Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Leaving On a Jet Plane

Fellow bloggers, I am asking you for advice. Belle will be making her first plane trip this Saturday. We are just going for a quick trip to visit Mark's grandmother and extended family. Any tips out there for flying with a 7 month old?

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2 comments:

Melea Connett said...

Hey Rachel! We just flew to Florida with Kinley. I was really nervous b/c we had a connecting flight. But, Kinley did great. I know that she is only 4 months and that is a big difference. But, I am sure Belle will do fine. I was also asking everyone I knew for advice. The only advice that I found was that she should be sucking and or eating while taking off and landing. We just made sure she had her pacifier and it was no big deal. Hope you have a great flight!

Anonymous said...

Hi Rachel. I met Mark when I went to Guatemala on an HTI trip in July 2007. Love your blog!
I have two kids ages 5 and 2 1/2 and we've traveled a ton with them. Worst case scenario, the two of you can take turns walking her up and down the aisle, assuming the fasten seatbelts light is off. Here are some ideas:
1. Have her eat or drink (if she's still nursing, that would be perfect) on take off and landing. Helps their ears adjust to the change in altitude.
2. Pack lots of little snacks- eating takes up time!:-)
3. I know that airport floors aren't the cleanest, so you can decide if you want this or not- BUT, letting your kid get out and move around while you are waiting at the gate truly helps them get some of the wiggles out and makes it easier when she has to sit still on the plane. I always walk my kids all over (the Seattle airport actually has a play area, so you should see if your airport does).
3. When my kids were that age, I dressed them in overalls b/c then I could clip some of their toys to their overalls with those stroller clip things. Provides lots entertainment for the babe and makes it so that you aren't having to reach for toys that were dropped (not easy on a plane) and then worry about their cleanliness.
4. Before every trip, I go to a dollar store, target, walmart, etc. and buy a few new toys or things to do on the plane. Then, I pack them up, never showing my kids so that when we get on the plane, there is something new and exciting to play with. (Not sure your budget, but Parents, sold at Target, has this great pretend cell phone that both of my kids LOVED)
5. Pack extra diapers and food as you never know when you are going to get stuck on the tarmac.

I think she will be fine, her age is pretty good for flying. Once they are more mobile it a lot harder. (Well, there's something look forward to! HA!)
-Wendi Putzke