Comments on: Flying With Kids

By: Helen

Helen — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 21:11:45 +0000

I would definitely try any sedative (even benedryl) as a dry run before using it on a flight.

My SIL is a paediatrician and gave her son phenegan on a trans pacific (Australia to the US) flight without having previously tried it. He was one of the 1 in 100 children who gets hysterical night terrors on it….

By: The Nerd

The Nerd — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 04:13:16 +0000

Two words: transatlantic flight. There is NOTHING that can be done to keep a child quiet during that whole thing, and when the first hour is just sitting waiting for clearance, may the good FSM have mercy on us all! The flight home we tried to shut him up with a whole bag of little sugar drops. Those kept him quiet, except that again, the flight is HOURS long, and there are only so many drops. Attempts to ration them out resulted in very loud demands for more. The only way we survived was a seasoned grandmother in the seat behind us who offered to take him for a few hours. As our child is very fond of strangers, we were happy to accept her relief.

By: Rebecca

Rebecca — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 21:31:46 +0000

Tell me more about this Benedryl… I’m about to take a red eye from LA to Boston with my 19 month old. Should I ask my pediatrician?

Years ago, when I was a naive college student, I saw a parent giving her three kids some sort of medicine (probably Benedryl) before a cross country flight. I was SHOCKED that a PARENT would use MEDICATION to make their children SLEEP just for everyone’s CONVENIENCE. I got all shouty. Used the anecdote for years as an example of terrible parenting.

Now I have a child. I will totally dose her.

I think of it this way: is it better for her to be up all night? Is it better for her to have the stress and anxiety of me being all hush-hush-hush stop-stop-stop and up in her grill while I’m exhausted too?

By: Corrie

Corrie — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 21:26:27 +0000

My most recent flight with the boy, I did give him Benedryl *and* Tylenol on the advice of his pediatrician. Benadryl for the fluid in his ears and Tylenol for the pain (of having fluid in his ears). We both had a URI and had to fly home from the east coast due to work obligations on my part. He slept like a lamb with no screaming or crying. Sadly, they gave me nothing for my sinus infection, and was told I couldn’t take anything that works for me because I was breastfeeding, and *I* was the one crying like a baby by the time we landed.

By: Julie

Julie — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:58:25 +0000

Ha ha…seems like a hot button issue. Everybody has a story.

Our pediatrician recommended Benedryl for flights. I don’t know if it helps with the ear pressure thing. She was mostly all about it helping with the sleep thing.

But as it turns out, our son conks out immediately on planes without any help from meds, which is awesome. We’ve never dosed him. I think planes are where he actually sleeps the best! Our last flight was amazing. We got to watch a movie. My husband and I got to chat.

I’m running the risk of having things thrown at me here, I realize. Life’s not a picnic for us; we just got lucky with planes. I think if I could somehow set up a flight simulator in my son’s room, our nights would be gravy as well.

By: Jodi

Jodi — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:30:25 +0000

In fact, I should share my worst flight experience. Flying from NYC to Ohio (about an hour and a half), I learned the hard way that my oldest daughter gets airsick. She had been watching a DVD while I was entertaining her little sister. Poor thing threw up everywhere. Thanks to the change of clothing I packed, a really wonderful flight attendant, and some passengers who could watch my youngest daughter, the experience was over in no time. But, that’s one I’ll never forget!

And, no more DVD or TV watching on our flights. Makes for some looooong trips.

By: Jodi

Jodi — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:19:55 +0000

I’m not saying I have all the answers, and I have had some rough flights with my girls. (In fact, a few times when I’ve taken them alone, I got off the plane and said, “Never again!”) And, I have resorted to Benedryl a few times in order to get them to sleep (when it was nap or night time). I know that is frowned upon, but kids are notorious for not wanting to sleep on planes. And, the Benedryl is reported to help with pressure issues in the ears. (I don’t have facts on that, just word of mouth and experience. If anyone knows of the real facts, please share.)

My husband and I do *not* allow the girls to kick the back of seats. Sometimes it happens and we apologize to our fellow travelers. But, this is something we try to curtail.

I think the most important thing is that the other passengers and flight crew feel like you’re doing everything in your power to calm your child down. Maybe we can tune our kids out, but we can’t expect other people to do the same.

By: Kela

Kela — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:17:20 +0000

I have flown on about 10 flights with my now 20 month old son. Before he was walking and having opinions of his own it was easy. I would nurse him, he would go to sleep and stay that way through most of the flight. Once he started crawling/walking and wanting to do stuff his way it became harder.

The last flight we were on the flight attendants would not let us have any of his toys, snacks or drink out during while we were sitting on the runway (for over an hour) waiting to take off. With nothing to use to keep him entertained and having to keep him in my lap facing forward, he was understandable upset and whiny. Since the flight attendants had taken away all of my options to entertain him I would have been angry if they kicked me off the flight because his was cranky and screaming.

By: Colin Goudie

Colin Goudie — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 09:57:03 +0000

One world. Lollypops. Works wonders

By: Perceval

Perceval — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 07:26:23 +0000

Now, failsafe ways to calm down an overexcited toddler? I don’t know the child, but as a frequent flyer myself, I would say you’re being overly optimistic. There are so many factors here – initial delay (ever tried to keep toddlers amused and happy while their flight was delayed for an hour?), unexpected need for rest (many kids don’t nap like clockwork).
Restrictions on the amount of stuff one woman cancarry while dealing with a toddler.
She may have been unable to get him in resting position because kids need to face forward during takeoff. Cramped space seriously restricts what you can do w kids on a plane.

As for the commenter who wanted to do it like jodi, we’ll talk again once you’ve flown a couple of times with a toddler.