Best advice for flying with a 14 month old boy? 6-8 hours flight, see more below...?

1. Advice for keeping him busy? He'll be sitting on our laps (we didn't want to pay $600 for him to have his own seat...)





2. Advice for preventing or relieving pain in his ears? I'm nervous about the effects this will have on him... he doesn't drink from a bottle anymore usually... although he might if I gave him one... other ideas?Best advice for flying with a 14 month old boy? 6-8 hours flight, see more below...?
Before you go, visit his pediatrician to have his ears checked for any fluid or infection. This makes the pain much worse. If there is any sign..they may be able to head it off first. Also..if the ears are okay..ask if an appropriate dosage of Benydryl an hour before landing would be okay for your child to help with the pressure.





Pack a backpack with a bunch of dollar store toys and treats that he hasn't seen before.





Plan on giving him something every half hour or so to occupy him. He will love unwrapping his treasure.





If you can get him a bit sleepy before you go..that would be nice...maybe he will sleep on the flight (depending on how long it is).





When you check in...ask how crowded the flight is..if its not too crowded perhaps they can give you a row to yourselves, or seat you far enough away from other passengers.





If you can afford it AND think it would be a good investment, get a portable dvd player and pack some Thomas the Tank movies and other kids videos.





Pack a bottle...before landing ask for some warm juice. Using a bottle once or twice won't set him so far back.





Pack LOTS of LOLLIPOPS! The sucking motion will help soothe his ears.





If you have any layovers ... plan on something to keep him active and occupied in the airport. If you research where your layovers are..you may find that many airports have mini play areas for little ones.





Make sure he is clean, dry and well fed!





The one on one time and attention he will get from you on the flight can be a wonderful bonding experience.





Oh..and make sure you pack your patience and sense of humor in your carry on!Best advice for flying with a 14 month old boy? 6-8 hours flight, see more below...?
We extensively traveled overseas with our oldest when she was 12-16MO. Our personal criteria was any plane/train/boat ride that was more than 4 hours long, we would buy her a seat - but we knew how to shop to get her a fare significantly less than $600. But these tips helped a great deal, regardless of whether we had a seat for her:





We always tried to take the plane/train/boat during her naptime or at night, so she'd sleep through part or most of it. Sometimes you can't do that, or you get delayed, so try to gently push her sleeping schedule to nap during that time anyway if you can.





We always made sure she was fed, in a clean diaper, and content before getting on the plane/train/boat. We also carried plenty of diapers, snacks (a ziploc bag of cheerios is great), a pacifier and a full sippy cup and bottle on us at all times. You never know when you are going to be delayed and need them. When I see other parents having trouble with toddlers while traveling, it's usually because they did not plan ahead to keep them clean, fed, and occupied.





She LOVED books. Take the paper/tagboard ones that are very thin, or xerox favorites from home, so you can take five or six easily in your carryon bag. Be prepared to read them many, many times. You can always toss them when the trip is over.





She loved songs, especially those with fingerplay. We very quietly sang those many, many times.





We had special small toys that we only took when traveling. She really looked forward to playing with those. A small puppet is also great at this age.





She loved to color at this age. Small crayons or colored pencils with a small spiral notebook can entertain for quite some time, especially if you participate too.





He's going to want to explore some, so you should let him look around when it's convenient and he wants to. Also let him interact with other passengers if they solicit it first or act like they want to. It's not realistic to expect him to stay in your lap for 6-8 hours unless he sleeps through most of it.
I went on a plane with my daughter twice, once when she was 1 and the other when she was 13 mo, so far and am about to go again next week! Both times I did the lap child thing. I can understand saving your money, so don't worry if people try and scary into thinking you need to get your child a seat of his own.





So, both times I brought a diaper bag with toys, which is obvious. I read someone elses advice somewhere that you could wrap up a couple of your childs toys and let him open them up like gifts, it's a fun way to keep him distracted for 10 minutes trying to open it (this is purly suggestion, you don't have to do it.) This time i'm going to bring crayons and paper for her to draw with, she loves to color when we go to resturants. Although, this will last 20 minutes before she tries to eat them. But I'll probably take them away and reintroduce them to her at a later time. I also walked up and down the aisle with her to release some energy. He might also take a nap on the plane too, which is always nice. Maybe, if you have one, bring your laptop and watch a movie or one of his favorite shows. Bring books to read or to look at pictures. Just think about what he usually does during the day and downsize it to being on a plane.





As for preventing the pain in his ears, we always gave my daughter her pacifier for her to suck on. Another thought is to give him something to drink in a sippy cup or whatever drinks out of now and that might help in relieving the pressure. Or have him watch you yawn and than he might yawn too. My daughter hasn't drank from a bottle since her 1st birthday, which was after her first airplane trip and the second flight she was fine without one, so I wouldn't worry about breaking out a bottle. If he doesn't want to take a drink or use a pacifier don't push it, my daughter didn't want her pacifier on take off one time and she was fine.





I hope I helped. Good luck and have fun on your trip!