cd player and dvd player with some kid friendly headphones. Also, if you have not booked the tickets yet I would definately try booking them during her sleep time. Good Luck, I hope it all goes well.
One of the items that we use for occupying our kids at church is a Fisher Price Doodle Pro. It's a magnetic drawing pad that can be drawn on over and over. The recommended age by the manufacturer is older than 18mo, but I use it for my 22mo old. I'm not sure how much it could entertain your daughter, but they're very inexpensive and don't require crayons!
A ROLL OF SCOTCH TAPE worked for us for an hour or so...sticky, interesting, fine motor skills, sticks anywhere, easy to clean up, cheap!
pipe cleaners are a fun thing, and they are small enough to pack. We just took a package to Hawaii and made all sorts of shapes. I have a 4 year old and a 10 month old, so I feel for you with flying. Hope it goes well.
Well, it seems that there are so many responses that when I respond, it just seems like another answer in the shuffle.I try to make an impact though. My answers are usually from a lot of experience that I could write a book. When I do respond, it's from my heart and I always want the person I'm writing it to, to take into consideration to what I'm saying. It's just that when you belong to such a huge support group it's hard to get your point across. There is one thing I can say, when a child hits the twelve month mark, you CAN give them benadryl and it is safe. Especially the dye free one. I've had plenty of experience with this topic and it will relax your child for the flight. It's an easy solution and all your worries will be gone. It's that's easy. Use no more than 1/2 teaspoon.Make sure it's dye free because sometimes the dye can actually excite a child. Thanks.
I went on a plan ride with my 18 month old about a month ago and one thing that I picked up on that seemed to be a good idea is that I went to the dollar store and bought several new toys/books/things to keep him occupied. They were all new to him and seemed to do a good job. The slinky and his beads really intrigued him.
We took our boys to Europe last summer 4 yrs and 1.5 years at the time. The one thing I found was that we packed too many toys for the plane.... it was hard to get things out the bag was heavy in the airport etc... If I was doing it again I would bring less toys! Just a couple that they liked... maybe hide a couple of her favorite toys a couple of weeks before you leave and then pull them out on the airplane and they will be like new toys! I had a friend tell me puzzles worked really well for her but it didn't work great for us and we lost the pieces! Also someone told me wind up toys..... but once I got on the plane and wound it up and relized it sounded like a ticking bomb I didnt think it was such a great idea! good luck, it will be better then you think!
I had the same issues flying with my daughter when she was around 1, crawling around and not able to sleep and being wiggly. The thing that helped the most with her the next time we flew was purchasing her own ticket and taking her carseat along. She could see out the window and felt more secure in her own seat. We have a special backpack for her that is only for traveling. It's supplied with a Magnadoodle and a couple of special books that seem more special because she doesn't get to use them at home. It might also help to get a small toy or two and keep them hidden away for a surprise when she's absolutely bored. Good luck with your travels!
Two words - DVD Player
We've flown all over the world with my daughter, including a trip from Japan to Boston when she was 18 months old. We kept her occupied with little baggies of "surprises". They included stickers, crayons, little pads of paper (it eliminates dropping a big pile of paper all over the place), pipe cleaners cut into different sizes to twist and bend, snacks - including a few M&Ms stuck in as an extra treat. Then she also had a few of her favorite books and a favorite stuffed animal and small blanket. We gave her one baggie at a time about 20 minutes to a half hour apart (depending on the excitement of the particular bag). Then when she was done with a bag I'd make sure all of the items got put back into the baggie and the baggie returned to my "bag of tricks". That way you can go through all of the baggies and start over again - chances are that she will not remember that is was just a little while ago that she used the stuff. Books on tape work too if you can get her to put headphones on (mine wouldn't do that at that age)
We also made sure we kept her routine as much as possible. Meaning that we changed her into her pajamas at the time we would usually put her to bed (without worrying about the time change), read her a book, and create a little bed for her in her seat. She didn't always fall asleep right away, but with quiet reminders that it was bed time (and pretending to fall asleep myself) she would settle down and sleep.
Also, do not be afraid to ask the flight attendants for some help if you need it - most are very willing to help you out. One even took mine for a tour of the plane - including the area where they take their breaks underneath the passenger area!
And, of course be ready to walk the plane a lot, as long as they are not serving food and the seatbelt sign is not on, you can walk around the plane for as long as you need to. We played "I Spy" doing that a few times.
Good Luck
Ditto the DVD player advice.
You may want to ask your question over at the "Travel with Children" forum on FlyerTalk
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=221
where you'll get lots of sage advice/tips from expert frequent fliers who travel with their kids. We travel a lot but not as extensively as some of the folks there--one guy's 4 year old child has Delta Airlines Gold Medallion elite status!
I'm not a fan of dosing but for long haul flights that may screw with her internal clock, I can see a very mild dose of something. Our son doesn't sleep with Benadryl, it hypes him up. We instead used something from Hyland's (the same company that made his teething tablets) when he couldn't get settled for a flight.
Hi,
My 3 year old has been on 30+ flights in her life, I wish you luck! When she was about 18 months old, I bought a portable DVD player and bring that on plane trips. The batteries last about 3-4 hours, plus Walmart sells an energizer portable battery that will give you a few more hours. I take 3-4 DVDs and she is happy.
Also, are you taking the carseat? I used to take hers and strap her in, that way she could sleep easier and she was safe if I needed to use the bathroom. "One Step Ahead" makes a carrier for the car seat that enables you to cary it on your back like a backpack; I used this everytime I flew with her by muself and it made it a lot easier in the airport, I had my hands free. They are about $40, I plan on taking mine to the consignment shop soon but if you would like to purchase it i would sell to you! Good Luck!
Annette
Hi Melissa,
I too have to make a long trip with very young kids. I have 4 kids, 6yrs to 11 mos. Books are a great way to keep them busy. I like ones that flip open have velcro etc. I suggest a few new toys, that way it can keep her busy for a little while longer. Also lots of snacks. I just really like books because we can talk about the pictures, make up silly songs,... I hope this helps. Best of luck. I hope it is a great trip.
Melanie
That long of a plane ride will be challenging but, have lots on hand and be ready to entertain. We did take our son to Hawaii at 18 mo and it went much better than I ever could have expected and I have travelled with two by myself so here are my ideas. A little container of playdoh and cut up things, a portable dvd player and favorite dvd's and music (I really don't use tv a lot but, this is one time it can be a life saver), a little write on/erasable sketch toy (it comes with the writing utensilon it/doodle pro is one brand), aqua doodle has portable things and you just need to add water to your pen,a few new toys...keep them in the container...this helped one friend, her child loved to open. Ideas, matchbox cars....yes even for girls, a scarf to play hide and seek, music ideas in your head to sing to her soflty...little games. I am sure i have more but, this is what is coming to mind. The other one is snacks....anything and everything. I have brought candy a few times but, only had to revert to that once. Good luck....oh and plan on walking the isles as much as they will let you that is.
Aside from a bag full of new things (such as stickers, crayons, etc) I made a little animal scene "toy" by taking pieces of different-colored stiff felt (about 4in x 6 in), punched a hole in the corner and hooked them together with a keyring so it looked like a little book. I bought a bunch of little flat wooden animals from Michaels and attached a piece of velcro to the back of each. My daughter could create little scenes with the various animals on the different colors - she really loved it and it kept her occupied all through Mexico too! Good luck!
Doodle Pro, modeling clay (anything cheap and neater than Play-Doh), pipe cleaners, activity books (anything pop-up or moving), and Benzocaine! Benzocaine is an instant cure to pain relief and most doctors will prescribe it no questions asked if they know you are flying. We always take plenty of snacks and a new toy that has never been played with before. It's not as bad as we expect usually. Being overseas, you should have plenty of room for her to roam, which will help, too. GL!
Maybe you could try and schedule a flight where the majority of the flight is during her regular sleeping hours. Try doing only relaxing things before and during the flight.Watch the kind of foods and drinks you give her. Maybe you could bring her favorite blankie or pillow. Good luck :-)
Melissa, my husband and I took our son (now almost 3) on his first long plane ride (24+ hours and several planes) when he was 18 months old. Some wise woman told me to take STICKERS!!!! They entertained him the entire time practically. Of course, we tried to get him up and about as often as we could. Take an inflatable beach ball for any layovers you may have...instant ball to play with without having to take up space. I don't know if you can afford it, but I would buy her her own seat. That way she can stretch out a little bit without having to cramp your space. Her having to sit on your lap for a long trip like that can be miserable for everyone involved.