10 Helpful Tips for Flying with a 1 Year Old

We flew as a family to Orlando Florida this past November, and that trip taught us so much. Below are my 10 Helpful Tips for Flying with a 1 Year Old. If you are planning to travel with your baby, know that you can do this. Flying with a 1 year old will not be as overwhelming as you might think.

1. Do your research in advance.

You are already taking a great first step to prepare to fly with a one-year-old – research! Talk to your airline. Ask them what the might require for you to bring paperwork-wise. Talk to other moms who have flown with their children. Read credible blog posts. The more you prepare, the better you will feel on travel day. At least, that was the case for me.

2. Pack with intention.

Babies require a lot of things. However, you should not need an entire pack of diapers in your carry-on. Be smart about the amount of stuff you pack, because you have to carry that stuff through the airport awhile also managing your child. Whatever you will use most, make it easily accessible. Whatever you can live without for the day, pack it in your checked luggage. Basically, don’t just throw everything into a bag and call it good.

3. Bring plenty of distractions.

We packed a bag of fidget toys thinking they would easily distract Ronia. I was wrong. She was just not ready for those types of toys. However, she should have loved to play with her foam alphabet cards or stacking cups. Think about what toys entertain your baby the most and try to pack those. I read a lot of blogs in which moms encouraged buying some new toys for the flight, because they would be more exciting. That could not have been more wrong for our girl.

Also, a distraction could be as simple as your water bottle, scrunchie, sunglasses case…. babies are entertained by the simplest of items.

4. Get them a seat (if possible).

A few weeks before our flight I decided to get Ronia her own seat, and boy am I glad we did. Sure, there were times when she needed to nurse that I took her out of the seat, but most of the time it was good that she had her own space and I could contain her. She is so squirmy in our arms I was honestly worried about her safety. With her own seat that was no longer a worry.

It’s also important to choose the right car seat. We bought a light travel one that was highly recommended, but a few days before the trip I discovered it might be too wide for the airplane seat. We ended up buying the (car seat) and it worked out so well. Very easy to install and light enough to carry.

5. Board early.

Again, I read so many blogs in which mothers encouraged me to board as late as possible so you didn’t have to spend as much time on the plane with your baby. That makes sense, but I found it so helpful to board early. We had to install her car seat and get our bags put away, so the few extra minutes were vital for me. It also gave Ronia a few extra minutes to people-watch and check out the plane.

6. Ignore rude people.

For the most part we experienced kind and understanding airline attendants and fellow flyers. However, there’s always that one person. That one person who gives you a look or makes a scoffing sound or even says something rude to you. Ignore them. Flying with a baby is not easy! You are doing your best. As much as you can prepare for a trip, your child has their own agenda. They might have a meltdown or poo-splosion or have trouble adjusting to cabin pressure. Just breathe and tune out the people around you. They will be gone soon enough and you are doing great.

7. Bring an Umbrella Stroller.

Getting around the airport can be tricky with a little one, so it’s good to have a compact and maneuverable stroller on hand to contain them. You are also able to gate-check a stoller for no extra fee, so that’s very helpful. You just hand your stoller to the attendants at the gate and them will have it ready for you when you step off the plane. Oh, and we will never go back to our other stroller after purchasing this one for our trip. It’s the BEST. If you are in the market for a good small stroller, this is the one.

8. Try to Align Flights with Naptime.

Another of my 10 Helpful Tips for Flying with a 1 Year Old is to align your flights with naps. Like I mentioned before, your baby has their own agenda. Ours decided not to nap well at all on our first travel day. However, if you are able to line up your flights with nap time to keep your little one on a good schedule, I highly recommend. A napping baby is easier to contain then an over-tired one.

9. Bring Plenty of Snacks.

Don’t just pack a lot of snacks, but be sure they are easily accessible. In my experience, a snacking baby is a happy baby. Oh, and don’t just pack snacks for the baby. We made that mistake on our last trip. Airport food is so expensive and it’s difficult to wait in line for a meal when you have an active child who is dying to crawl on the disgusting airport floor. A hungry mama is no better than a hungry baby. Keep lots of snacks handy for everyone and you will thank yourself later.

10. Practice How to Carry Your Bags

The last of my 10 Helpful Tips for Flying with a 1 Year Old is to practice carrying your bags. We had a bag for the car seat, a stroller, two carry-ons, a diaper bag and a backpack.. Then two checked bags. Yup. For a week in Florida. Carrying all of that luggage was quite the feat. It would have been a good idea for us to practice how we were going to get all of it through the airport without falling apart. Learn from our mistakes… and maybe pack less?

Thank you for reading 10 Helpful Tips for Flying with a 1 Year Old. For more tips and tricks on your next adventure, take a look at our latest content:

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Love Always,