Euro trip is 9 days away. please help me and my flight anxiety!!!!

this is what I am up against.

the molars are coming! the molars are coming!

I can walk on my own mama. therefore, I will NEVER sit still again.

I can't sleep when it's too noisy, mama.

I can't sleep when I'm not comfortable, mama.

what..something new...I must investigate...

NO
SLEEP
TIl
BROOKLYN.
MAMA

so, he is a very tempermental sleeper. every single thing distracts him and wakes him up. I just don't see how I am going to get him to go down gently.

the flight is 8ish hours. can he cry for that long? can I?

besides my overwhelming anxiety about in flight plane disasters...I am having the same about an in flight luce disaster.

Re: Euro trip is 9 days away. please help me and my flight anxiety!!!!

portable dvd player!!!!

Re: Euro trip is 9 days away. please help me and my flight anxiety!!!!

Re: Euro trip is 9 days away. please help me and my flight anxiety!!!!

My son is a VERY light sleeper-that being said, the on each flight, he was out like a light as we started down the runway. The humming from the plane put him to sleep for a couple of hours! My worst fears never became reality. I hope the same happens for you!

Re: Euro trip is 9 days away. please help me and my flight anxiety!!!!

Chels is a very very light sleepr, and agree with neener, the plane knocked her out...I think it's bc it sounds a lot like her white noise machine..ALSO, DD happens to sleep better ON me, next to me, besides me so that helped on the plane too that she was sleeping on me...so that may help LUCE as well...let him walk around the plane, it'll tire him out if they allow him to...Get him a bunch of NEW toys that he's never seen before that will keep him occupied. BOOKS...I also made a picture book for DD, with pictures of all family members and she loooved pictures at LUCE's age, still does


Good luck, honestly he will sleep, I promise you..

Re: Euro trip is 9 days away. please help me and my flight anxiety!!!!

We took Logan to South Africa when he was nearly 3 months old and he was out cold once we were in the air.

Do they make headphones for little ones? Maybe they would block out sounds/noises so he could sleep.

Re: Euro trip is 9 days away. please help me and my flight anxiety!!!!

I highly recommend bringing lots of toys that he has never seen before on the plane in the event that he doesn't sleep. The newness of the toys should keep him entertained for a while.

ETA: Also snacks. Anything that will distract him. I also find that holding DC up so that they can stare at the people sitting behind you helps! You'd be amazed at how helpful and entertaining the other people on the flight can be!

And this is coming from a mom who took a flight with my 9 month old DD who never fell asleep! We survived!

Message edited 10/12/2010 12:57:55 PM.

Re: Euro trip is 9 days away. please help me and my flight anxiety!!!!

New toys - small wrapped toys - will keep him distracted for awhile - blanket on the floor at your feet and he can tear up one of the inflight magazines - worked for my DD. Walk and talk - I know you dont want to hear this but I walked the aisles in the plane on our last trip to europe - DS was just under a year and like your little adventurer he wanted to be on the move. The first couple of laps kind of peed me off but then I readjusted my attitude and just went with it and it was fine - I got to chat to a lot of people - was I tired by the time we reached our destination? yes but you know what I survived.

Take a DEEP breath - everyone on that plane will fall in love with him and if you expect the worst it wont happen.

Have a great trip

Re: Euro trip is 9 days away. please help me and my flight anxiety!!!!

I think he'll eventually fall asleep on the plane, if not from sheer exhaustion of fussing so much if he does.

Question about home though? Do you use a white noise machine with him? Our apt in the city was right on a main drag and DS's room/window was literally right behind the M4 stop. You know that sound that buses make when they stop and let air out or whatever the eff it is they're doing...that and the non-stop fire engines and cops going by (we lived in washington heights, they were non-stop ) meant he got no sleep in the beginning. Once we put the white noise machine in his room he was a whole different baby. You can bring it on your trip with you too for the hotel rooms if you want.

Re: Euro trip is 9 days away. please help me and my flight anxiety!!!!

We brought Jack to Italy when he was 13 months. Jack was a tough little baby. I was so paranoid. Somehow it all works out, and they adjust. Our flight was delayed (while we were on the plane) for three hours....so of course we were supposed to leave at Jacks bedtime but it didn't work out that way. We were on the plane for a total of 13 hours and he slept for about 3 hours in total.

I had a ton of books, toys, etc. We asked for the seat with the bassinet in front of it, but Jack was wayyy too big to fit in it - but the good thing was that gave us extra room to play on the floor in front of us.

Loads of snacks, and lots of milk got us through.

Good luck! I'm not going to lie and say it was an easy trip, but it's def. doable!

Re: Euro trip is 9 days away. please help me and my flight anxiety!!!!

We took a four hour flight when he was one year and one day old... Not as long as yours, but he did well.

We didnt bring a DVD player, he didnt really watch TV at that time so it would havebeen a waste....

We did bring:

binkie if he has one

I put all his baby medicines into a zip lock bag in my carry on... Whatever you give for his teething...

cheerios for him to snack on and chew to pop his ears if needed

Other dry snacks

powdered formula even though he drank milk, just so I could mix it if he needed.. They had milk on out flight though but it was cold and he hated cold milk...

his favorite blankie. He ended up sleeping on our laps with his blankie over his head for 2 hours of the 4 hour trip.

his favorite stuffed toy. I ended up carrying The Learning Puppy.. That thing is possessed and starts talking all by itself at will, but he loved it so I dragged it...


I had major anxiety about traveling with a one year old in a plane. We drive north 8 hours at a time on a regular basis but this 4 hour flight scared the heebies outta me... He did fine. I was more of a wreck than he was... You will be fine too...

Re: Euro trip is 9 days away. please help me and my flight anxiety!!!!

when you check in at the airport - see if the 'bulkhead' seats are avaiilable....we did this for our california flight. they were available and it gave Em enough room to be able to walk between dave & i.

did it make things perfect? no - but it did help!

also - let him sit in the window seat (or sit on your lap)....em LOVED opening and closing the window.

TRY the portable dvd player - i know you said he doesn't watch TV yet so it won't hold his attention - but you may be surprised....

Re: Euro trip is 9 days away. please help me and my flight anxiety!!!!

thanks everyone.

we shall see.

at least his birthday is coming so I can save some gifts for the plane!

Re: Euro trip is 9 days away. please help me and my flight anxiety!!!!

You might have to spend the whole flight walking up and down the aisles...been there, done that! Lol!

Re: Euro trip is 9 days away. please help me and my flight anxiety!!!!

Good luck! I am procrastinating taking DS to Greece to visit my father because I'm so anxious about flying with him. Hope your flight goes smoothly!!

Re: Euro trip is 9 days away. please help me and my flight anxiety!!!!

Bring some extra cash for drinks!

I also think bringing the new toys is a good idea too! And snacks. Nothing puts a smile on my LOs face like food.

Good luck. I'm sure he will be fine!

Re: Euro trip is 9 days away. please help me and my flight anxiety!!!!

DEFINATELY lots of new toys! Lots of snacks!

My 14 month old really likes crayons and coloring books (for like 10 minutes but hey its something). He just started becoming interested in TV so I would maybe invest in a portable DVD player and some Sesame Street DVDs (the only thing that my DS will watch) in case of emergency.

Legos are a good distraction also.

Good luck!

Re: Euro trip is 9 days away. please help me and my flight anxiety!!!!

BTDT. I still have post tramatic stress from it.

I will say it. Bring a drug for him just in case.

I would have done anything for a shot of benedryl on hour 5.
Coming home, gave it to him, much better flight.
and stickers. tons of them.