DUSTY TRAVELS / Long Haul Flight Tips

First of all I am no expert in this field and I have 1 toddler, I marvel at the women I see travelling with 4 babies in tow, but that said I think a lot of people are put off travelling to places purely because of the anxiety of having an unpredictable plus one at their side, so here are my (and lots of lovely people who DM’d me advice when I asked what the best travel tips were for travelling long haul with a toddler. If you have anymore I would love to hear from you and I’ll add to this list.

Think about your little ones general mood when you book the flight times, night flights are great if they are a good sleeper, however if they decide not too then you’ll be tired yourself and dealing with an unhappy baby, day flights can work better in this case as they can nap but more importantly you will be in a better headspace to cope if they decide to go bananas.

Let go of any expectation, once you are on that plane and they’ve shut the doors anything can and will happen and you can only try your best to deal with the situation that you are presented with, don’t worry about what other passengers are thinking, they have all encountered children before.

Pain relief medication can help if your little ones ears are sensitive on take off and landing, a drink through a straw they can suck on works in the same way for take off and landing so they are swallowing / equalising the pressure in their ears.

Take a nappy for every hour of the flight J.I.C - wipes, cream, changes of clothing for you and them.

A blanket, socks, favourite toy - anything that’s going to comfort them and smell of home.

No sugar before your board or on the flight - that goes for fruit too sadly which I know is a fav with little ones and an easy thing to take with you as a snack but the difference in a child that has had sugar or not is incredible. Also things you can feed to them in small pieces to eek out a snack or meal. Hello grated cheese. In general a toddler with a full tummy is a happy one so keep the snacks rolling.

Use your surroundings, if your little one likes washing their hands (Hi Dusty) taking them to the bathroom if they are awake can be a fun change from sitting in a seat or on your lap. Show them the magazines, the menu, any bits of laminated cards in your seat pockets, play with the headphones, the little tea cup they give you, inflight socks make great hand puppets.

Keep a few widget based small toys hidden in the week before you fly, once you’ve initially gauged interest and then present them once on board - 1 at a time.

Download the Disney app to your phone or You Tube and download your childs favourite films / shows / music videos - it’s amazing how many times they can watch a short clip that they love and not get bored - case in point, google Hai Hai on You Tube and there is a compilation of all the times the chicken appears in Moana - GOLD for Dusty.

Take a neck pillow for yourself so you can sleep if they decide to sleep on you.

Depending on the child it’s sometimes better to book them their own seat before they turn two, if your child is independent and not used to falling asleep on you, this might be a good option, especially if its a day flight, it will mean they can sit up play / watch something / eat etc.

Make sure the seating works. It’s all very well having a seat with extra leg room and no one in front of you, but if it’s a solid arm-rest between yourself and your partner then your little one won’t be able to stretch out across both your laps so check with the airline before you confirm seats. Hope that helps